What whisky is

“Whiskey is the common term given to distilled spirits made from grain mash.” — Beginners Guide to Whisk(e)y (story, 2017)

“The difference between the types of whiskey depend on the types of grain used, the location in which it was distilled, the length of ageing and the type of casks used in the process.” — Beginners Guide to Whisk(e)y (story, 2017)

Where to start

“When first getting into whiskey, you want to stay away from anything peaty.” — Beginners Guide to Whisk(e)y (story, 2017)

“Whisky for a beginner or an aficionado should be drank all the same neat, no rocks, no ice, nothing.” — Whisky Lies (story, 2017)

“Neat, on the rocks, with a drop of water, in a glencairn glass, in a regular glass, the list goes on and on.” — Interview with Whisk(e)y Influencer – Josh Ward (interview, 2017)

“I prefer mine at room temperature, in a glencairn and neat at first.” — Interview with Whisk(e)y Influencer – Josh Ward (interview, 2017)

Common myths

“Whisky Lie #4: The Older the Whisky is, the better it will be.” — Whisky Lies (story, 2017)

“Whisky Lie #3: The darker the whisky the better quality or better taste it will have.” — Whisky Lies (story, 2017)

Bourbon and American whiskey

“Bourbon is a type of American Whiskey, barrel aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn and must be aged in new charred oak barrels.” — Valentine’s Day Gifts for your Special Loved One (story, 2018)

“As a matter of fact, in order to be called Straight Bourbon, a bourbon must be aged for a minimum of two years.” — Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling – From Beer to Whiskey (interview, 2017)

“If it is Rye, it is 100% Rye, which is not always the case as the government allows one to call a product a rye as long as it is 51% rye.” — Koval Distillery Interview – Pioneering Whiskey techniques for increased flavor of whiskey (interview, 2017)

“all of our barrels conform to the government standards for Bourbon (barreled at no more than 125 proof, aged in new charred Missouri oak barrels, come off the still at <80%, etc.).” — In Depth Whiskey Making Guide by Camden Ford of the Timber Creek Distillery (interview, 2017)

“The move allowed us to supplement our 250 gallon copper pot with a 40’ column still that has increased production from 1 barrel a day to 10 a day” — Wilderness Trail Distillery – Whiskey 101 (interview, 2017)

“In general, I would say an American Single Malt whiskey is made in the US from100% malted barley mash, distilled on any type of still to below 160 proof” — Copperworks Distilling Interview – The American Single Malt (interview, 2017)

Whisky around the world

“We triple distill our whiskey as a nod to the past” — Teeling Whiskey – the Pride of the Irish (interview, 2017)

“Yamazaki Distillery is the oldest and one of the first distillery to begin production of whisky going all the way back to the mid 1920’s.” — Japanese Whisky Gets better with age (story, 2016)

“…it’s maturing at three or four times at the speed at which it matures in Scotland.” — Paul John Single Malts – India’s world-class whisky (interview, 2017)

Scotch whisky: categories and regions

Sources

  1. Beginners Guide to Whisk(e)y · Taste The Dram — What whisky is; What makes whisky styles differ; Starting light; peated vs unpeated
  2. Whisky Lies · Taste The Dram — How to drink: neat first; Myth: older is always better; Myth: colour signals quality
  3. Interview with Whisk(e)y Influencer – Josh Ward · Taste The Dram — Serving options and glassware; Glencairn glass; taste neat first
  4. Valentine’s Day Gifts for your Special Loved One · Taste The Dram — What bourbon is
  5. Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling – From Beer to Whiskey · Taste The Dram — Straight bourbon: two-year minimum
  6. Koval Distillery Interview – Pioneering Whiskey techniques for increased flavor of whiskey · Taste The Dram — Rye whiskey: 51% rye minimum
  7. In Depth Whiskey Making Guide by Camden Ford of the Timber Creek Distillery · Taste The Dram — Bourbon production rules (barrel-entry proof, new charred oak, still proof)
  8. Wilderness Trail Distillery – Whiskey 101 · Taste The Dram — Pot stills vs column stills (scale)
  9. Copperworks Distilling Interview – The American Single Malt · Taste The Dram — American single malt (pre-regulation, distiller view)
  10. Teeling Whiskey – the Pride of the Irish · Taste The Dram — Irish whiskey: triple distillation
  11. Japanese Whisky Gets better with age · Taste The Dram — Japanese whisky origins
  12. Paul John Single Malts – India’s world-class whisky · Taste The Dram — World whisky: climate (India) speeds maturation