The Varieties of Whiskey Across the Globe

A whiskey is simply fermented grains which have been distilled in a barrel. Aficionados will tell you there’s a big difference between whiskey, Tennessee Whiskey or Scotch Whisky. The regional differences are partly due to the grains available, the wood used to make barrels or the fuels used to heat the stills. However, you cannot ignore the history, the craftsmanship and the particular tastes passed down from localities into the drinks that they produced.

What is the difference between Whisky and Whiskey?

Yes, the short answer is yes. The words are both anglicized versions of the Gaelic uisce, or uisge depending on whether you speak Irish Gaelic or Scottish Gaelic. Uisce is Irish for “water”. The Gaelic differences of uisce were continued by the anglicization, with the Irish using the word “whiskey”, and the Scottish using the term “Whisky”. These two ethnic groups took their spelling along with them as they migrated and passed down their processes. American style guides claim that whisky is only made in America. But it’s not as simple as that. Many countries make whiskey, including some American whisky producers. One useful mnemonic to remember is that any country with “E” as part of its name makes whiskey. This includes America and Ireland. Scotland and Canada are whisky-producing countries. You’ll quickly see that regional differences in spirit go far beyond spelling.

Whiskey: A Short History

It’s almost impossible to determine which country invented whisky first. Whiskey is a long-standing tradition in Ireland and Scotland. You can learn more about the history and popularity of whiskey by looking at some documented facts.

• 13th century– First distilled alcohol in Europe: An Italian monaster make the first distilled spirit to treat colic.
• 1405– The first recorded history of distilled spirit in Britain. According to the Annals of Clonmacnoise, an Irish chieftain died after drinking too much “aquavitae” during Christmas.
• 1494– The first history of whisky is written in Scotland. A royal order for 500 bottles is sent to Friar John cor.
• 1536-1541– Secularizing whisky production: King Henry VII dissolves the monasteries that moved the production to the general public.
• 1608 First licensed whiskey distillery. Old Bushmills Distillery obtains the license to produce whisky, making it the world’s first distillery. (Northern Ireland). The distillation process was in its early stages and the spirits had not been aged. This was a rough form of whiskey, which wasn’t smooth like its modern counterparts.
• 1707– Merging of England with Scotland: The Acts of Union united England and Scotland, which increased taxes on Scotch dramatically.
• 1725– The rise of moonshine. The English Malt Tax shut down commercial distillation throughout Scotland. Moonshine is produced in the darkness to conceal the smoke coming from the stills.
• 1791-1794– Whiskey Rebellion: To pay off war debt, a “whiskey” tax was levied on the production of liquor. Frontier farmers viewed this taxation as unrepresentative. George Washington and 13,000 militiamen restore peace after an armed insurgency involving 500 farmers attacks a local tax collector near Pittsburgh PA. The conflict is resolved without violence. Thomas Jefferson repealed this tax in the early 1800s.
• 1820 First whisky produced in India. A distillery near Kasauli was built, but it was moved to Solan in order to benefit from the nearby spring water as well as its proximity to Shimla, Britain’s summer capital.
• 1823– Legalization for UK distillation. The Excise Act of the year 1823, in all practicality, legalized the production of whisky and ended the Scottish moonshining.
• 1831– The invention of the column still. Aeneas Coffey patents the Coffey Still – the first column still. The column still enabled continuous distillation, which was much more efficient than traditional pot stills. The result was that whiskey became more widely available.
• 1880s– Devastation to the French brandy industry. The Great French Wine Blight destroyed the majority of grape crops, preventing brandy production. In many markets, whisky became the main liquor.
• First commercial whisky is produced in Yamazaki, Japan.
• 2005 Kavalan Whiskey becomes first commercial whisky of Taiwan.

Malt Whiskey and Grain Whisky

The type of grain in the mash is one of the most important and obvious differences between whiskies. The first whiskeys made from malted barley can be labelled “Malt Whiskey”, while other grain combinations need to be labelled grain whiskey or blends. Barley is an excellent cold-weather grain and grows well in countries with northern latitudes, such as Scotland and Ireland. Malting is the perfect solution to process the thick husk of barley before it can be consumed by humans or yeast. The process of malting involves sprouting grain, and stopping germination with heat. There are many food products such as malted milkballs, Ovaltine and malt shakes. You may have tasted malted milk balls, Ovaltine, or even Milo. They have a deep flavor that is semi-sweet almost chocolatey. The malting process imparts these flavors to whiskey. The way the grain is dried can add even more flavor to whiskey. The addition of earthy flavors is enhanced by drying with some peat. Purists of Scotch will tell you the malting is crucial to avoid a flavorless spirit.

Scotch Whisky

Scotch whisky or Scotch is made from malted barley whiskey distilled in potstills. In many cases, peat was added to the malting process. This gave it a distinctive flavor. Single Malt Scotch whisky is the name of this type of Scotch. Single Grain Scotch whisky is produced by distilleries that use other grains than barely or column distillation. Blended Scotch whisky is made from these two main bases. Three types of blended Scotch Whisky are available. Blended Scotch Whisky is made by blending two or more single malt whiskies from various distilleries. Blended Scotch whisky is made in the same manner, but using single grain whiskies. Blended Scotch Whisky is the broadest and final category. It is a mixture of malt whisky and grain whisky. Single malts are preferred by whisky elitists because of their intensity. Blending allows a skilled craftsman to produce a greater variety of flavors and finishes. Simply put, there are more pieces available to blend. 90% of Scotch Whisky is blended. Scotland has a number of whisky regions, each producing a distinctive product. The Highlands has the largest geographical diversity and offers a variety of whiskies. Speyside has been designated as a separate region within the Highlands because of the number distilleries that produce Scotch with a sweeter taste and a fruity end. The Lowlands is another option for sweeter Scotch. The Isle of Islay is known for its smoky drinks, with hints of sea. This is a Scotch that’s for men with a mature palate. The Highlands includes the other islands in Scotland. Campbelltown, once known as “The Whisky Capital of the World”, now has only three distilleries.

