Question. Is it spelled Whiskey or Whisky? The 1st thing that should be understood is that there exist two legitimate spellings. The Scotts and Canadians spell whisky with no “e”, while the Irish and Americans spell it with the “e” as in whiskey. This ought to be the first indicator that the world of whiskey is certainly a complex one. Each region has numerous variations in raw materials used, techniques in production which dictates the ultimate taste and attributes. This alone makes whiskey an interesting and enjoyable spirit.
Historically it is theorized that the Irish were the first ones to prepare whiskey, however the Scotts have also laid claim to being the earliest whisky makers. The Irish used the term “uisce beatha” or “Water of Life” in Gaelic to describe whiskey. This suggests that it was an important part of normal life.
Both the Scottish and Irish produce whiskey much the same way, with the exception of the malting and distillation process. In Scotland the malted barley is dried in peat fired kilns. The malted barley picks up the peat flavour providing Scotch whisky its one of a kind taste. In Ireland, the malted barely is dried in closed ovens, never being exposed to the smoke. The method of mashing and fermentation is much the same for both countries. During distillation the Irish normally distill the fermented mash 3 times, which results in a very pure distillate which makes Irish whiskey exceptionally smooth. Having said that, the distillate cannot exit the still at more than 94.8% ethanol. The Scottish distill their product twice resulting in a more flavoured spirit.
In North America there is Canadian whisky and American whiskey. Each area has a number of regional classifications such as Bourbon and Tennessee whiskies. Each product in North America is unique and is regulated via the government. Canadian whisky is the first and foremost imported spirit into the United States and is second in consumption only to vodka.
American whiskey has a wide range of regulations depending on the type of the product being produced. As an example, Bourbon has to be made from fermented mash of not less than 51% corn. If it uses over 79% corn in the mash it is considered Corn whiskey. Bourbon can’t be distilled to a proof greater than 160. It must also be aged in new oak barrels at a proof of 125 or less. Blended American whiskey has to be made from no less than 20% whiskey aged 2 or more yrs with the remainder made from unaged neutral spirit. American corn whiskey must be prepared from a minimum of 80% corn in the mash. Tennessee whiskey follows the same regulations as bourbon. However, it is charcoal filtered via a technique known as the “Lincoln County Process.” Thus, it won’t qualify as a bourbon.
Canadian whisky must be aged a minimum of three years. However, the Canadian government allows the expertise of the distiller to define the characteristics of the final product. This means are not any limits on distillation proof or barrel aging requirements. Any Canadian whisky which is aged for less than 4 years will need to have the age listed on the bottle. Almost all Canadian whisky is aged for 6 or more years. Canadian whisky is usually a blended spirit. The expression “blended” signifies that the final product is built from a number of various distilled products. As an example, a Canadian whisky could be composed of corn, barely, wheat and rye whisky that have been aged in neutral (used) or new oak barrels. Some Canadian producers combine all the grains in one tank and ferment them together. Following that they will distill, pre-blend and age the blend. Other producers ferment each grain mash individually followed by distillation and aging. The final products will be blended to make the final product. Most Canadian whisky is twice distilled.
The find out more about making whisky and step-by-step instructions for making a mash and distilling do a quick Google search for how to make whisky on the Internet.