All | A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y
There are currently 127 names in this directory
A

ABV
The abbreviation for Alcohol By Volume. Measurement of the alcohol content of any alcoholic drink.

Age
The length of time Scotch whisky has been matured in the cask. Blended whiskies that state an age must use the age of the youngest whisky in the blend. Generally but not always, many distilleries will mark their whiskey offerings with the amount of time they’ve spent aging.

Age Statement
The length of time Scotch whisky has been matured in the cask. Blended whiskies that state an age must use the age of the youngest whisky in the blend. Generally but not always, many distilleries will mark their whiskey offerings with the amount of time they’ve spent aging.

Alcohol
The result of the fermentation process where the sugar turns to alcohol. Ethanol.

Angel's Share
The whisky that evaporates during the maturation stage. In Scotland this accounts for a loss of approximately 2% per annum, though the Angel's Share is heightened in warmer climes and this rate can increase; in India the Angel's Share can account for a loss of as much as 12% abv per annum.

B

Barley
Grain used for the production of Scotch Malt Whisky. The barley does not have to be from Scotland.

Barrel
The wooden barrel used to mature the whisky. These are traditionally made from oak. The most used types of oak are American, European or Japanese. Sizes vary.

Barrel Proof
Whiskey/Bourbon that is bottled after barrel aging without further dilution to lower the proof. Has a higher ABV than standard whisky. AKA - Cask Strength

Batch
A number of casks that are vatted together for maturation,

Beer
Close relative to whisky. The early stages of whisky production match that of beer.

Blended
A blended of single malt and single grain whiskies. The largest portion of blended whiskey is grain whisky. The rest of it will be made up of different malt whiskies. There are 3 elements to a blended whisky: (1) Base malt - the larger prortion, (2) Top dressors - intense glavors and (3) Packers - low aromoa intensity.

Blended Grain Whisky
A blend of single grain Scotch whiskies distilled at more than one distillery.

Blended Malt Whisky
A blend of single malt Scotch whiskies distilled at more than one distillery and it cannot bear the name of one distillery and will have a brand name..

Blender
More of an art than a science, but this is the single person or team that is responsible for creating spirits by combining multiple batches of whiskey and/or neutral grain spirits, colorings, and flavorings together into a single final product. Blenders must have an exceptional knowledge of whiskey, exceptional palates, and be creativity.

Body
Viscosity and mouthfeel of a whisky.

Bonded Warehouse
Locked warehouse where the whisky is matured, that is under the auspices of HMRC.

Bootlegging
Illicit distillation and distribution of whisky. Has its name from hip flasks hidden in the legging of the boots.

Bottled-In-Bond (BiB)
Exclusive to the United States of America, these are a class of distilled spirits aged and bottled according to the regulations put into place by the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 which carries with it specific rules that must be followed to be classified as a BiB.

Bottling
Putting the content of the cask into bottles. Term for a specific release of whisky from a distillery, blender or bottler.

Bourbon
American whiskey produced mainly in Kentucky. Must be made from at least 51% corn. Used Bourbon casks can be used to mature Scotch Whisky.

Bung
Stopper used to seal a barrel.

C

Campbeltown
Town in the west of Scotland that used to be a major production area. Now has only 3 distilleries.

Caramel
E150, a color additive which is legally allowed to be added to Scotch Whisky.

Cask
The wooden barrel used to mature the whisky. These are traditionally made from oak. The most used types of oak are American, European or Japanese. Sizes vary.

Cask Strength
Whiskey/Bourbon that is bottled after barrel aging without further dilution to lower the proof. Has a higher ABV than standard whisky. AKA - Barrel Proof

Charcoal filtration
Method of filtration for Tennessee whisky. Before bottling, the whisky is filtered through maple charcoal to ‘mellow’ it.

Charring
The process of burning the inside of a cask. This blackens the inside of the cask, accelerating the natural compounds in the wood to come out once the cask is filled with spirit. The level of charring can be controlled so as to control the amount of flavor compounds that pass from the wood to the whisky during maturation.

Chill filtration
Process to remove fat components from the whisky to stop it going cloudy when ice is added.

Colour
New spirit is naturally colorless. The colour comes from the type of cask used for maturation. Sometimes supported by the addition of E150 caramel coloring.

Cooper
A person whose job is to create or repair barrels and casks.

Cooperage
The facility in which a cooper performs the work.

Corn
Most important grain used for Bourbon whiskey.

D

Distillation
The fourth element of the production process. Achieved by processing the liquid through a still. Most Scottish whiskies are distilled twice. Irish whiskies are triple distilled.

Distillery
The place where the liquor is distilled.

Draff
The solids remaining in the Mash Tun after mashing. Used to make animal feed.

Dram
Colloquial term for a measure of whisky. A Scottish term for a measure of spirits, particularly whisky. The term is said to originate from the Greek 'Drachma' which refers to the apothecary measurement of sixty grains, equal to 1/8 ounce.

