There are many types of whiskey, different from each other for: alcohol content, quality, type and assortment of malts used, production area, etc.
Below we will discuss the great whiskey family using the country of origin as a criterion of distinction.
American Whiskey
American whiskey is distilled from a fermented cereal-based must. It must have the flavor, aroma and other characteristics typically attributed to whiskey.
Some types of whiskeys listed in US federal regulations are:
Bourbon Whiskey, based on a must that is made up at least of 51% corn
Corn Whiskey, based on a must that is made up of at least 80% corn
Malt Whiskey, based on a must that is made up of at least 51% barley malt
Rye Whiskey, based on a must that is composed of at least 51% rye
Rye Malt Whiskey, based on a must that is made up of at least 51% rye malt
Wheat Whiskey, based on a must that is made up of at least 51% wheat.
These types of American whiskeys must be distilled without exceeding 80% by volume of alcohol and, once stored in barrels, must not exceed 125 proof. Only water can be added to the final product; the addition of dyes and / or flavorings is prohibited. These whiskeys must be aged in new heat-treated oak containers, except for the Corn Whiskey which should not necessarily be aged (sold as "moonshine"). However, if it is matured, it too must comply with the same specifications as the others.
If one of these types of whiskey reaches two years of aging or more, it is classified as "stright " . A whiskey that meets the above requirements, but derives from less than 51% of any specific must, can be called simply "stright whiskey", without mentioning which cereal it comes from.
The US regulations also recognize other whiskey categories, including:
Blended Whiskey, a mixture that contains various streight and distilled neutral alcohol and may also contain more flavorings and colorings. The percentage of neutral distilled alcohol must be communicated on the label and can reach 80%.
Light Whiskey is produced in the United States with a percentage of alcohol over 80% of the volume and preserved in new oak barrels
Spirit Whiskey, is a mixture of neutral alcohol and at least 5% of some strict categories of whiskey.
Another important label on the market is the "Tennessee Whiskey", of which Jack Daniel, George Dickel, Collier and McKeel and Benjamin Prichard are the only brands currently bottled. The main feature that defines a Tennessee whiskey is the use of the "Lincoln County Process", which involves filtering whiskey on charcoal. The rest of the distillation process is identical to bourbon whiskey. The whiskeys sold as "Tennessee whiskey" are called "Bourbon NAFTA" (North American Free Trade Agreement), a term necessary to distinguish them from the Canadian Bourbons.
Australian whiskey
Australian whiskeys have won many world competitions, including the World Whiskeys Awards and the Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible "Liquid Gold Awards".
Canadian Whiskey
According to Canadian law, national whiskeys must be produced and aged in Canada; they must be distilled from a fermented must of cereals and aged in wooden barrels with a capacity limit of 700 liters for not less than three years. They must possess the aroma, taste and character generally attributed to Canadian whiskey. The terms "Canadian whiskey", "Rye whiskey", and "Canadian Rye Whiskey" are not legally distinguishable and do not require any specific cereal. Canadian Whiskey may contain caramel, flavorings and distilled alcohol without a maximum alcohol limit during production. To be exported under the name "Canadian Whiskey", the drink cannot contain more than 9.9% of imported alcohol.
Canadian whiskeys are available all over the world and represent a significant element of national exports. Among the most famous brands are: Crown Royal, Canadian Club, Seagram's and Wiser's. The popularity of these whiskeys in the United States is in part attributable to historical smugglers who, during the period of American prohibition, imported spirits from Canada.
Danish Whiskey
Denmark started producing whiskey in early 1974. The first Danish single malt for sale was "Lille Gadegard", from Bornholm, in 2005, the second was "Edition No.1", from Braunstein, in 2010. The Edition No.1 is also known as it is produced using water from the Greenland ice sheet.
English whiskey
In England there are currently six distilleries that produce English whiskey. Although it was not particularly known for making whiskey, until the end of the nineteenth century, England boasted a fair list of distillers scattered among the cities of London, Liverpool and Bristol. Subsequently, the production of single malts ceased to resume only in the year 2003.
