Whisk(e)y 101

Water of Life. Brown Water. Whisk(e)y. There are many names for whiskey and many different styles, but what is it? We’ll go into a brief explanation of what whisk(e)y is in broad strokes and in other articles we’ll dive into different styles of whisk(e)y and what sets them apart.

Whiskey is a distilled spirit made from cereal grains, stored in oak containers, and contains the flavors and aromas associated with the grains it is made from. The legal definition of whiskey or whisky differs from country to country, but in general, follows the same basic guidelines. It must be made from grain. It must be distilled. It must be stored in an oak container (more on that later). It must have flavor, and is thus not a “neutral” spirit. Within these guidelines, a distiller has a lot of options available to them and can craft many different styles of whisk(e)y. That said, there are a few laws they must be mindful of, such as Bourbon is a product of the United States, Scotch can only be made in Scotland, Irish Whiskey can only be made in Ireland, and Japanese Whisky can only be made in Japan.

But what is a distilled spirit? A distilled spirit, is a fermented liquid that has undergone a process of distillation to raise its alcohol content. Distillation is the process of subjecting a liquid to heat to separate different compounds through evaporation, and then collecting those compounds through condensation. When it comes to making spirits, or alcohol, you must first create a “wort”. For whiskey this is done by simmering milled grains in hot water for about an hour. You then ferment this wort with yeast for about a week. The yeast will eat the sugars in the wort and produce carbon dioxide and alcohol. After fermentation, your wort is essentially a beer or “wash” with an alcohol content of 6-8%. This beer is then distilled to strip out as much alcohol as possible. Typically, a distiller will do a stripping run, or two to strip out the alcohol and produce a low wine with an alcohol content by volume of about 30%. This distillate should not be consumed however, since it contains both ethanol and methanol, which can make a person sick. The final run that actually produces the desired spirit is called a “spirit run” or a “finishing run.” During this final run, the distiller cuts the methanol (heads) from the ethanol (hearts), from the essential oils (tails). The final alcohol content by volume cannot exceed 80%.

While many ingredients can be used to create a wort, with whisk(e)y, only cereal grains can be used. The most common grains in whisk(e)y are malted barley, raw barley, corn, wheat, and rye. Most mash bills will have some combination of these five ingredients, depending on the type of whisk(e)y being made. Other grains that have been experimented with include spelt, amaranth, and even quinoa. The use of these grains in producing whisk(e)y comes directly from farmers needing a way to store and use their excess crops after the harvest so they don’t spoil or get eaten by rodents.

With the exception of Corn Whiskey in the United States, all whisk(e)y must be stored in oak containers. Different countries have different laws regarding whether these are new charred oak containers or not, and different countries even place stipulations on the minimum amount of time a whisk(e)y must be stored to be called “whisk(e)y.” The most common type of containers are oak casks, with different types of whisk(e)y being stored in either barrels or buttes. The difference between the two is simply a matter of size, with buttes being bigger. By allowing the whisk(e)y to spend time in the cask, it is allowed to filter through the char of the wood and leave behind impurities, while bringing out flavoring compounds, phenols, from the wood. These enhance, soften, and mature the whisk(e)y into a flavorful beverage.

The most import part of whisk(e)y though is that it must contain flavor. This is, after all, why it is so heavily sought after. You should be able to taste the grains, or at least the flavors they contribute, when you sip on a dram. Whisk(e)y isn’t neutral. It can be bold like bourbon, or delicate like a mature single malt. It is meant to be enjoyed, not simply to make one drunk.

There are many roads a distiller can take when making whisk(e)y, and there is no one right way. This is part of its beauty, and part of what drives people who are passionate about it. Whiskey is more than a drink. It is an experience.