I can’t tell you how many times someone has asked me “What’s the difference between Scotch and Whiskey”?
At first I thought it was just one person who misunderstood the concept, but after running into this situation multiple times over the last few years I’ve learned that the majority of the people in the world really have no idea what makes whiskey whiskey, Scotch Scotch and Bourbon Bourbon.
What is Whiskey?
If we’re going to explain the difference between whiskeys, first you should understand what a whiskey actually is. To keep it simple, whiskey is any booze distilled from fermented grain mash. The only exception to this being some whiskey made from corn, which doesn’t always have to be aged.
All whiskey must be distilled at a minimum of 40% alcohol by volume. The difference between the various whiskeys relies mostly on the type of grain used for the mash.
What is Scotch?
Since all whiskey is made from fermented grain mash, Scotch will obviously be no exception. To qualify as a scotch the spirit must be made from malted Barley, with many scotches using nothing more than barley, water and yeast.
The spirit must also be aged in oak casks for no less than three years, and must have an ABV at less than 94.8%. Finally, you cannot call your drink Scotch unless it was made 100% in Scotland, from Scotland.
What is Bourbon?
Bourbon whiskey must be made from a grain mixture which is at least 51% corn. The fermentation process for this mixture is often started by mixing in some mash from an older already fermenting batch, a process known as sour mash.
Much like how Scotch must be made in Scotland, Bourbon can only be labeled as Bourbon if it was made in the United States. While the rules are slightly more loose with Bourbon than with Scotch it still has to form to a few requirements.
The spirit must be distilled to no more than 80% alcohol (160 proof), aged in new charred oak barrels. Finally Bourbon has no minimum aging period, but to call your product Straight Bourbon it must be aged for no less than two years (and can have no added coloring, flavor or other spirits added).
What is Tennessee Whiskey?
For all intents and purposes, Tennessee Whiskey is straight bourbon made in the state of Tennessee. The people who produce this spirit, such as Jack Daniels, don’t want their whiskey labeled as Bourbon, claiming that they are the only type of whiskey which puts the spirit through a charcoal filtering process.
As a result they believe their drink deserves to be distinguished with a separate name. Other than that all Bourbon rules apply.
What is Rye?
Rye is the trickiest of all whiskey’s to define. The reason for this comes from a historical naming convention for Rye produced in Canada. While you would assume Rye whiskey must be made predominantly from Rye mash, this is not always the case.
Canada has distilled Rye for almost as long as the country has existed, and historically the majority of the mash was comprised of Rye mash. But with no actual rules in place the spirit is now produced with a mash sporting a corn to rye ration as high as 9:1.
The only rule to label your whisky as Rye in Canada is for it to have some rye in it, and to possess the aroma, taste and character generally attributed to Canadian whiskey… whatever that is.
In American Rye whiskey must be made from a mash made from no less than 51% rye. The other ingredients commonly used include corn and barley. Same as Bourbon it must be aged in charred new oak barrels distilled to an ABV less than 80%.
Again, as Bourbon, only Rye which has been aged more than two years may be referred to as Straight. There is only one Rye producer in the world (Alberta Premium, from Canada) which is made from 100% rye mash.
Edit (April 23rd, 2013): There are some more 100% ryes being put on the market lately, but it’s a bit of a lie. Nearly all of these ryes are made by Alberta Premium (or Alberta Springs, which is the same place) and are simply bottled and re-branded. The most famous example of this is WhistlePig.
What is Irish Whiskey?
Irish whiskey is pretty much any whiskey aged in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland. Like Scotch it must be distilled to an ABV of less than 94.8.
It must be made from yeast-fermented grain mash in such a way that the distillate has an aroma and flavor derived from the materials used. (I copied that line directly from Wikipedia).
Finally, the whiskey must be aged for at least three years in wooden casks.
As you can see, other than Canadian Rye, Irish whiskey has some of the most relaxed rules, which will create a larger diversity in the whiskeys produced.
That about sums up the differences between the most common types of Whiskey. As usual, if you have any questions drop them in the comments below.
About Sean Lind
My time is divided between writing, women, pinball and playing my guitar. I give lots of advice, and like to think most of it has turned out well. Get at me with any questions or comments, I love to hear back from friends and enemies alike.
