Did you know that Campbel Town, one of the smallest regions of Scotland, was once known as the whiskey capital of the world? It had more than 30 whiskey distilleries and was a large producer of different types of whiskey. And Scotland still is the largest producer of whiskey.
The Statista report says that from 2000-2015, Scotland produced over 100 million liters of whiskey every year. Different types of whiskey are made with other ingredients like rye, corn, and wheat.
Apart from the various ingredients used to make whiskey, there are so many types of whiskey as well that sometimes you get confused. So to help you get a better idea of the different types of whiskey, here are ten types of whiskey that you should know about.
Table of Contents
1. Scotch Whiskey
As the name suggests, scotch whiskey is one type of whiskey made and matured in Scotland. Fun fact Scotland has about 135 whiskey distilleries. Scotch whiskey can be a mixture of malt whiskey and grain whiskey or either of the two.
Scotch whiskey is one of the most popular types of whiskey, and it comes with an age guarantee. Some famous examples include Macallan, Glenlivet, and Ballentine. Always choose a whiskey that has an age guarantee; this is important. Scotland produces various types of whiskey as well. There are blended scotch whiskey, blended malt, and grain scotch whiskey. They are commonly matured in age barrels.
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Since malted barley is used to make scotch whiskey, the core ingredient being malt, the whiskey has a certain richness to it, and it could taste like a few fruits such as berries or raisins.
2. Japanese Whiskey
Japanese whiskey is one of the types of whiskey that came into production in the 1870s and was developed in the Yamazaki distillery. So yes, you can say that Japanese whiskey has not been around for a very long time, but apart from that fact, it has managed to make its mark in the world today. The types of whiskey produced today are generally grain, blended, or malt.
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Japanese whiskey bears quite a resemblance to scotch whiskey, which is why making it is also quite similar. And similarly, the Japanese whiskey is aged in American oak wood, Mizunara wood, or Sherry casks.
3. Bourbon Whiskey
One of the types of whiskey produced by America is bourbon whiskey. Bourbon whiskey is most commonly made in Kentucky in America. Baker’s, Jim Beam, Old Crow are some famously known brands of bourbon whiskey. Bourbon whiskey is made in charred oak wood containers.
The color of the whiskey is developed with the use of sugar that is caramelized and used to make this whiskey, and because of the sugar, the longer they have matured, the more the color of the whiskey develops. So the flavor that comes out is a sweet flavor with a hint of smoke because of the charred wood.
4. Rye Whiskey
Another one of the types of whiskey that America produces is rye whiskey. It is also very similar in taste to bourbon whiskey.
There are several steps to undertake to make whiskey; one of them is known as mashing, which means mixing one, two, or more grains. According to the laws of whiskey production in America, since rye whiskey is mainly made up of rye, it has to have at least 51% of rye. Other miner grains used are corn and barley.
The main difference between bourbon whiskey and rye whiskey is that bourbon has a sweeter taste, whereas rye spicy, fruity flavor. Rye Whiskey is also matured in charred oak wood barrels, just like bourbon whiskey. WhistlePig, Sazerac, Copper Fox, benders are some popular brands of rye whiskey.
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5. Irish Whiskey
Irish whiskey is produced in Ireland. There are four main types of Irish whiskey: malt Irish, grain Irish, blended Irish, and pot still Irish whiskey. Once upon a time, it was the Irish whiskey that was the most famous in the whole world.
Due to the Irish independence war, there was a massive decline in the Irish whiskey industry, and as of now, there are only 30-32 Irish distilleries. Still, many of these distilleries are new, and the whiskey has not matured yet, so these few distilleries have no sale.
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Even after so many difficulties, Irish whiskey is still known for being the smoothest whiskey, and it does not have a spicy flavor, but it does have a dash of vanilla flavor. Some famous brands of Irish whiskey are Teeling and Tullamore Dew.