Duty
Taxes that have to be paid by the distiller according to the amount of pure alcohol produced. Tax that has to be paid when goods are transported between countries without special agreements.

E

Ethanol
The type of alcohol in alcoholic drinks. Produced by the fermentation of the sugars.

Exciseman
Old term for a local customs officer who measures how much spirit has been distilled and sets the amount of spirit duty to be paid.

F

Feint
The least volatile component of the wash or low wines with the highest evaporation temperature.

Fermentation
The third element of the production process. Achieved by adding yeast to the ‘mash’.

Finish
Description of the aftertaste of the whisky.

Floor malting
Traditional method for malting the barley by spreading it on a stone floor and turning it to promote even germination.

Foreshot
The most volatile component of the wash or low wines with the lowest evaporation temperature.

G

Grain whisky
Whisky made from any kind of grain. Scotch whisky must include barley.

Grist
The ground grain that is used in the mash.

H

Hazmat
Any whiskey over 140 proof (not allowed to go on a plane)

Hogshead
A type of cask with a volume of 250 litres.

I

Independent bottler
A company that buys individual casks from various distilleries and bottles them on their own.

K

Kentucky
Bourbon County in Kentucky gave its name to Bourbon whisky. Most of the Bourbon distilleries are located in Kentucky.

Kiln
Oven used to create heat and hot air for drying barley. Scottish kilns traditionally have a pagoda-shaped roof.

L

Low wines
Result of the first distillation in a pot still. ABV of around 20%. It is then distilled for a second time in the spirit still.

Lyne Arm
The copper pipe that connects the pot still to the condenser. Its angle can have a big influence on the character of the whisky.

M

Malt
Grain that has been allowed to begin to germinate. The germination process is then interrupted by drying the grains with heat.

Malting
The process of making malt from grain, usually barley.

Mash tun
Large steel or copper vessel that is used for mashing.

Mashing
Grist is mixed with hot water to extract the sugars from the grain.

Master blender
The person in the whisky company who is responsible for the composition of the whiskies that are to be bottled.

Master distiller
The person in the distillery who is responsible for the whole whisky making process.

Maturation
The process of ageing the whisky. Scotch whisky must be matured in Scotland in oak casks for at least 3 years. Whatever the cask has held before will affect the character of the whisky.

Middle cut
The part of the distilled liquid that is used as actual spirit for drinking. It has to be separated from the foreshot and the feints.

Miniature
A small bottle of 50ml/5cl.

Mixer
Non-alcoholic drink added to whisky.

Moonshine
American term for illegally made whiskey, especially during prohibition.

N

NAS
No Age Statement. A whisky that does not tell the consumer how old the whisky is.

Neat
A glass of whisky with no mixer or ice added.

New Make
The clear high-proof spirit right off the still that is ready to be put into casks for maturation. The term is traditionally associated with Scotch whisky.

Nose
Description of the smell of a whisky.

Nosing
The act of smelling the whisky.

Nosing glass
A glass specifically designed to aid the nosing process. Tulip shaped to concentrate the aromas.

O

Oak
The variety of wood used as a material for building barrels, as well as a number of other items used during the production of whisk(e)y. Oak is from the genus Quercus and there are roughly 400 species. Oak is native to the Northern Hemisphere. Is quite a dense wood with superb strength. It also has a high tannin content. Present within oak are vanilla, among other flavor compounds, and the effects of ageing in oak upon the finished whisky are very high.

Octave cask
A type of cask with a volume of around 50 litres.

On the rocks
Term used for serving a drink with ice cubes. Believed to originate from the habit of collecting pebbles from cold Scottish rivers and streams to cool the whisky.

P

Palate
Description of the taste of the whisky.

Peat
A layer of earth that lays below the topsoil and consists of grasses, plants, tree roots and mosses that have been compressed over thousands of years. It is a very dense substance that when dried is used as a fuel. The peat burns with a very consistent, high temperature with a thick acrid blue smoke. Used in the whisky industry to dry malted barley, with the thick smoke being absorbed in to the grains and the flavour getting carried through the rest of the whisky making process. Traditional fuel used to heat the kilns. Gives an intense smoky flavour to the whisky dependant on peat level used. Most peaty malt whiskies originate on Islay.

Port pipe
A type of cask with a volume of 650 litres.

Pot ale
Residue of the wash still after distillation. Usually thickened and used as animal feed.

Pot still
The traditional copper still used to distil the whisky.

Poteen
Traditional term for illegally made Irish new make.

Prohibition
Period from 1920 to 1933 when production, sale and transport of any alcoholic drink was banned in the USA. Gave rise to illegal distillation and smuggling.

Proof
Traditional term for the alcohol content of alcohol. 100 proof means 57.2% ABV for Scotch and 50% ABV for American whisky.

Puncheon
A cask with a capacity of between 475 and 500 litres.