Hello,
Your website is well designed and your articles are rich and of good quality, but I think it lacks of an article about whiskey for beginners. I mean what whiskeys should a beginner buy to make his own idea about whiskeys (what kind of them he prefers?, etc…). I think a topic named “Whiskey of the week” or “My first whiskeys” should solve this problem.
Waiting for your next article…
Frédéric (FRANCE)
I like your suggestion, I think I will do exactly this.
For another great 100% Rye whiskey try Dark Horse Distillery REUNION RYE from Lenexa, Kansas (Kansas City). It’s made from 100% Rye Whiskey. Add this one to the list as the second true 100% Rye. Check out their website, DHDistillery.com They mill their own grain and is family owned and operated by 3 brothers and a sister! All of there products are amazing! We visited for a wedding reception and couldn’t believe how beautiful the distillery and event space was!
Frederic is right as beginners we need to know the difference in taste between lest say chivas and some other whiskey.Want is the difference in the single malt and the chivas ,we are beginners that like whiskey but spend a lot of money for others that don’t compare. If you reside to do a topic like[Whiskey of the week] email me. Christian
Hi there-
I stumbled across your website and I found it very educational and interesting. However, real MEN drink whiskey?? What about the ladies? Some of us love whiskey as well!
Melissa
Yes, my favorite ladies are whiskey drinkers, but you can be real lady without drinking whiskey, it’s not a prerequisite.
A woman who enjoys good whiskey is a turn-on indeed.
AMEN>
I have been drinking the same brand of “Blended Scotch Whisky” for the past 14 years without knowing the difference between the others. I even swore that all other liquor is a waste of its time and money. But this article has brought in a certain sense or want for me to try other brands and forms of “whiskey”. Hope to enjoy the rest of them. Should I start with a Jim Beam Black – Triple Aged?
Jim Beam Black impressed me. I’m no expert, but I know what I like. Try it and see.
FYI, Catoctin Creek, in Purcellville, VA makes 100% rye products as well. And organic to boot. Very tasty stuff.
http://catoctincreekdistilling.com/about/companyinfo
I’m 57 years old. I’ve never had a drink of scotch or bourbon. I want to try them but I don’t know which one to try first not knowing what the differences are. Any suggestions?
Start with a bourbon,
I assume you live in the states, so you might as well buy a good one since booze is so cheap down there. I’d grab a bottle of Wild Turkey Rare Breed. It’s the high-end wild turkey bourbon, and it’s rather good.
If you are not opposed to spending a little I would recommend for you first to be either Jack Daniels Single barrel, or Bulleit. In either case I keep mine in the freezer which I recommend as I’m not concerned with watering it down with melting ice cubes. It pours like syrup and as it warms the aromas are released.
Bulleit is my mixing-bourbon of choice. I use it for any Bourbon based cocktail.
try DEWARS. its a12 year old blended scotch whiskey. for me the older stuff gets too sweet and the 2-8 year stuff is still a little too “high octane”
Last year i went on vacation to the USA and i brought myself a bottle of Jim Beam black 8 years,its way better then the regular 4 years we have here and it’s so damn cheap over there.It’s not the best bourbon i ever tried but very good nevertheless.
i would suggest trying a shot of Knobb Creek or Makers Mark. both are by Jim Beam, difference is Knobb Creek is aged 9 yrs and Makers Mark is ages between 5.5 and 6.5 yrs. both are “small batch” whiskeys meaning the batch of only 1000 gallons, which fills 20 barrels, and those barrels are then mixed and bottled.
i would also suggest trying a “bourbon of the week” – buy yourself a small (pint) of different bourbons, enjoying them in different ways (neat, straight up, on the rocks) and find which one you like and how you like it. best of luck to you!
To Doug H makers mark is not made by Jim beam makers mark is its own company owned by the same parent company that owns Jim beam. Makers mark has its own distillery.
Actually bourbon has more strict rules than scotch or irish. Of course only 2 years is shorter time in barrel than 3 years, but when you MUST use new charred barrels every time and when you are in Kentucky there is lot more temperature change in a year. Scotland has maritime and lot colder climate. So whisky matures slower there. Kentucky is miles from the sea and there’s cold winters and hot summer’s, so whisky matures fast there.
