Grain whisky

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Barrels waiting to be filled with grain whisky at the Whyte and MacKay Grain Distillery in Invergordon Whisky barrels.jpg#file
Barrels waiting to be filled with grain whisky at the Whyte and MacKay Grain Distillery in Invergordon

Grain whisky normally refers to any whisky made, at least in part, from grains other than malted barley. Frequently used grains include maize, wheat, and rye. Grain whiskies usually contain some malted barley to provide enzymes needed for mashing and are required to include it if they are produced in Ireland or Scotland. [1] [2] Whisky made only from malted barley is generally called "malt whisky" rather than grain whisky. Most American and Canadian whiskies are grain whiskies.

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Definition

Under the regulations governing the production of both Irish and Scotch whisky, malt whisky must be produced from a mash of 100% malted barley and must be distilled in a pot still. [1] [2] In Scotland, a whisky that uses other malted or unmalted cereals in the mash in addition to malted barley is termed a grain whisky. [2] In Ireland, where regulations define "pot still whiskey" as one distilled from a specific mixed mash of at least 30% malted barley, at least 30% unmalted barley, and other unmalted cereals in a pot still, grain whisky refers to whisky produced from a mixed mash of no more than 30% malted barley in a column still. [1]

In both countries, grain whisky is typically distilled in a continuous column still in a manner that results in a higher percentage of alcohol by volume (ABV) but a less flavourful spirit than that derived from a pot still. As a result, grain whisky is seldom bottled by itself in either country but is instead used primarily for blending with malt or pot still whisky to create blended whiskies, which now account for more than 90% of both countries' whisky sales. The comparative lightness of the clearer, more-neutral-flavoured grain whisky is used in blends to smooth out the often harsher characteristics of single malts and single pot still whiskeys. Occasionally well-aged grain whiskies are released as single grain whisky if made at one distillery or blended grain whisky if combining spirits from multiple distilleries. [1] [2]

Outside Ireland and Scotland, the use of continuous column stills and the use of a non-barley mash are not so closely associated with the production of "light" whisky (whisky with little flavour due to distillation at a very high ABV). For example, nearly all American whiskey is produced using column stills, and all American whiskey that is labelled as "straight whiskey" (including straight Bourbon and straight rye) is required to use a distillation level not exceeding 80% ABV. [3] In the United States, whiskey produced at greater than 80% ABV is formally classified as "light whiskey" and cannot be labelled with the name of a grain or called malt, bourbon or straight. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotch whisky</span> Malt or grain whisky distilled in Scotland

Scotch whisky often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky, made in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whisky</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage

Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, which are typically made of charred white oak. Uncharred white oak casks previously used for the aging of port, rum or sherry are also sometimes used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single malt Scotch</span> Type of whiskey made in Scotland

Single malt Scotch refers to single malt whisky made in Scotland. To qualify for this category, a whisky must have been distilled at a single distillery using a pot still distillation process and made from a mash of malted barley. Therefore, a single malt means that the whisky has not been blended elsewhere with whisky from other distilleries. As with any Scotch whisky, a single malt Scotch must be distilled in Scotland and matured in oak casks in Scotland for at least three years, although most single malts are matured longer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish whiskey</span> Popular spirit made in Ireland

Irish whiskey is whiskey made on the island of Ireland. The word 'whiskey' comes from the Irish uisce beatha, meaning water of life. Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world, though a long period of decline from the late 19th century onwards greatly damaged the industry, so much so that although Ireland boasted at least 28 distilleries in the 1890s, by 1966 this number had fallen to just two, and by 1972 the remaining distilleries, Bushmills Distillery and Old Midleton Distillery, were owned by just one company, Irish Distillers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single malt whisky</span> Malt whisky from a single distillery

Single malt whisky is malt whisky from a single distillery.

