Yes, it’s true. There are other members of the whiskey family out there in the world besides Irish. Here’s a handy summary for you to print out and keep.
Yes, it’s true. There are other members of the whiskey family out there in the world besides Irish. Here’s a handy summary for you to print out and keep.
| Type of Whiskey | Irish | Scotch | American |
| Country of Origin | Ireland | Scotland | USA |
| Grain | Malted & unmalted barley & maize | Mated barley maize & wheat | Corn (maize), barley, wheat & rye |
| Distillations | 3 (although there are a couple of exceptions to this) | 2 | 1 or 2 |
| Style of Whiskey | Production pot still & grain whiskey | Malt whiskey & grain whiskey | Mixed cereal/grain whiskeys |
| Stills Used | Pot still & column still | Pot still & column still | Column still & pot still |
| Maturation | 3 years minimum | 3 years minimum | 2 years minimum |
| Barrels | Seasoned bourbon, sherry & port | Seasoned bourbon, sherry & port | New charred American oak barrels |
| Colour | Varies on style | Varies on style | Darker |
| Aroma | Floral/fruity/vanilla | Smokey/peaty/fruit | Sharp/sweet/wood/vanilla |
| Taste | Roundness, creamy, fruit/spice | Smokey/dry/fruit | Sharp/wood/bitter/vanilla |