Whisky Glossary
Over 100 terms covering whisky production, maturation, flavour and tradition — the complete reference for collectors, enthusiasts and beginners.
Pictish/Brythonic for river mouth or confluence (counterpart to Gaelic 'inver'). Aberlour, Aberfeldy.
Alcohol content as a percentage of total liquid volume. Standard Scotch is 40–46% ABV; cask strength can exceed 60%.
Related: Proof, Cask Strength
Faster-grown, lactone-rich oak. Dominant in bourbon barrels — gives vanilla, coconut, soft sweetness.
Related: Bourbon Barrel
The primary cereal used in single malt whisky. Two-row spring barley is preferred for its high starch content and clean flavour.
Related: Malt, Single Malt
Gaelic 'beinn' — mountain. As in Ben Nevis, Benriach, Benromach.
Blend of single malts from two or more distilleries — no grain whisky. Examples: Monkey Shoulder, Compass Box.
Related: Single Malt, Blended Whisky
Blend of malt whisky and grain whisky. ~90% of Scotch sold worldwide. Examples: Johnnie Walker, Chivas, Famous Grouse.
Related: 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.
Related: Corn (Maize), Char, Bourbon Barrel
Gaelic for 'mouth of the river' — origin of distillery name Bunnahabhain (BOO-na-HAH-ven).
Once 'whisky capital of the world' with 30+ distilleries — now just three: Springbank, Glen Scotia, Glengyle. Maritime, smoky, oily.
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.
Related: Bourbon Barrel, Sherry Butt, Hogshead, Quarter Cask
Bottled without dilution, typically 55–65% ABV. Add water yourself to find the sweet spot.
Related: ABV (Alcohol by Volume), Natural Colour
Burning the cask interior. US law requires charring for bourbon barrels. Levels 1–4: level 4 ('alligator char') gives the deepest caramelisation.
Related: Bourbon Barrel, Toasting
Continuous still patented by Aeneas Coffey in 1830. Produces lighter spirit at high strength — used for grain whisky and bourbon.
Related: Grain Whisky, Bourbon
Non-alcohol flavour compounds produced during fermentation and distillation: esters (fruit), aldehydes (grass), phenols (smoke).
Related: Fermentation, Phenols (PPM), Esters
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.
Related: Foreshots (Heads), Feints (Tails), New Make Spirit
Spirit absorbed deep into the wood of the cask. Jim Beam markets a Devil's Cut bourbon extracted by water rinsing.
Separating alcohol from water and other components by selective evaporation and condensation. Scotch malt is usually distilled twice, Irish typically thrice.
Related: Pot Still, Column Still (Coffey Still)
Scottish term for a measure of whisky — historically vague, today typically 25–35 ml in a pub, more at home.
Gaelic 'fort' or 'fortified hill'. As in Dunfermline, Dunvegan.
Traditional low warehouse: earth/stone floors, casks stacked three high on wooden runners. Cool, humid, stable — slow, gentle maturation.
Related: Maturation, Racked Warehouse
Plain caramel added to standardise colour batch-to-batch. Permitted in Scotch; many craft bottlers proudly skip it (see 'Natural Colour').
Related: Natural Colour
Aromatic compounds responsible for fruity notes (apple, pear, banana, pineapple). Boosted by long ferments and copper contact.
Related: Congeners, Fermentation
Slower-grown, tannin-rich oak species used for sherry butts. Imparts darker colour, spice, dried fruit and structured tannins.
Related: Sherry Butt, Tannins
Late, heavier portion of the spirit run — oily, sometimes sour. Redirected with foreshots into the next distillation.
Related: Foreshots (Heads), Cuts (Middle Cut, Heart)
Transferring matured whisky to a second cask (port, sherry, rum, wine) for a final 3–24 months. Layers in new flavour without dominating.
Related: Cask, Maturation
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).
Related: Malting
First, volatile portion of the spirit run — high in methanol, acetone, undesirable aldehydes. Redirected back into the next batch.
Related: Cuts (Middle Cut, Heart), Feints (Tails)
Gaelic 'gleann' — narrow valley. Appears in dozens of distillery names: Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Glenkinchie.
Whisky made from wheat, corn or unmalted barley (plus some malted barley) in column stills. The backbone of blends; rarely bottled alone.
Related: Column Still (Coffey Still), Blended Whisky
The largest, most diverse Scotch region. Coastal Highlands lean maritime (Oban, Pulteney); northern Highlands richer (Dalmore, Glenmorangie); western lighter.
~250 L cask, often rebuilt from bourbon barrel staves with new ends. The most common cask size in Scotch maturation.
Related: Cask, Bourbon Barrel
Gaelic 'inbhir' — river mouth. Inverness, Invergordon, Inverleven.
Coastal/medicinal note common in Islay malts (Laphroaig). Comes from phenolic compounds, not actual iodine.
Related: Peated Whisky, Phenols (PPM)
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).
Related: Irish Whiskey, Triple Distillation
Whiskey made on the island of Ireland, aged ≥3 years in wood. Typically triple-distilled and unpeated (with exceptions like Connemara).
Related: Triple Distillation, Single Pot Still (Irish)
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.
Related: Peated Whisky
Drying the germinated malt with hot air. If peat smoke is introduced here, the malt becomes peated.
Related: Peat, Peated Whisky, Phenols (PPM)
The trails left on the glass when swirled. Slower, thicker legs suggest higher ABV and oily body.