Q

Quaich
Traditional Scottish drinking vessel. Shaped like a shallow bowl with a flat bottom and two handles. Usually made from steel, silver or pewter. Used as a cup of friendship.

Quarter cask
A type of cask with a volume of 120/125 litres.

R

Refill cask
A cask that has been used to age whisky before. Casks can be used several times until they no longer impart flavour into the whisky.

Rick
The wooden structure barrels are placed while aging.

Rye
A type of grain that can be used to make whisk(e)y.

S

Sample
To taste whisky. A small portion of whisky put into a miniature bottle.

Scotch
An abbreviated term for whisky made in Scotland. Has to be made in Scotland and must be matured in Scotland in oak casks for at least 3 years.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society
A commercial membership organisation for lovers of Scotch Whisky

Sherry
Fortified Spanish wine whose casks are very popular for ageing whisky.

Sherry butt
A cask with a capacity of about 500 litres.

Shiel
Wooden shovel used for turning the barley in traditional floor malting.

Single cask
A whisky bottling made from only one single cask, usually bottled at cask strength which is stronger than normal.

Single Grain
Grain whisky must be distilled at a single distillery from malted barley with or without whole grains of other malted or unmalted cerals (typically wheat or maize). .

Single Malt
Malt whisky was made in only one distillery.

Sour mash
A special method of mashing commonly used for Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey.

Spent lees
Remaining liquid in the spirit still after distillation. ABV of approx 1%. Discarded or used as liquid fertiliser by farmers.

Spirit
The liquid that is produced by the spirit still. ABV of approx 68% to 74% after the second distillation or +82% after the third.

Spirit safe
Padlocked transparent container that allows the stillman to control the separation of the middle cut from the foreshot and feints. Used to be under the control of the exciseman. Now the distillery manager usually keeps the key.

Spirit still
The second of the pot stills used for distillation.

Still
Apparatus in which the wash is distilled. Always made from copper.

Stillman
The person who operates the still. Responsible for the separation of foreshot, middle cut (heart) and feints.

Straight
An alcoholic drink without the addition of mixers or ice.

Straight Bourbon
Bourbon whiskey that has matured for at least 2 years.

SWA
Scotch Whisky Association. It protects the integrity and reputation of Scotch Whisky worldwide (e.g. taking legal action against counterfeit and passing off), lobbies governments for fair trade conditions and tax laws. It promotes sensible drinking and provides Scotch Whisky information to the public.

T

Tannins
Substances leeched from the cask wood that impart bitter notes to the whisky. Also present in tea which is why sometimes tea notes can be detected in whisky.

Tasting
Formally assessing the taste of the whisky. Group event where a set number of whiskies are tasted together.

Tasting note
Verbal description of how a whisky tastes.

Tennessee
US state where whiskey is produced in a bourbon-like manner. Uses charcoal filtration.

Thief
This is a tubular instrument used to remove a sample from a barrel.

Toasting
Method of heating casks that has less impact than charring.

U

Uisge Beatha
Gaelic term meaning Water of Life. Eventually became whisky.

V

Valinch
Tool to take samples from a cask. Acts like a pipette.

Vatting
Mixing the contents of several casks in a large vessel prior to bottling.

Vintage
Whisky that was distilled in a single year.

W

Warehouse
Place where whisky casks are stored and matured.

Wash
The alcoholic liquid that is produced by fermentation of the wort. About 7% to 10% ABV.

Wash still
The first of the pot stills used for distillation. ABV is increased to 20%. Resulting liquid is called low wines.

Washback
The wooden vessel where the wort is fermented.

Wheat
A grain that is used for making whisk(e)y.

Whiskey
Whiskey can be any of a variety of distilled liquors that are made from a fermented mash of cereal grains and aged in wooden containers, which are usually constructed of oak. Commonly used grains are corn, barley malt, rye, and wheat. This particular spelling originated in Ireland and is used commonly to denote spirits from Ireland, the United States, and various other locales. There are some deviations for example: Maker's Mark Whisky made in the United States without the 'E'.

Whisky
Whisky can be any of a variety of distilled liquors that are made from a fermented mash of cereal grains and aged in wooden containers, which are usually constructed of oak. Commonly used grains are corn, barley malt, rye, and wheat. The spelling of whisky origins is from Scotland and the Gaelic derivations of the word 'Uisce beatha', meaning 'Water of Life' - uisce ("water") and bethu ("life") . It is typically used to denote spirits from Scotland, Japan, Canada, and various other locales.

White Lightning
Or "White Dog" this once referred to the colorless corn-distilled bootlegged moonshine. Today it is effectively any unaged “white” whiskey, which is clear in its appearance. It has a history of being harsh in its flavors and high in alcohol content.

Worm tub
Older type of condenser that uses a spiral shaped tube in a tub filled with water.

Wort
The liquid that is separated from the solid elements after mashing.

Y

Yeast
Micro-organism belonging to the fungi that can convert sugar into alcohol. Necessary for fermentation.