Словник термінів віскі

The primary cereal used in single malt whisky. Two-row spring barley is preferred for its high starch content and clean flavour.

Пов'язані: Malt, Single Malt

Dominant grain in bourbon (≥51%). Contributes sweetness and a soft, oily texture.

Пов'язані: Bourbon, Mash Bill

Barley that has been soaked, germinated and dried — activating enzymes that convert starches to fermentable sugars.

Пов'язані: Barley, Malting, Kilning

Partially decomposed plant matter cut from bogs. Burned during malt drying, it imparts smoky, medicinal, earthy flavours.

Пов'язані: Peated Whisky, Phenols (PPM), Kilning

Spicy grain. ≥51% rye defines American Rye whiskey; smaller proportions add pepper and dryness to bourbons.

Пов'язані: Bourbon, Mash Bill

Used at mashing, dilution before casking, and bottling. Distilleries prize a consistent local source — soft or hard, mineral profile matters.

Soft grain used in 'wheated' bourbons (e.g. Maker's Mark, Pappy Van Winkle) for a gentler, mellow profile.

Living micro-organism that converts sugars to alcohol and CO₂ during fermentation, also generating flavour congeners.

Пов'язані: Fermentation, Congeners

Yeast converts sugars in the wort to alcohol over 48–120 hours. Longer ferments produce fruitier, more complex spirit.

Пов'язані: Yeast, Wash, Congeners

Traditional method: germinating barley spread on stone floors, turned by hand. Practised today at only a handful of distilleries (Laphroaig, Springbank, Bowmore, Highland Park, Balvenie, Kilchoman, Benriach).

Пов'язані: Malting

The milled malt mixture (husks/grits/flour) loaded into the mash tun.

Пов'язані: Milling, Mash Tun

Drying the germinated malt with hot air. If peat smoke is introduced here, the malt becomes peated.

Пов'язані: Peat, Peated Whisky, Phenols (PPM)

Three-stage process: steeping barley in water, allowing it to germinate, then drying it. Activates enzymes for sugar conversion.

Пов'язані: Malt, Kilning, Floor Malting

Large vessel — traditionally copper-topped — where mashing takes place. Capacities range from 1 to 12 tonnes.

Mixing grist with hot water in three waters of increasing temperature to extract sugars, producing 'wort'.

Пов'язані: Wort, Mash Tun, Grist

Grinding malt into 'grist' — a precise mix of husks, grits and flour (roughly 20/70/10) optimised for mashing extraction.

Пов'язані: Grist, Mashing

Fermented wort, typically 7–10% ABV — essentially a strong, hop-less beer. The starting material for the first distillation.

Пов'язані: Fermentation, Wash Still

Large vessel — wooden (Oregon pine, Douglas fir) or stainless steel — where yeast ferments the wort into 'wash'.

Пов'язані: Fermentation, Wash

Sweet, sugary liquid drained from the mash tun. Cooled before being pumped to the washbacks for fermentation.

Пов'язані: Mashing, Washback, Fermentation

Continuous still patented by Aeneas Coffey in 1830. Produces lighter spirit at high strength — used for grain whisky and bourbon.

Пов'язані: Grain Whisky, Bourbon

Essential for stills: removes sulphur compounds and undesirable congeners through chemical reaction, producing cleaner spirit.

The distiller's decision points: when to start collecting (foreshots → heart) and when to stop (heart → feints). Defines the spirit's character.

Пов'язані: Foreshots (Heads), Feints (Tails), New Make Spirit

Separating alcohol from water and other components by selective evaporation and condensation. Scotch malt is usually distilled twice, Irish typically thrice.

Пов'язані: Pot Still, Column Still (Coffey Still)

Late, heavier portion of the spirit run — oily, sometimes sour. Redirected with foreshots into the next distillation.

Пов'язані: Foreshots (Heads), Cuts (Middle Cut, Heart)

First, volatile portion of the spirit run — high in methanol, acetone, undesirable aldehydes. Redirected back into the next batch.

Пов'язані: Cuts (Middle Cut, Heart), Feints (Tails)

Output of the first distillation (~21% ABV). Fed into the spirit still for the second distillation.

