If it says Whisky o Whiskey?


Trying to explain the absence or presence of a single vowel (the "e") may seem superfluous, but it is right to try: first of all, speaking of whisky or whiskey we talk about same substance, or rather a distillate having a cereal as its origin, be it barley or rye, corn or other or a mix of cereals.


What is it called in Scotland?

Traditional Scottish always talked about whisky without the "e", dragging along the concept of uisghe beatha, or water of life, which was then transported into current language as whisky. The historical dating dates back to the end of the 1400s and from then on the Scottish people never stopped, often evading the rather stringent English legislation and maintaining an illegal distillation regime until the beginning of the 1800s, when many distilleries decided to standard and register as a full-fledged business. It is no coincidence that the oldest distilleries in Scotland date back to that moment, starting from Bowmore in 1779 and others such as Glendronach 1826, Laphroaig 1815, Ardbeg 1815, Lagavulin 1816 and the like.


What is it called in Ireland?

Traditional Irish instead expects the “e” in the word whiskey and - although having to take this information with a grain of salt - it seems that the distillation is earlier than the Scottish one, with a good number of Crusader soldiers who, returning home with a good wealth of Muslim alchemical knowledge, imported the distillation as it is today it is perceived and appreciated. A characteristic of Irish distillation is triple distillation, against the Scottish double distillation, which guarantees a product lighter and with less impurities, almost always without peat to affect the final result.


Because even in the United States they say Whiskey

- Irish immigrants brought distillation to the United States and they helped their compatriots especially during Prohibition. The whiskey stars and stripes tends to be marked with an "e", then giving ample evidence of experimentation with other variants (for example bourbon) which in any case indicate the distillate of cereals aged in wood. The various declinations of MoonShine arrive from the United States, that is the white distillate of cereals without refinement that today it is more likely to cross. For the United States, the legislation provides for a minimum aging of two years in barrels and the barrels involved must be of virgin oak wood.


For Scotland and Ireland, despite the different spelling, the distillate must age for at least three years in cask, without there being legislation on the type of wood used.


How can you understand, despite the different handwriting, the general lines are the same, with substantial differences between the various producing countries, thus arriving to provide the final consumer with a plethora of whisky o whiskey different, to be explored and analyzed in depth before finding your favorite.


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Scotch Whisky

Whiskey Irish

Whiskey Americano