Scotch has no rules about barrels, so they are usually used bourbon or/and sherry barrels.
Also bourbon has to be without coloring. In scotch there’s no such rules and coloring is very common. Mainly because colour is so light because of used barrels I think…
Scottish grain whisky can also be made of corn. Malt whisky is not only whisky made in scotland. vast majority whiskys sold is blends, made from malt whiskies and grain whiskies.
Scottish can use peat or no peat, use whatever barrel they want. They can make malt or grain whiskies (barley or corn) and blend them whatever way they want.
Bourbon has to be 51% corn and always has to mature in new charred barrels. So only thing that is more strict in scotland is that they have to mature their whiskies one year longer.
Well Makku, that may be true, but when one considers that the area in which Scotch can be produced is less than 1/100th the size of the area in which Bourbon can be (30,414 square miles to 3,794,100 square miles) one might contend that Scotch has the more stringent rules regarding its production…
Informative, to be sure, but I have one comment:
In the image of the bourbon lineup, the bottle farthest to the right isn’t a bourbon. It’s a Bourbon Barrel Quad by Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, MO. Quad, as you probably know, is short for Quadrupel — a type of Belgian beer.
Thanks again for the great article. I only caught the mistake because I’m a native Kansas Citian and a lover of Boulevard’s beers.
Wow, nice catch. Clearly dropped the ball on that one.
This is a great breakdown, I wish I’d come across this 10 years ago instead of learning the hard(er) way. Do you have any tips on good, unusual low volume bourbons?
Just buy any bottle of good bourbon and add water until you can drink it without pain. Just make sure you’re using good water without chlorine.
I have a few questions for you regarding your analysis.
1. Are you aware of the differentiation in drying the grains between Irish Whiskey and Scotch? I think they are important to to note as they are the driving force in how the whiskeys taste. Irish Whiskey grain is dried over a smokeless heat and gives it a more smooth finish. Scotch grain is dried of a smoke heat source giving it, not ironically, a smokier flavor.
2. Is there any further information you can provide regarding Bourbons vs. other American whiskeys? It was my understanding that Bourbon was named as such because it comes from Bourbon County, Kentucky, and all other whiskeys made in the US were simply “Whiskey”. Your information about “Tennessee Whiskey” being the only geographically limiting American whiskey was a new and interesting tidbit.
1: I am aware, no idea why I omitted that from my writeup.
2: Bourbon was named after Bourbon county, but no bourbon is actually distilled there any more (I believe). Anyone in America can make bourbon as long as they follow the rules to use the name. But the majority of bourbon still comes out of Kentucky.
There’s great stuff in your blog (just could hardly read them because of the font color) I saw a moonshine/whiskey recipe from this site http://www.whiskeystill.net/pages/moonshine-recipe they made something out of potatoes. Do you think this will work?
Hey thank you about your attempt to make things clear about whiskey. Unfortunately, to me this page just shows that they are all the same
and the so called differences are just on age and different ways to do it.
All the same shit with a lot of showing off.
Right, since Pepsi and Coke taste exactly the same as well.
Yeah, do a blind taste test of various whiskeys, bourbons and scotches and then pick your favorite.
Since when Pepsi & Coke started to taste similar ???? I’m from India and they taste miles apart…….
sarcasm…
Lots of people looking for recommendations here.
Can I just pint out Whiskey and Burbons are not the same thing.
If you want to start with a good “whiskey” avoid all blended whiskey’s – They used to be illegal in Scotland up until 1860 and my opinion still should be.
You can’t go wrong with a 10 year old bottle of Glenlivet. It’s not going to break the bank and will give you a good grounding on what a good bottle should taste like
You are incorrect. Bourbon is Whiskey, Scotch is Whiskey, Rye is Whiskey. Whiskey is the generic term for a group of drinks.
Also Glenlivet is not bad, but there are many better bottles for the same price. In that range and style of Scotch I’d suggest an Aberlour 10.
first a dram of The Balvenie 12 year then a shot of Evan Williams Green label, then revisit your post
I was not that impressed with the Balvenie Single Barrel. I have tried the Laphroaig 10 and the Glenmorangie Quintas Ruban. Still have more to try but for now the Laphroig 10 is my choice.