The angled pipe leading from the still's neck to the condenser. Downward slope yields heavier spirit, upward yields lighter, fruitier spirit.

Пов'язані: Pot Still, Reflux

Clear, freshly distilled spirit at 65–75% ABV. Legally not yet whisky — it must mature in oak for at least 3 years (in Scotland and Ireland).

Пов'язані: Maturation, Cask, Three-Year Rule

Copper batch still used for malt and pot still whiskey. Shape (tall, short, lantern, onion) dramatically influences spirit character.

Пов'язані: Wash Still, Spirit Still, Copper

Vapours that condense on the still walls and fall back. More reflux = lighter, cleaner spirit. Tall stills (Glenmorangie) maximise it.

The second, smaller still. Distils the low wines into the final new-make spirit at 65–75% ABV after cuts.

Пов'язані: Low Wines, Cuts (Middle Cut, Heart), New Make Spirit

Three distillations instead of two — standard for Irish whiskey and Auchentoshan. Produces lighter, smoother spirit at higher ABV.

Пов'язані: Irish Whiskey

The first, larger pot still. Distils the wash up to roughly 20–25% ABV — the result is called 'low wines'.

Пов'язані: Low Wines, Spirit Still

Traditional condenser: a coiled copper pipe submerged in cold water. Less copper contact than shell-and-tube → heavier, meatier spirit (Mortlach, Cragganmore).

Пов'язані: Pot Still, Copper

Faster-grown, lactone-rich oak. Dominant in bourbon barrels — gives vanilla, coconut, soft sweetness.

Пов'язані: Bourbon Barrel

The portion that evaporates from the cask annually — about 2% in Scotland, up to 10% in tropical climates. The angels' tax on patience.

American white oak (Quercus alba), charred, used once for bourbon by US law — then shipped to Scotland/Ireland. ~200 L. Imparts vanilla, coconut, honey.

Пов'язані: Cask, Char, Bourbon

Oak vessel used to mature whisky. Common types: ex-bourbon (200 L barrel, 250 L hogshead), ex-sherry (500 L butt, 250 L hogshead), and various wine finishes.

Пов'язані: Bourbon Barrel, Sherry Butt, Hogshead, Quarter Cask

Burning the cask interior. US law requires charring for bourbon barrels. Levels 1–4: level 4 ('alligator char') gives the deepest caramelisation.

Пов'язані: Bourbon Barrel, Toasting

Spirit absorbed deep into the wood of the cask. Jim Beam markets a Devil's Cut bourbon extracted by water rinsing.

Traditional low warehouse: earth/stone floors, casks stacked three high on wooden runners. Cool, humid, stable — slow, gentle maturation.

Пов'язані: Maturation, Racked Warehouse

Slower-grown, tannin-rich oak species used for sherry butts. Imparts darker colour, spice, dried fruit and structured tannins.

Пов'язані: Sherry Butt, Tannins

Transferring matured whisky to a second cask (port, sherry, rum, wine) for a final 3–24 months. Layers in new flavour without dominating.

Пов'язані: Cask, Maturation

~250 L cask, often rebuilt from bourbon barrel staves with new ends. The most common cask size in Scotch maturation.

Пов'язані: Cask, Bourbon Barrel

Aging in oak. Develops colour, smooths spirit and accounts for an estimated 60–70% of the final flavour.

Пов'язані: Cask, Angel's Share

Japanese oak (Quercus mongolica var. crispula). Rare, porous, expensive — imparts distinctive sandalwood, incense, coconut notes. Used by Yamazaki, Hibiki.

~500 L cask, used in two styles: thicker-staved 'sherry shape' or longer 'machine puncheon' (from rum).

Smaller ~50 L cask. Higher wood-to-spirit ratio accelerates maturation. Famously used by Laphroaig in their Quarter Cask expression.

Пов'язані: Cask, Maturation

Modern multi-storey warehouse with steel racks holding casks up to 12 levels high. More efficient but with greater temperature variation by height.

Пов'язані: Dunnage Warehouse

European oak (Quercus robur) sherry cask, ~500 L. Imparts dried fruit, dark chocolate, leather, Christmas-cake notes. Increasingly rare and expensive.

Пов'язані: Cask, Sherried, European Oak (Quercus robur)

By Scottish/Irish law, a spirit cannot be called whisky/whiskey until it has matured in oak for at least 3 years and 1 day.

