How to read the label on a bottle of whiskey

Buy whiskey to drink, and not to consider the label, but the ability to read its contents will allow you to choose the drink not blindly, but with understanding and a clear representation of what you get.

The article describes only the basic terms and their meanings. If you are a guru of whiskey, please, do not blame us in the captaincy, but rather to complement this guide is your own knowledge and advice in the comments. We'll be very grateful.

Whisky or Whiskey

If careful enough, you may have noticed that on some bottles of whiskey written Whisky, but on the other - Whiskey. In fact, this is not a bug and not a sign of forgery. Simply Scottish, Japanese and Canadian producers have traditionally used a variant spelling Whisky, while the Irish and American prefer to write Whiskey.

However, there are exceptions. Some manufacturers in the US, such as Maker's Mark, choose the option Whisky, but in most cases the rule works.

place of origin

The most common whiskey from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Japan and the United States. Often indicates a particular place of production since the beverages from different areas of even one country can differ considerably in taste.

There is a popular misconception that only make bourbon in Kentucky, USA. This state is indeed one of the largest manufacturers of bourbon, but not the only one.

Fortress

Here everything is clear. Fortress shows the content of ethanol in the beverage and is expressed in degrees - volumetric percentage. In English-speaking countries fortress sometimes measured in terms of proof (proof). US Proof is twice the number of degrees of alcohol, and in the UK, this unit is not used since 1980.

excerpt

Exposure - One of the most important characteristics of the drink, especially if you buy a bottle for a decent amount. Considered extract an absolute indicator of quality is misleading because the optimal time for the same drink depends on the climate. In colder countries and regions of the whiskey is aged longer. In hot climates the chemical processes take place faster.

For most types of whiskey there is a minimum aging period, indicating the time of interaction with the barrel of younger alcohol in the beverage.

Whiskeys and special terms

Single Malt - This single malt whiskey, usually Scottish. This drink is made in one distillery and only germinated barley. A mixture of several malt whiskeys is called Blended Malt.

Blended - is a blended whiskey, whiskey mixture of malt whiskey and grain. Do not confuse it with Blended Malt, which are mixed only malt whiskey. The higher the content of malt whiskey Blended, the better the considered beverage.

The American Whiskey Blended-permitted use of rectified spirit (like vodka) and water, and such drinks are often called "vodka and whiskey smell." Better not to buy.

Sour Mash

In the production of such whiskey to the new wort, has not passed the fermentation process already added otbrodivshee wort, which still have active yeast culture. It is believed that such a manufacturing method enables to maintain the taste and smell of the beverage unchanged from batch to batch.

Small Batch

This marking indicates that whiskey was made small party, typically 20 barrels or less, and hints on the beverage exclusivity. Most often, Small Batch can be seen on the bottles of bourbon. You have to understand that in most cases, this whiskey somehow produce the same large plants, so it is very relative exclusivity.

Tennessee Whiskey and bourbon

If you like bourbon, you are probably familiar with Tennessee Whiskey, which also seems to be a bourbon, but has its own name.

Bourbon - a whiskey and corn alcohol content of not less than 51%. Tennessee Whiskey - a bourbon, whose production used a special filtering process called Lincoln Country Process. Before bottling whiskey barrels slowly passed through charcoal made from sugar maple. Drink a softer taste and acquires a special flavor.

Straight Kentucky Bourbon

We bourbon there is no requirement for the minimum ripening period, but if you see a bottle Straight Kentucky Bourbon, you can be sure that the drink was kept for at least 2 years. If the period of exposure of the whiskey is much more than 4 years, this fact is also bound to be marked on the label, as in the case of 9-year-old Knob Creek.

Bottled in Bond, Bonded

Almost like Single Malt, but even more feature-rich. This bourbon is made in one distillery in one season and aged for 4 years in the territory of a special vault under constant optimal conditions for compliance control. You may consider this a guarantor of the quality of the beverage.

Single Barrel

The term is more common on the bottles of bourbon, and more recently - and bottles of Scotch whiskey and means that all the drink is aged in a barrel. Usually before filling barrels of the plurality of whiskey were collected in a single large container under controlled blenders responsible for the consistency of the final taste of the beverage. In this case, you get exactly what happened in a particular barrel.

How to drink whiskey

In the US whiskey drink with ice and mixed with cola, England - tea in Ireland - with coffee. The Scots believe that whiskey must be diluted with water, with strict proportion does not exist. Water can be added quite a bit, and it is possible and 30% by volume of whiskey. And in Scotland, whiskey mixed with beer.