Gaelic for lake or sea inlet. Loch Lomond, Lochnagar.
Output of the first distillation (~21% ABV). Fed into the spirit still for the second distillation.
Southern Scotland. Traditionally triple-distilled, light, grassy malts. Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie, Bladnoch.
Related: Triple Distillation
Three-stage process: steeping barley in water, allowing it to germinate, then drying it. Activates enzymes for sugar conversion.
Related: Malt, Kilning, Floor Malting
The grain recipe used for American whiskeys. e.g. Buffalo Trace #1: ~78% corn, ~10% rye, ~12% malted barley.
Related: Bourbon, Rye Whiskey
Large vessel — traditionally copper-topped — where mashing takes place. Capacities range from 1 to 12 tonnes.
Aging in oak. Develops colour, smooths spirit and accounts for an estimated 60–70% of the final flavour.
Related: Cask, Angel's Share
Japanese oak (Quercus mongolica var. crispula). Rare, porous, expensive — imparts distinctive sandalwood, incense, coconut notes. Used by Yamazaki, Hibiki.
Physical texture: oily, viscous, thin, creamy, drying. Higher non-chill-filtered whiskies often feel fuller.
Related: Palate, Non-Chill-Filtered
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.
Related: E150a (Caramel Colouring)
The intrinsic flavour of the spirit before cask influence: grassy, fruity, oily, sulphury, waxy — set by yeast, fermentation length, still shape, cuts.
Related: New Make Spirit, Congeners
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).
Related: Maturation, Cask, Three-Year Rule
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.
The smell of the whisky. Most tasting starts here — 80% of perceived 'taste' is actually aroma.
Related: Palate, Finish (Tasting)
Partially decomposed plant matter cut from bogs. Burned during malt drying, it imparts smoky, medicinal, earthy flavours.
Related: Peated Whisky, Phenols (PPM), Kilning
Whisky made from malt dried over peat smoke. Phenol content measured in PPM (Ardbeg ~55 PPM, Octomore 100–300 PPM).
Related: 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%.
Related: Peated Whisky, Peat
Copper batch still used for malt and pot still whiskey. Shape (tall, short, lantern, onion) dramatically influences spirit character.
Related: Wash Still, Spirit Still, Copper
Historic US measurement: 1 proof = 0.5% ABV. So 100 proof = 50% ABV. Imperial UK proof uses a different (now obsolete) scale.
Related: ABV (Alcohol by Volume)
~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.
Related: 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.
Related: Dunnage Warehouse
Vapours that condense on the still walls and fall back. More reflux = lighter, cleaner spirit. Tall stills (Glenmorangie) maximise it.
Legally protected term for whisky distilled and matured in Scotland for ≥3 years in oak casks ≤700 L, bottled at ≥40% ABV.
Related: Three-Year Rule
Whisky matured primarily in sherry casks. Profile: raisins, figs, dark chocolate, nutmeg, leather. GlenDronach, Glenfarclas, Macallan.
Related: Sherry Butt, European Oak (Quercus robur)
European oak (Quercus robur) sherry cask, ~500 L. Imparts dried fruit, dark chocolate, leather, Christmas-cake notes. Increasingly rare and expensive.
Related: Cask, Sherried, European Oak (Quercus robur)
Whisky bottled from one individual cask. Each cask is unique — bottle counts are limited (typically 200–700).
Related: Single Malt, Cask Strength
Grain whisky from a single distillery. Examples: Haig Club, Cameronbridge, Loch Lomond Single Grain.
Related: 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.
Related: 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.
Related: Irish Whiskey, Pot Still
Gaelic toast: 'good health'. Pronounced SLAHN-juh-VAH. Often shortened to just 'Slàinte!'.
The densest whisky-producing region in Scotland — 50+ distilleries along the River Spey. Known for elegant, fruity, often sherried malts.
The second, smaller still. Distils the low wines into the final new-make spirit at 65–75% ABV after cuts.
Related: Low Wines, Cuts (Middle Cut, Heart), New Make Spirit
Drying, astringent compounds from oak. European oak (sherry) extracts more than American oak.
Related: European Oak (Quercus robur), American Oak (Quercus alba)
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.
Related: Sherry Butt, European Oak (Quercus robur)
Three distillations instead of two — standard for Irish whiskey and Auchentoshan. Produces lighter, smoother spirit at higher ABV.
Related: Irish Whiskey
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).
Related: Uisge Beatha
Scottish Gaelic for 'water of life' — the linguistic root of the word 'whisky'. Pronounced OOSH-keh BEH-ha.
Fermented wort, typically 7–10% ABV — essentially a strong, hop-less beer. The starting material for the first distillation.
Related: Fermentation, Wash Still
The first, larger pot still. Distils the wash up to roughly 20–25% ABV — the result is called 'low wines'.
Related: Low Wines, Spirit Still
Large vessel — wooden (Oregon pine, Douglas fir) or stainless steel — where yeast ferments the wort into 'wash'.
Related: Fermentation, Wash
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.
Sweet, sugary liquid drained from the mash tun. Cooled before being pumped to the washbacks for fermentation.
Related: Mashing, Washback, Fermentation
Living micro-organism that converts sugars to alcohol and CO₂ during fermentation, also generating flavour congeners.
Related: Fermentation, Congeners