Gentle, prolonged heating (no flame) of the cask interior. Used on European oak sherry casks — develops vanillin, spice and fruit precursors.

Пов'язані: Sherry Butt, European Oak (Quercus robur)

Alcohol content as a percentage of total liquid volume. Standard Scotch is 40–46% ABV; cask strength can exceed 60%.

Пов'язані: Proof, Cask Strength

Blend of single malts from two or more distilleries — no grain whisky. Examples: Monkey Shoulder, Compass Box.

Пов'язані: Single Malt, Blended Whisky

Blend of malt whisky and grain whisky. ~90% of Scotch sold worldwide. Examples: Johnnie Walker, Chivas, Famous Grouse.

Пов'язані: Grain Whisky, Blended Malt (Vatted Malt)

American whiskey, ≥51% corn, distilled to ≤80% ABV, aged in NEW charred American oak barrels. Largely produced in Kentucky.

Пов'язані: Corn (Maize), Char, Bourbon Barrel

Bottled without dilution, typically 55–65% ABV. Add water yourself to find the sweet spot.

Пов'язані: ABV (Alcohol by Volume), Natural Colour

Plain caramel added to standardise colour batch-to-batch. Permitted in Scotch; many craft bottlers proudly skip it (see 'Natural Colour').

Пов'язані: Natural Colour

Whisky made from wheat, corn or unmalted barley (plus some malted barley) in column stills. The backbone of blends; rarely bottled alone.

Пов'язані: Column Still (Coffey Still), Blended Whisky

Whiskey made on the island of Ireland, aged ≥3 years in wood. Typically triple-distilled and unpeated (with exceptions like Connemara).

Пов'язані: Triple Distillation, Single Pot Still (Irish)

The grain recipe used for American whiskeys. e.g. Buffalo Trace #1: ~78% corn, ~10% rye, ~12% malted barley.

Пов'язані: Bourbon, Rye Whiskey

Whisky without an age statement on the label. Allows blending younger and older casks for flavour profile rather than minimum age marketing.

Without added E150a caramel colouring. The colour comes solely from cask interaction.

Пов'язані: E150a (Caramel Colouring)

Bottled without chilling below 0 °C and filtering out long-chain fatty acids. May go cloudy with water/ice — but retains more texture and flavour.

Whisky made from malt dried over peat smoke. Phenol content measured in PPM (Ardbeg ~55 PPM, Octomore 100–300 PPM).

Пов'язані: Peat, Phenols (PPM), Kilning

Aromatic compounds from peat smoke. Parts Per Million in malt is the industry's peatiness yardstick — though final spirit retains only ~30%.

Пов'язані: Peated Whisky, Peat

Historic US measurement: 1 proof = 0.5% ABV. So 100 proof = 50% ABV. Imperial UK proof uses a different (now obsolete) scale.

Пов'язані: ABV (Alcohol by Volume)

American whiskey with ≥51% rye in the mash bill. Spicier and drier than bourbon. Canadian 'rye' has looser rules.

Пов'язані: Rye, Mash Bill, Bourbon

Whisky bottled from one individual cask. Each cask is unique — bottle counts are limited (typically 200–700).

Пов'язані: Single Malt, Cask Strength

Grain whisky from a single distillery. Examples: Haig Club, Cameronbridge, Loch Lomond Single Grain.

Пов'язані: Grain Whisky, Single Malt

Whisky made from 100% malted barley at a single distillery in pot stills. May be a blend of casks from that distillery, but only that distillery.

Пов'язані: Single Cask, Blended Malt (Vatted Malt)

Distinctly Irish style: mash of malted AND unmalted barley distilled in pot stills. Creamy, spicy, oily — Redbreast, Green Spot, Powers.

Пов'язані: Irish Whiskey, Pot Still

Non-alcohol flavour compounds produced during fermentation and distillation: esters (fruit), aldehydes (grass), phenols (smoke).

Пов'язані: Fermentation, Phenols (PPM), Esters

Scottish term for a measure of whisky — historically vague, today typically 25–35 ml in a pub, more at home.

Aromatic compounds responsible for fruity notes (apple, pear, banana, pineapple). Boosted by long ferments and copper contact.