I stand corrected – you are indeed right. However i would suggest that a sherry casked whiskey is too strong for those just begging. However it’s a matter of opinion, and as i’m not that found of sherry casked whiskey – it would not be my first choice to suggest to someone.
A sherry casked scotch is no more strong than any other. All Scotch is aged in used charred oak casks, bourbon, sherry, port etc. Typically scotches are only finished in a sherry cask, but there are a few aged entirely in sherry, such as the Aberlour A’bunadh.
I doubt you’re truly not a fan of Sherry casked scotch, as the real characteristics will come from the location (Islay, Lowland, Highland, Speyside) and how much they smoke the barly.
If you’ve never tried the Auchentoshan three wood you can’t say you don’t like sherry finished scotches. This one uses one bourbon and two sherry casks for the job. I’m also a fan of the Glendronach 12 for one of the best scotches for the money.
For an amazing sherry finished scotch you need to try the Glenmorangie Lasanta.
omg it’s ambrosia.
I think you blog its very well written, but I think you have one serious mistake: you dont make any difference in the spelling, only Irish and American whiskies are spelled Whiskey while, Scotch, Canadien and English Whiskys spell with out the e.
Hey Ana,
I actually side with the camp that you should pick one spelling, and stay consistent with it throughout your work, rather than jumping around. The exception being if you’re sharing a specific name of a whiskey written on the bottle, in which case you should always use the spelling on the label.
Since I’ve chosen “real men drink whiskey” as my site name, it only made sense to keep the spelling consistent with that.
Also it’s not cut and dry “Americans do this, Canadian’s do that” as there are some American Whiskeys which spell their spirit “whisky”.
As a new comer to the whisky(ey), bourbon, scotch world, one piece of advice I have been told and adhere to is “In order to appreciate a good drink one must task a bad one.” I think drinks fall into the category of their cousin (food) and (twice removed cousin music). No one has the one right answer that trumps all. To each his own. So long as your not ordering a “slippery nipple” at the bar I think we all can appreciate each other.
Hi there – thank you very much for giving the most detailed and precise answer on the question, I can now impress all my friends hoho
I would say that after tasting many different whiskies there is a definite taste difference between scottish whiskies and the US. So different in fact I think it would be easy to perform the blindfold test.
but once again, thank you – exactly what I was searching for
I love American Honey, am I a bad person?
yes..yes you are..
I am a single malt drinker and prefer Oban and Glenmorangie. I find that Scotch has a very distinctive taste comparred to other types of whiskeys
Drinking honey whiskey makes you no more of a bad person than drinking marshmallow vodka. It’s like painting a dandelion red, spraying it with perfume and calling it a rose.It is not what it was meant to be but it still looks good and smells ok.
I agree, I love American Honey, but I still interested in learning, it’s like cigars, some people spend a $100.00 on on I like Al Capone cigarellos $2.00 f0r 2, may’be I like trashier stuff, lol
Thanks for this very clear write up. I am really trying to learn about whiskeys and I do apologize if this is a silly question. If Canadian whiskey is often made with mash with corn with up to a 9:1 ratio to rye, is it more similar to bourbon and would be called so if it were made in the US? But I presume that Canadian whiskeys are unlikely to be “aged in new charred oak barrels” as required for bourbons?
Bourbon has to be made in the US, has to be aged in charred oak and has to be made from mostly corn. Canadian “rye” is typically made from wheat, since they don’t really grow much corn up there. It’s rarely aged in any barrel worth mention.
I am a HUGE a Irish whiskey fan. Jamesons is one of my favorites. Tried the 12 and 18 year. For a real treat I like Redbreast 12 and Middleton. Bushmills and Tulamadew( excuse the spelling) are good. As far as scotch I am a fan of Glenlievet 12..
I trie Jamesons as I thought it may be similar to the scotch whiskeys as it is a barley based whiskey. I find that it tasts very much like Segrams Seven instead of a scotch type.
I agree on the Irish Whiskey. I’ve been working my way through trying some Bourbons, Irish and Scotch. So far, much prefer the Irish ones i’ve tried. Jamesons is ok, but by far my favorite so far is a single malt Irish called Tyrconnell. It was smooth beyond belief compared to any other i’ve tried so far and had a pleasant very mild aftertaste with none of the smoky-ness found in most bourbons and scotches.
