Both Scotch and whiskey are spirits with a higher alcohol content. Even though Scotch is sometimes referred to as Scotch whisky, it’s certainly not like whiskey.

What Is Scotch?

Scotch is an alcohol-based beverage (known as a spirit) created from malted barley and water, However, there are some companies that produce it with malted barley or malted rye. They make Scotches exclusively in Scotland specifically the areas of Islay, Speyside, Highlands, Campbeltown, and Lowland. The Scotch matures for at least three years within oak barrels, sometimes referred to as oak casks.

There is also a derivative of Scotch called peaty Scotch Peated Scotch smoking dram also known as smokey Scotch. The peated flavor is derived from the process of germination of barley.

5 types of Scotch

There are a variety of Scotch whisky and each one has distinct flavor and manufacturing process. Here are some of the most popular types of Scotch:

1. Blended Scotch whisky: grain Scotch whisky, malt Scotch whisky are blended to create blended Scotch whisky.

2. Cask-strength Scotch: This type of Scotch is made directly from the cask into the bottle. There aren’t any other steps to follow, and no additional flavors.

3. Scotch whisky aged 18 years Like the name implies, this Scotch age for eighteen years inside oak barrels. There are many kinds and flavors to choose from.

4. Single grain Scotch whisky: In order to make single-grain Scotch whiskies the entire process has to be carried out in one distillery. This particular variation is made of malted barley and water as well as malted or non-malted cereals to produce a blended malt.

5. Single-malt Scotch whisky: This variant comes from only one distillery and makes use of malted barley to make the mix. About ten percent of all Scotch whisky spirits are single malts. This makes single-malt whisky rare.

What Is Whiskey?

Also a spirit, whiskey is an alcohol-based beverage that is made from fermented grain mash, which has about forty percent of alcohol in volume (ABV). The word whiskey comes directly from Gaelic “uisce beatha” or “uisge beatha,” meaning “water of life.” Whiskies (or whiskeys) are available in a variety of kinds based on the grain mash, the production location and aging process, as well as other elements.

Distilleries produce whiskey in stills then let it sit until at minimum 2-years-old. If a whiskey matures in less than four years, the makers must write an age-related statement to the labels. Whiskey makers utilize white oak barrels and sherry casks (casks soaked in sherry) as well as charred sherry barrels, and other variations. Whiskey is also referred to as “whisky” in some parts around the globe.

6 Types of Whiskey

Distilleries make whiskey worldwide by creating local distinctions. Here are a few popular kinds of whiskey:

1. Bourbon whiskey Bourbon whiskey American whiskey is mostly made in Kentucky. It must contain at least fifty-one percent corn as part of the grains that make up its mash. The producers from the United States have to make it in oak barrels that have been charred. These barrels are specially designed to provide oaky scents to the spirit.

2. Canadian whisky: Canadian whisky has at the very least forty percent ABV, also known as alcohol by volume. It has to be made in Canada in order to get the Canadian label and be aged for at least 3 years. In some cases Canadian whisky comes with a label calling it whiskey made from rye (sometimes called Rye Whisky).

3. Irish whiskey Made exclusively in Ireland, Irish whiskey has malt as its base along with cereal grain and barley. Also, the whiskey has a three-year time period for aging and can be characterized by a a more subtle taste than other whiskeys.

4. Japanese whisky: Some Japanese distilleries utilize a Japanese oak cask. Even though Japanese whisky undergoes the distillation process inside Japan but the whisky does not necessarily come from the country.

5. Scotch whisky: This kind of whisky comes from Scotland and is either malt whisky or grain whisky, or a combination of malt and grain whisky. Scottish whiskies have to age for three years in a oak barrel.

6. Tennessee whiskey: Distillers pass Tennessee whiskey, a variant on bourbon, into sugar maple charcoal before aging it.

Scotch vs. Whiskey: 4 differences between the Spirits

Scotch and whiskey are two different alcoholic spirits that people often confuse for each other. Here are four places where they differ:

The process of aging: Scotch matures in oak casks which have seen previously used for other spirits, such as wine. Whiskey typically goes in white oak barrels charred to be matured.

Flavor: Scotch tastes smoother than whiskey. This is a result of how the distillery malts the grain.

Whiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage derived from barley, wheat, grain or corn. Scotch whisky was initially made from malted barley. However, since the 18th century, the producers have also used malted wheat and malted Rye.

Production Scotch whisky producers may distill their whiskies by malting the grains prior to fermentation. For the purpose of malting grains, distillers soak them into the water (in Barley cases, grains will sprout) to prepare the starches to be fermented into sugars.

How do I drink Scotch or Whiskey

There are numerous ways to drink Scotch and whiskey. They come with diverse flavor profiles developed through the distillation and fermentation processes. There are those who prefer to drink Scotch on rocks. In this instance, the rocks are ice cubes.

An old-fashioned drink is a well-known cocktail made with whisky, a sugar cube Angostura bitters and rye, and an orange twist. Another drink that is popular in bars is the Rob Roy, which is essentially an Manhattan but instead of using rye whiskey it contains Scotch whisky. It is served with bitters, vermouth and a maraschino in a martini glass.