Irish Whiskey

Ireland and Scotland both claim to be the birthplaces of whiskey. Old Bushmills Distillery, a licensed distillery located in Ireland from 1608 to the present day, was the first in the world. The lighter Irish whiskey was preferred to its peaty Scottish counterpart, but what happened to this industry?

Ireland, unlike Scotland, refused to adapt to the Coffey Still. They blended whisky instead. In 1878, Irish distillers published pamphlets that described the Coffey Still product as “Good or bad; but it cannot and should not be sold under the name whiskey.” In 1887, there were 28 Irish distilleries. In 1970, only 2 distilleries remained. Irish whiskey was not destined to fade away. A revival was fueled by the long history of Irish whiskey and its quality. Peace, prosperity and whiskey would return. Irish whiskey is one of the fastest-growing spirits in the world. Ireland has over 16 distilleries, with another half dozen planned. Irish whiskey will never go away.

Bourbon Whiskey

Bourbon is an American whisky with corn as its primary grain. Bourbon must also meet the following legal requirements:

• Produced in United States
• New, charred oak containers for aging
• Distilled at no more than 160 proof (U.S.), (80% alcohol by volume).
• Enter the barrel at no more than 125% alcohol by volume.
• Bottled at 80 Proof or More (40% Alcohol by Volume)

Many theories exist about why an Irish/Scottish spirit produced in America was named after the French dynasty. Most popular are the stories that Bourbon Street, in New Orleans where many drinks were consumed, or Bourbon County Kentucky was the inspiration for its name. Bourbon County Kentucky used to be part of Bourbon County Virginia, before Kentucky became a state. You could imagine that with all the confusion over the changing geographic boundaries, a barrel American whiskey would be stamped as “Old Bourbon”, before being shipped along the Ohio River to New Orleans.

Tennessee Whiskey

Tennessee Whiskey, which is a bourbon-based whiskey, has one main difference: it’s been charcoal mellowed and is only available in Tennessee. Tennessee whiskey also has the feature that it is often made from water that comes from the cave springs found in the state. This pure water and the charcoal mellowing have created a very drinkable, mellow and consistent product. Jack Daniels is the best-selling whiskey in the world because of these characteristics. Every drop of Jack Daniels is still sourced from the same spring in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

Canadian Whisky

Canadian whisky is a New World whiskey that contains a large percentage of corn. The addition of rye to the mashbill is what makes it unique. The terms Canadian whisky and Rye Whisky are used interchangeably. Canadian whisky’s history during American Prohibition is another interesting fact. Hiram Walker was the most brazen of all distilleries that smuggled alcohol. In the 1930’s, the distillery was located in Windsor, Ontario, just across the Detroit River. A significant portion of the production was transported by speedboats at night.

Indian Whisky

Why not? It was a British colony and it had access to plentiful spring water. The only thing missing was a large supply of grain. The grain that was available was used more to feed the people than to make spirits. They blended with a spirit that was primarily made from fermenting molasses. Many parts of the globe consider molasses-based spirit to be rum even if it is aged in barrels. Vijay Mallya is a flamboyant and outspoken Indian whisky tycoon who said that Europe’s refusal of molasses based whisky as “imposition by British imperialism”. Some people also claimed that whisky ages quickly in India’s tropical climate, and that a year is enough. Mallya, who is currently living in England and fighting extradition to India for financial crimes charges, could be questioned about his character. Indian whisky may not be whisky as we know it, much like Irish spirits made in a Coffey still aren’t whiskey. But they produce a lot. India is the largest consumer of whisky by volume in the world, and the majority of that comes from its own production. India is only the 19th biggest market in terms of price despite its huge market share.

Japanese Whisky

Japan began commercial distillation in 1924, but unlike India, it has focused on replicating Scotch Whisky. Shinjiro Takesuru and Masataka Torii opened their operations in Yamazaki. Yamazaki, like Lynchburg was selected for its pure drinking water. Takesuru studied organic Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, and apprenticed in the Longmom Distillery where he was taught the Scottish art of whisky. He is regarded as the father and inventor of Japanese whisky. Japan has the highest concentration of Scottish whiskies outside Scotland because of him. They also have climates that are very similar to Scotland, where many distilleries were founded. Japanese Scottish whisky is winning international awards, even more than top Scottish single malts. Vertical integration is a Japanese characteristic of the whisky industry. The Japanese whisky industry is fiercely competitive, and they are reluctant to do business with competitors. Blenders in Japan have less flavor options. Single malts are fantastic, but blends dominate the global market.

Taiwanese Whiskey

Kavalan Whiskey was the first private whiskey company in 2005. The distillery was built in Yilan directly opposite their bottled-water plant. They still have to import grains and barrels despite the fact that they have a plentiful supply of water. In 2015, the World Whiskeys Awards crowned Kavalan’s Solist Vinho Barrique as the “World’s Best Single Malt Whisky”. Ironically, it is believed that the imported spirits are more authentic. Taiwan is the 4th biggest market in the world for Scottish whisky.

The World of Whiskey

The world loves whiskey, whether you call it whisky or whiskey, or drink Islay drams or Shinshu shots. The world of whiskey is a constant, from the backwoods in Tennessee to the business meetings of Taiwan. Over the centuries, the process has evolved from a rock gut that would kill an Irish chieftain into a complex one that requires a degree of organic chemistry. You don’t have to know everything about whiskey to enjoy it.