Whiskey Exploration: Regions, Terms, Types And Much More!

Posted by Michael Griffin on September 27th, 2019

There is not one but a wide world filled with whiskey which may range from classifications, styles, origins and its types! To start, let's get whiskey versus whiskey out of the way. The basic rule is that if the spirit is from Scotland, Japan or Canada, it's spelled whiskey, yet if we made in the United States or Ireland, it's whiskey. If you are whiskey lover all you can explore it in one platform is to have a whiskey tour in Denver. 

Major Regions To Explore!

1. Campbeltown: For dozens of distilleries, Campbeltown is more of a past relic, with only three distilleries still operating.

2. Highlands: The Highlands are well represented with brands such as The Macallan, Oban, Old Pulteney, Glenmorangie, it is the largest geographical region

3. Islay: For whom are celebrating their 200th anniversary this year, the small island has eight distilleries, also including Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Kilchoman and Lagavulin.

4. Lowlands: Another diminished region, like Campbeltown, there are only a few distilleries remaining in the Lowlands.

5. Speyside: Speyside includes the largest collection of distilleries for any Scotch region, concluding about half of the country's total. 

6. Islands: The unofficial sixth region is the Islands, which represents all of the islands except for Islay. 

Whiskey Terms You Must Know!

• Its age: If any kind of whiskey lists an age, the number refers to the age of the youngest whiskey and not the average age given on the bottle.

• Cask Strength: Cask proof or strength is something which needs to be taken into consideration as it emerges straight from the barrel, it clearly means the distiller doesn’t add water to bring it down and set it to predetermined proof. 

• Pot Still: Traditional pots are still the thing to imagine when it comes to distilling. The large pot section,  of the, still being heated and sending the vapor to a condenser to be separated.

• Sourcing: Sourcing whiskey refers to a company that purchases whiskey which is made elsewhere, and then bottling and labeling it under its own brand. 

• Finishing: "Finishing" the term refers to taking whiskey that has already been aged, and aging it for a second, typically far shorter, in a  period for a different type of cask, producing new flavors.

Types:

Irish Whiskey

This hails from Ireland and has majorly three years of minimum age. Blended Irish whiskey is by far the bulk of the market than any other whiskey available. Another technical difference to note between Irish whiskey and Scotch whiskey is that in Ireland distillers can add enzymes to convert starches to sugars before fermentation.

American Whiskey

This is far more than just bourbon, to explore more, you can have a great whiskey tour in Denver. Bourbon is an American whiskey which contains a minimum of 51 percent corn and is aged in charred new oak barrels, whereas, American rye is made with a minimum of 51 percent rye although the aws require that is being produced in Tennessee, and meet the requirements of a bourbon. 

Canadian Whisky

Canadian is most commonly termed as “rye whisky” which does not meet the definition of American whiskeys. Most Canadian whiskey even today actually incorporates a much higher percentage of corn than rye. The major highlight of this is, straight Canadian rye whiskey must be aged for a minimum of three years in 700-liter wooden barrels.

Japanese & World Whisky

Exclusively taken by the storm, is termed as Japanese whiskey! This is largely made in the fashion of Scotch, which malts as blended whiskeys. Distilleries in Scotland may produce alone variety of single malt, whether it's sold as such or used primarily for blends, in Japan, it's not unusual for a distillery to produce a very broad range of styles for different uses.