Finnish whiskey
In Finland there are only two working distilleries and a third one is under construction. Retail sales of Finnish whiskey are controlled exclusively by the state-owned monopoly "Alko" which strictly prohibits the advertising of spirits.
German whiskey
Whiskey production in Germany is a relatively recent phenomenon, since it has only begun in the last 30 years. These are products similar to those made in Ireland, Scotland and the United States: single malts, blends, wheat and bourbon-like styles. There is no "standard" word for the beverage and both the words "whiskey" and "whiskey" are accepted. In 2008, German distilleries became 23.
Indian Whiskey
India consumes so much whiskey as to reach the quota reached by the rest of the world. In this country, alcoholic beverages labeled as "whiskey" are mostly blends based on neutral alcohol distilled from molasses fermented with a small traditional wisky portion (about 10-12%). Outside India, a similar drink would most likely be labeled as rum. According to the annual report of the "Scotch Whiskey Association 2013": in India there is no mandatory definition of whiskey and the standard does not require distilling it from cereals or even subjecting it to aging. 90% of the whiskey consumed in India is based on molasses, although if they are still present on the market of whiskeys made entirely of malt. "Amrut", the first single malt produced in India, was launched on 24 August 2004.
Irish whiskey
Irish whiskeys are normally distilled three times; the "Cooley Distillery" is an exception in that it distills only twice. Although the distillation traditionally takes place with the stills, the column is still used for cutting whiskeys. By law, Irish whiskey must be produced in Ireland and aged in wooden barrels for a period of not less than three years, although it normally corresponds to three times or four times the legislative minimum. Almost always non-toasted malt is used, with the exception of the "Connemara Peated Whiskey".
In Ireland, the most common are: single malt, single grain, blended whiskey and pure pot still whiskey.
Japanese whiskey
Japanese whiskey is typically a single malt in Scottish style, although there are some blended whiskeys. The base of the drink is a must of barley malt dried in peat-fueled ovens (even if less than in Scotland) and then fermented to be distilled by means of a still. Before the year 2000, Japanese whiskey was mainly destined for the domestic market and exports were rather limited. Between 2007 and 2014, some Japanese whiskeys such as the "Suntory" and the "Nikka" have won many international awards.
Scotch Whiskey
Scotch whiskeys or "Scotch Whiskeys" are generally distilled twice, but some use a variable number of distillations (up to 20). Scotch Whiskey must necessarily be distilled in Scotland and aged for a minimum of three years in cask. Any declaration of aging on the bottle, in numerical form, must indicate the age of the youngest whiskey in the mixture. A Scotch Whiskey having this aging declaration is known as "guaranteed age whiskey". Scotch whiskeys without this declaration can, by law, be even younger than three years.
The main types of scotch are malt and grain, which are combined to create blends. Malt Scotch Whiskey is characterized by the region of production: Highland, Lowland, Islay, Speyside and Campbeltown.
Swedish whiskey
The Swedish whiskey production began in 1955 with the (defunct) brand "Skippets". Their last bottle was sold in 1971. In 1999 the "Mackmyra Whiskey" was founded, which is the largest Swedish producer as well as winner of numerous awards including: "European Whiskey of the Year in Jim Murray's 2011 Whiskey Bible" and "International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) 2012 Award for Best European Spirits Producer of 2012".
Welsh Whiskey
Whiskey distillation in Wales began in the Middle Ages. However, during the nineteenth century, the birth of the Temperance movement caused a decline in the consumption of the distillate and, in 1894, the Welsh whiskey production ceased. However, since 1990 an almost totally abandoned regrowth of the sector has been observed.
Initially, the "Prince of Wales", a malt whiskey, was sold as Scottish but it was a "Blended Scotch" bottled in Wales. The Scottish distillers have put an end to the commercial action by means of a collective cause. In 2000, the "Penderyn Distillery" began production of the "Penderyn Whiskey Single Malt". The first bottles entered the market in March 2004, the day of "Saint David"; today, the Penderyn is sold worldwide. The distillery of this brand is located in the "Brecon Beacons National Park" and is considered the smallest distillery in the world.
