Where is whisky produced? The majority of whisky is made in Scotland and Ireland (the birthplaces of whisky), Japan and Taiwan, but in the United States and Canada as well. More and more whisky is being produced in France, Germany, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand.
Scotch Whisky Scotch whiskies must be distilled in Scotland, at a strength of less than 94.8%, then aged in Scotland in oak barrels for at least three years. There are two types of Scotch whiskey: malt whisky (produced only from malted barley and distilled in an iron still) and grain whisky (made from malted barley or other grains and distilled in distillation towers). In order to avoid marking the whiskies too much in the aging process, Scottish distillers do not use brand new barrels; they use old bourbon casks instead which add vanilla, coconut and spices to the flavour, before being matured in more marked barrels for a shorter period.
Types of Scotch Whiskies • Malt whisky is produced wholly from malted barley and is distilled in a pot still. This type of whisky has smoky notes which comes from the use of peat in the kiln for heating. In the case of Scottish malts, they are often aged in old bourbon casks.
Irish Whiskey In Ireland, whiskey is always spelled with an “e”, as is American whiskey, but by custom rather than rule.Irish whiskey places less importance on regionality than Scotch whiskies for example.There are approximately 20 distilleries in Ireland, many of which are world class.
Types of Irish Whiskeys •Pure pot still whiskeys are made from barely following traditional methods in a pot still. It is therefore similar to the single malt,the difference being its blend of barley and malted barley.
American Whiskey (Bourbon) American whiskey, like Irish whiskey, takes an extra "e" in its spelling (unlike other whiskies), which is also called bourbon. It is produced from minimum 51% corn, and the remainder can include rye, malted barley, and sometimes wheat. It must be aged in brand new oak barrels. and contains max. 80% alcohol,Bourbon is produced in a different way from European whisky: the mash is mixed with the backset, meaning the acidic residue at the bottom of the still from a previous distillation. This operation is called sour mashing and it increases the acidity of the must, which prevents the development of bacteria and allows the yeast to dominate the fermentation.