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6. Blended Whiskey
Blended whiskey is obtained by combining two or more whiskeys. It also means adding certain flavors and neutral grains. Blended whiskeys are not as expensive as one single malt whiskey is mixed with other spirits. An excellent example of this would be a drink such as a cocktail that has a percentage of whiskey in it are blended whiskeys.
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Since these types of whiskey are a mixture of other whiskeys and spirits, there is no such law for it to have an age guarantee. The flavor of this type of whiskey differs because various whiskeys are blended. Some examples of blended whiskey are Kessler whiskey, Canadian Mist, and Monkey Shoulder.
7. Wheat Whiskey
Like rye, wheat is also a grain, which means that wheat whiskey should also comprise 51% of wheat only and some other grain. This is an American law that if the whiskey is named after a specific grain, it should have 51% of that particular grain included in the ingredients. All whiskeys need to have a base that is made up of any grain.
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Wheat whiskey is generally sweet, like the hint of sweetness we find in bread, and since wheat is a significant ingredient, it rarely has a spiced-up taste. Various German whiskeys are the different types of wheat whiskey. Some examples could be Rebel Yell and Cabin Still.
8. Canadian Whiskey
Canadian whiskey is prepared in Canada, and in this category, all the types of whiskey are made from a blend of several grains. One of the main grains used is corn, so Canadian whiskey is famous for its smooth and subtle flavor. Around 40% of alcohol is used to make Canadian whiskey, which is the general amount of alcohol required for all types of whiskey.
The process of making whiskey in Canada is that all the grains used to create a particular type of whiskey should be fermented separately and matured separately, then combined. Black Velvet is one such type of Canadian whiskey. Other examples include Forty Creek and Canadian Mist.
In recent years Canada has also started producing whiskey made of rye apart from corn since it has become a crowd favorite. Take a look at these fantastic breweries in Toronto, Canada. https://icycanada.com/toronto-breweries-12-amazing-places/
9. Tennessee Whiskey
Tennessee whiskey is often referred to as bourbon whiskey since it is so similar to it. Tennessee whiskey uses a unique process of preparing whiskey that is called the Lincoln County process. A very famous brand of Tennessee whiskey is Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Other types include Benjamin Prichards and Chattanooga whiskey.
Tennessee whiskey is the first to make it through the Lincoln County process and use a maple charcoal filtering process. After all of this, it has to be matured in oak wood barrels for at least four years. Four years is the standard year; it can be grown for more depending upon the manufacturers.
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10. Corn Whiskey
Corn whiskey is yet another type of whiskey produced in America. Corn whiskey is one of the oldest types of whiskey, and unlike other whiskeys, it needs a minimum of 80% of corn mashed and mixed in making these types of whiskey. Mallow, Balcones Brimstone, and Bowsaw are some popular corn whiskey brands.
The surprising fact about corn whiskey is that it cannot be matured in new barrels; it can only be grown in previously used barrels or oak wood barrels. Apart from the corn, many other citruses and sour ingredients go into the making of corn whiskey.
Corn whiskey has a subtle taste and is not very overpowering. It has a certain richness to it, like butter, and has a honey-like flavor.
Whiskey that has been matured for more than 12 years is the right choice of whiskey because the more the whiskey is grown, the more enhanced the taste gets. Now that you have a bird’ eye view of the various types of whiskey, you can make a better choice. Now that you have an idea, it will be so easy for you to choose a whiskey of your choice, depending upon your likes and dislikes.
Also, Read https://scotchnoob.com/2012/12/10/2012-holiday-whisky-gift-guide/.
You can also buy the correct types of whiskey for a celebration or if you have to gift it as a present or even if you feel like having a good time with your close ones. If you want to know what types of whiskey you should give as a gift, take a look at this site.
How can you say that Scotland produced 1000 liters of whiskey a year?
That comment , plus the over use of etc in the comments begs the validity of the whole article.
For the record.
The correct spelling is “WHISKY” for use in Canada.Other countries add an”E” making the word “WHISKEY”. USA ,Ireland,Scotland and others.
A poorly researched article.