Пов'язані: Congeners, Fermentation

The flavour that lingers after swallowing. May be 'short', 'long', 'warming', 'drying' — a key marker of quality.

Пов'язані: Nose, Palate

Coastal/medicinal note common in Islay malts (Laphroaig). Comes from phenolic compounds, not actual iodine.

Пов'язані: Peated Whisky, Phenols (PPM)

The trails left on the glass when swirled. Slower, thicker legs suggest higher ABV and oily body.

Physical texture: oily, viscous, thin, creamy, drying. Higher non-chill-filtered whiskies often feel fuller.

Пов'язані: Palate, Non-Chill-Filtered

The intrinsic flavour of the spirit before cask influence: grassy, fruity, oily, sulphury, waxy — set by yeast, fermentation length, still shape, cuts.

Пов'язані: New Make Spirit, Congeners

The smell of the whisky. Most tasting starts here — 80% of perceived 'taste' is actually aroma.

Пов'язані: Palate, Finish (Tasting)

The taste in the mouth — sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami, plus mouthfeel (oily, dry, drying).

Пов'язані: Nose, Mouthfeel

Whisky matured primarily in sherry casks. Profile: raisins, figs, dark chocolate, nutmeg, leather. GlenDronach, Glenfarclas, Macallan.

Пов'язані: Sherry Butt, European Oak (Quercus robur)

Drying, astringent compounds from oak. European oak (sherry) extracts more than American oak.

Пов'язані: European Oak (Quercus robur), American Oak (Quercus alba)

Pictish/Brythonic for river mouth or confluence (counterpart to Gaelic 'inver'). Aberlour, Aberfeldy.

Gaelic 'beinn' — mountain. As in Ben Nevis, Benriach, Benromach.

Gaelic for 'mouth of the river' — origin of distillery name Bunnahabhain (BOO-na-HAH-ven).

Gaelic 'fort' or 'fortified hill'. As in Dunfermline, Dunvegan.

Gaelic 'gleann' — narrow valley. Appears in dozens of distillery names: Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Glenkinchie.

Gaelic 'inbhir' — river mouth. Inverness, Invergordon, Inverleven.

Gaelic for lake or sea inlet. Loch Lomond, Lochnagar.

Gaelic toast: 'good health'. Pronounced SLAHN-juh-VAH. Often shortened to just 'Slàinte!'.

Irish Gaelic for a small hill or hillock. Tullamore = 'big hill' (Tulach Mhór).

Irish Gaelic spelling of 'water of life'. Pronounced ISH-ka BAH-ha. Root of 'whiskey' (with an 'e' in Ireland and the US).

Пов'язані: Uisge Beatha

Scottish Gaelic for 'water of life' — the linguistic root of the word 'whisky'. Pronounced OOSH-keh BEH-ha.

Once 'whisky capital of the world' with 30+ distilleries — now just three: Springbank, Glen Scotia, Glengyle. Maritime, smoky, oily.

The largest, most diverse Scotch region. Coastal Highlands lean maritime (Oban, Pulteney); northern Highlands richer (Dalmore, Glenmorangie); western lighter.

From three working distilleries in 2000 to 40+ today — the world's fastest-growing whiskey region. Famous for triple distillation, single pot still, and Bushmills (oldest licensed, 1608).

Пов'язані: Irish Whiskey, Triple Distillation

Sub-region encompassing distilleries on Skye (Talisker, Torabhaig), Mull (Tobermory), Jura (Jura), Arran, Orkney (Highland Park, Scapa) and Lewis (Abhainn Dearg).

Inner Hebridean island. 9+ active distilleries famed for heavily peated, maritime malts: Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain, Kilchoman, Ardnahoe.

Пов'язані: Peated Whisky

Southern Scotland. Traditionally triple-distilled, light, grassy malts. Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie, Bladnoch.

Пов'язані: Triple Distillation

Legally protected term for whisky distilled and matured in Scotland for ≥3 years in oak casks ≤700 L, bottled at ≥40% ABV.

Пов'язані: Three-Year Rule

The densest whisky-producing region in Scotland — 50+ distilleries along the River Spey. Known for elegant, fruity, often sherried malts.