A blended whiskey is the product of blending different types of whiskeys and sometimes also neutral grain spirits, colorings, and flavorings. It is generally the product of mixing one or more higher-quality straight or single malt whiskey with less expensive spirits and other ingredients. This typically allows for a lower priced finished product, although expensive "premium" varieties also exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rye whiskey</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage

Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pot still</span> Distillation apparatus for flavored liquors

A pot still is a type of distillation apparatus or still used to distill liquors such as whisky or brandy. In modern (post-1850s) practice, they are not used to produce rectified spirit, because they do not separate congeners from ethanol as effectively as other distillation methods. Pot stills operate on a batch distillation basis. Traditionally constructed from copper, pot stills are made in a range of shapes and sizes depending on the quantity and style of spirit desired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blended malt whisky</span>

A blended malt, formerly called a vatted malt, or pure malt, is a blend of different single malt whiskies from different distilleries. These terms are most commonly used in reference to Scotch whisky, or whisky in that style, such as Japanese whisky.

Malt whisky is whisky made from a fermented mash consisting primarily of malted barley. If the product is made exclusively at a single distillery, it is typically called a single malt whisky. Although malt whisky can be made using other malted grains besides barley, those versions are not called malt whisky without specifying the grain, such as rye malt whisky or buckwheat malt whisky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Premium</span>

Alberta Premium is one of the few remaining 100% rye grain rye whiskies produced in North America. The brand is owned by Beam Suntory

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redbreast (whiskey)</span> Irish whiskey

Redbreast is a brand of single pot still Irish Whiskey produced by Irish Distillers. It was originally bottled by Gilbey's, a Dublin spirits merchant using distillate sourced from Jameson's Bow Street Distillery. In the 1980s, the brand was purchased by Irish Distillers, the producer of Jameson. It is the largest selling single pot still Irish whiskey in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downslope Distilling</span>

Downslope Distilling is a craft beverage distillery in Centennial, Colorado, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willett Distillery</span>

Willett Distillery, also known as Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), Ltd., is a private family-owned and -operated company that produces bourbon and rye whiskey. Over the years the company has bottled whiskeys that range from 2 years of aging maturity up to 28 years.

Straight whiskey, as defined in United States law, is whiskey that is distilled from a fermented cereal grain mash to a concentration not exceeding 80% alcohol by volume (abv) and aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years at a concentration not exceeding 62.5% at the start of the aging process. Domestic sales of straight whiskey surpassed 27 million 9-liter cases in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single pot still whiskey</span>

Single pot still whiskey is a style of Irish whiskey made by a single distillery from a mixed mash of malted and unmalted barley distilled in a pot still. Somewhat similar to single malt whiskey, the style was defined by its inclusion of unmalted raw barley in the mash in addition to malt. However, small amounts of raw oats or wheat may have been used at times. This unmalted component is said to give the pot still whiskey a "spicier bristle" and "thicker texture" than the otherwise similar malt whiskeys. If the whiskey is not distilled completely on the site of a single distillery, then it may be termed pot still whiskey but not single pot still whiskey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian whisky</span> Type of distilled liquor produced in Australia

Australian Whisky is whisky produced in Australia. As of December 2021, there were 333 registered distilleries in operation within Australia, of which approximately 50 have a whisky on the market. The industry has shown steady growth since the early 90s especially in the boutique craft distilling scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ASW Distillery</span> American liquor manufacturer

ASW Distillery is a manufacturer of liquor located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the second legally licensed distillery in Atlanta since the end of American Prohibition and distilled the first single malt whiskey in Atlanta history. In 2018, the distillery's Duality Double Malt Whiskey became Georgia's first-ever Double Gold Medal Whiskey, as judged by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of whisky</span> Outline of the knowledge of whisky

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to whisky:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Technical files setting out the specifications with which Irish Whiskey / Uisce Beatha Eireannach / Irish whisky must comply" (PDF). www.agriculture.gov.ie. Department of Agriculture, Forestry and the Marine. October 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 – Guidance for Producers and Bottlers" (PDF). www.scotch-whisky.org.uk. Scotch Whisky Association. 2 December 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits, Title 27 Code of Federal Regulations, Pt. 5.22" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-10-17.