![]() Scotch, bourbon, and whiskey are three different types of alcohol that you might see on the menu or in your local liquor store. When it comes to choosing a drink, there are so many options. Whiskey comes in many forms and variations such as scotch vs whiskey bourbon, rye whiskey, etc. Scotland exports nearly one billion bottles per year.Whether you’re ordering a whiskey neat or on the rocks, whiskey is one of America’s favorite drinks to order at a bar. As far as nationalism goes, it’s working. In 1988, The Scotch Whisky Act expressly forbade the production of any type of whisk(e)y other than Scotch in Scotland. So could you produce an American-style whiskey in Scotland? You could, but not legally. single malt or duration of aging, the whisky must meet all of the requirements listed above to legally be called Scotch. While Scotch varies greatly between regions, single grain vs. It’s worth noting that the age statement on a bottle of Scotch must reflect the youngest whisky used. Interestingly, some caramel coloring is acceptable to add, but no other flavors can be introduced into the Scotch. The finished spirit can be bottled at no lower that 40% ABV and must retain the color, flavor and aroma of the raw materials and method of its production and maturation. Next, the whisky has to be aged in an excised (taxed) Scottish warehouse in an oak cask that doesn’t exceed 700 liters for at least three years. At the same distillery, (they’re very particular on that point) it has to be fermented with yeast, and it must be distilled to an alcoholic strength by volume at under 94.8%.Īnd we’re not done yet. This mixture must be processed into a wort at the same distillery, where it is next converted into a fermentable substrate through endogenous enzyme systems. Legally, the barley isn’t required to be Scottish in origin. Now what are the other legal requirements for Scotch? Rirst and most obviously: it has to be of Scotland-produced in a Scottish distillery using water and malted barley (and in the case of single grain-other cereals). Blended Scotch may contain at least one of both single malt and single grain Scotch whiskies.Blended grain Scotch is a blend of two or more single grain Scotches from different distilleries.Blended malt Scotch is a blend of two or more single malt Scotches from different distilleries.So those are the two basic types of Scotch, but there are also three different types of blended Scotch whisky: Single grain Scotch is also distilled at a single distillery and, in addition to water and malted barley, can also contain whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals. Single malt Scotch whisky can be produced only from water and malted barley at a single distillery through batch distillation in pot stills. ![]() ![]() So what, legally, is Scotch? Well, that’s a little complicated, so lets start by breaking Scotches down by type. Also, bourbon can’t contain any added flavors or coloring. When it’s bottled, the spirit has to be at least 80 proof. It can be distilled to no more than 160 proof, and it has to enter into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof. You’ll probably remember that bourbon has to be produced in the United States from a grain mixture that’s at least 51% corn, and must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. Is it the oldest type of whisk(e)y on the planet? We will probably never know, but we can tell you exactly what it takes for a whisky to be legally considered “Scotch.” But before that let’s take a moment to review bourbon. Scotch whisky has a long, proud heritage that likely stretches back long before its first recorded reference in 1495. ![]()
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