Hi Sean, Lots of great information in your blog. Now, I need help! I like sweeter drinks, like a lot of women I presume, and would like to try something that won’t make me choke to death! Any recommendations???
I’m not the best authority for “sweeter drinks”, as I enjoy the taste of alcohol. I suggest cocktails, like my whiskey sour recipe you can find on this blog.
Try a Johnny Walker RED label Scotch & coke, it is sweet nectar.
Nick
You’re nuts. Red label is kin to paint thinner. I use black as my mixing Scotch, and see no reason to drink it straight, Green, Gold or Blue. Stick to single malts.
Listen to the song, not the remix/mashup.
You’re nuts. JW Red IS the cocktail Johnny Walker. Its purpose in the JW lineup is as a mixer… Black is for drinking straight, you Philistine.
Maybe Try Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry. Its sweet straight over ice or with a cola. I’m reading alot about Jim Beam red Stag Spiced but I haven’t gotten my hands on a bottle yet.
hey sean i have been drinking bourbon for a year or two now and came across the evan williams old no’ 10 which is very inexpensive yet very good, and also the single barrel evan williams..what would be some others similar to there be good to try?
Dallas,
I highly recommend the Black Maple Hills distillery. They have a cheaper and an older, I like the cheaper, it’s unreal.
I was purchasing some whiskey last night and asked the person working at the liquor store the difference between two whiskeys. His response, “This one’s rye, this one’s just regular.” To avoid the risk of appearing foolish I laughed as if the answer could not have been more obvious. Thanks for clearing up the confusion.
My next question would be, what’s the difference between the different types of grains used? Everybody is pretty familiar with corn, but honestly I don’t have a good idea of what barley and rye are. I’ve had rye bread though, and it’s ok.
Corn, Rye, Wheat and Barley.
since you know what corn and wheat are, I’ll skip them.
Barley is a grain primarily used in soups and stews in cooking, you’ll find it mostly in beef and barley stew. It’s round, dense, and rather unspectacular in taste or color.
Rye, on the other hand, is very dark and tastes very strong compared to other grains. Because of this real Rye whiskey has more body, a fuller denser taste.
im working in one of the biggest liquer shop in abu dhabi (UAE) i really dont understand what is the different types of whiskeys and i keep on searching, reading to find an article that gives me all the information i need to know about whiskey. i want to improve my knowledge about spirits, wines etc.
An interesting read, thanks! I tend to drink a lot of speyside single malts and I’ve never ventured into the world of Bourbon, you’ve inspired me to do a bit of researching and tasting. Recommendations welcome!
Thanks, this is a very useful beginner’s guide and it has given me a few ideas (I am trying to write and article about Bourbon at the moment). Still trying to read up on the whole is Jack Daniels a Bourbon or not debated.
Has anyone tried the australian whisky
Jack Daniels qualifies as a bourbon by all standards. It is by their own choice (because they add the step of charcoal filtering their spirit) they are not classified as so.
If they chose to put Bourbon on their bottle, they would qualify. They just don’t want to do that, to give their whiskey a distinction.
I used to love whiskey, but found out a few years ago that I had become allergic to the specific type of oak that Jack Daniels is aged in—any idea where I can find out the specifics or if there is a non-oaked whiskey I should try…?
I am not 100% on this, but I believe you’re SOL. All types of aged whiskey are aged in Oak casks. The type of oak, old vs. new will change, but all of them use oak I believe. You’re stuck buying un-aged whiskey, of which I have no suggestions. I hope I’m wrong on this, for your sake.
Sounds like it’s time for some good moonshine (aged in copper still for up to a few hours). Or perhaps it’s time for tequila. Now there’s a great distilled spirit.
I’ve enjoyed these posts, and the tutelage on whiskeys. I am also very impressed by how civilized the posts are.
You’re very welcome, but I would reserve your compliment for my civility until after you read my series on sex. You might change your mind.
Hi,
I loved your post. Good content. I am exploring scotch & whiskey and your content is really helpful.
