A GUIDE FOR NAVIGATING WHISKY VARIETIES

The word whisk(e)y is the anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic word “uisce” which comes from “uisce beatha” of which “uisce” means “water” and “beatha” means “life” and is pronounced as “ish-ca baa-ha”. While the Irish translated “water of life” as “uisce beatha”, the Scottish translated the spelling to be “uisge beatha”. And that is the deal with that bracketed “e” in the word whisk(e)y. Whisky and whiskey are one in the same. However, certain countries have certain preferences on the spelling.

A quick little trick is to remember that which is which:

• Countries with the letter “e” in them (e.g. United States + Ireland) spell it whiskey (and the plural whiskeys)
• Countries without the letter “y” in them (e.g. Scotland, Canada + Japan) spell it whisky (and the plural whiskies)

Irish monks first invented whisk(e)y around the 15th century after learning distillation techniques from the east. Monasteries began to use distillation to create the water of life as a medicinal healing tool for things like smallpox. At this point in time they hadn’t figured out that aging it in barrels makes it taste a lot better. The rough, fresh off the still, undiluted distillate would often be drank straight. So monks and farmers would put other ingredients like honey, herbs, berries, spices, or to use the more fancy word, botanicals, to smooth it out and make it drinkable.

WHAT WHISK(E)Y IS MADE FROM

Whisk(e)y is made from four key ingredients: cereal grains, yeast, water, and time (spent aging in barrels).

The most common cereal grains used to make whisk(e)y are Barley, Corn, Rye + Wheat with the majority of whisky around the world having a base of either Barley or Corn.

Whisky is made by extracting the sugars from raw grains and distilled from fermented grain, typically barley, corn, wheat or rye. It is aged in wooden casks, which helps give whisky its amber color, and must have a minimum alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40%. Different types of whiskies are distinguished from one another based on where they originated, the blending process, the type of grain used and the aging process. While different brands will have unique flavor profiles, in general whisky is known for its warm, caramelly, spicy, sweet, or toasty taste.

BOURBON 

According to US regulations, in order for something to be considered a Bourbon it has to meet five requirements: it has to be made in the USA, made from at least 51% corn, distilled to no higher than 160 proof, put into a barrel at no higher than 125 proof and is put into a new, charred oak container.

There’s no aging requirements and doesn’t have to be made in Kentucky. There are a few things to note:

• If you want to call your bourbon a “Kentucky Bourbon,” it needs to be aged at least one year 
• If you want to call your bourbon a “Straight Bourbon,” it needs to be aged for at least two years

TENNESSEE WHISKEY + RYE WHISKEY

While Tennessee Whiskey technically falls under the “bourbon” category as Tennessee whiskeys meet the five requirements to be a bourbon, the main differences are that (1) it’s specifically produced in Tennessee and (2) it undergoes the “Lincoln County Process” in which the whiskey is sugar maple charcoal filtered before it is put in barrels to age.

Rye whiskey made from at least 51% rye and other can be corn. Rye whiskey is drier, and you can taste the sharp taste of notes. 

SINGLE-MALT WHISKY

Single-malt whisky only uses one type of malted grain (typically barley) in its production and comes from a single distillery. The final liquor bottle may combine whisky from different barrels. They must be must be made from 100% barley, must be filtered at least 2 times using Pot Still method, must be aged 3 years in oak barrels and must have a minimum alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40%.

Single-malt whisky tastes like oaky, woody, roasted grain alcohol, often with caramel, vanilla, fruit, or nut notes. Single malts tend to amplify and mellow these flavor characteristics simultaneously, so the drink is superiorly smooth. In the case of scotch, there’s also a peaty, smoky nuance. 

BLENDED WHISKY

Blended whisky is when two or more types of whiskies are blended together to create the final product. While the definitions for what a blended whisky varies depending on country, typically to create a blended whisky, a “base whisky”, which is less flavorful but cheaper to produce, is blended with a “flavoring whisky” which is higher quality but more expensive to produce.

In Scotland, there are three types of blended whiskies: Blended Malt, Blended Grain and Blended Scotch Whisky. Blended Malts are when two or more Single Malts from different distilleries are blended together. Blended Grains are when two or more Single Grains are blended together from different distilleries. Blended Scotch Whiskies are when a Single Malt from one distiller is blended together with a Single Grain from another distillery. For Blended Scotch Whiskies the “base whisky” is typically a Grain Whisky and the “flavoring whisky” is typically a Malt Whisky. 

“Sour” liquor shop
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Address: Khan-Uul district, Zaisan Toiruu, Golden Buddha & Zaisan Central, 1^st floor, “Sour” liquor shop.