[...] straight whiskey (if you can’t find real Rye, not Canadian Rye, use [...]
Whiskey is by far the most interesting to me of the six base spirits.
I think a good bourbon for beginners is Maker’s Mark. I have long appreciated how smooth MM is compared to many other whiskeys, which makes it more approachable IMHO. I have recently come to understand that the reason why MM has the profile that it does is because after corn, wheat is the bulk of the remaining grain, and that wheat makes a much rounder and less edgy spirit than does rye or malt, which form the remainder of the grains in most bourbons.
I am also a fan of rye, however, and usually use Bulleit Rye for my vintage mixology needs, such as a vintage Manhattan or Old Fashioned. I am keen to try Whistle Pig, a small-batch rye which has some connection to Maker’s Mark (made by former employees if I recall). But I haven’t sprung for that yet. If you’re paying attention, when sipping neat, it takes about 7-8 seconds for the distinctive rye flavor to manifest in the finish.
I’m so far, not such a big fan of the flavor profile of malt whiskeys such as Scotch and Irish whiskeys. Maybe this is just a matter of time, so I appreciate the recommendations here for more approachable single malts.
[...] See Here for the simplest explanation basically JD is Whiskey as is Canadian Club ( which is ka ka IMHO ) but they do not taste anything alike. Know your Whiskey: The Difference between Bourbon and Scotch [...]
[...] same thing. If you want to know the technical definitions behind these distinctions, read more at Real Men Drink Whiskey. To keep it simple, generally speaking: Scotch is bitter, bourbon is sweet, and Canadian/rye falls [...]
Hey Sean,
You may want to update your “rye” section. Whistlepig in Vermont also makes a 100% straight rye whiskey. There may be others now as well.
“There is only one Rye producer in the world (Alberta Premium, from Canada) which is made from 100% rye mash.”
You’re incorrect. Read my article on whistle pig.
For those who truly love single malt whisky, try Yamazaki, a Japanese SM made with single malted barley and smoked in imported Scottish peat. It blows away many of the most popular SM Scotch whiskys IMHO. My favorite for the money though is still Macallan Fine Oak 10 year old.
[...] recently embarked on a whole bunch of reading up on the subject and found this handy dandy article over at (cough) Real Men Drink Whiskey. Here are my own (overly-simplified) crib notes from the [...]
I enjoyed reading the blog and its subsequent comments. Excellent input and insight from all. I have been drinking rye whiskey since my early twenties. I prefer my whiskey neat. If it’s a warm day then on the rocks. Every now and then I try other forms of whiskey but I always return to Canadian rye. I find it the most smooth (and I seem to have a preference for that caramel after taste). To all those who have contributed to this blog I simply say ‘cheers’. A special thanks to Sean for initiating this interesting read.
I do not know how many types of scotch Halftime has tried but as a devout Scotch drinker I have tried many and yes as there are bitter whiskeys no matter the type Rye,Bourbon,Canadian and Scotch. There are many Single malt Scotch whiskey’s that are very smooth and a great variety of flavors from peaty to smoky and some are sweeter than others, For the gentleman who can no longer enjoy whiskeys from oak casks I am pretty sure there are whiskey’s produced in cherry casks.
Sean,
What do you think of the Jefferson’s line of whiskeys? Jefferson’s Reserve has been one of my favorites lately, have yet to try their rye. Any suggestions on similar small batch bourbons?
Give black maple hills a try. Their bourbon is one of my favorites.
Sean….
Nice blog…good subject, but haven’t seen one mention of Pappy Van Winkle. What’s all the hub bub. The 23 yr old is $200 a bottle and you have to be one a waiting list at most of the liquor stores that get a case….per year.
Saw it on the tv show “Justified”. Curiosity to taste is overwhelming….
Sean,
You provide a good article about various types of whiskeys! A rather irrelevant question!!- There is a category exists in India- IMFL(Indian made foreign liquire) Can you give some idea that how they are prepared and what exactly they are?
I’m not the most knowledgeable on this subject. While I know some IMFL’s are made by distilling molasses, the only Indian whiskey I’ve had is the Amrut Fusion. And I must say, it’s bloody fantastic. Think of scotch, but a very vibrant bright almost fruity like cognac . That’s all the information I have for you.