Whisky · Explainer

Questions about whisky

This page contains the answers to the questions most often asked about whisky. Each answer is written by the wine & spirits shop in Bathmen, backed by our own stock and provided with sources.

All the answers at a glance

All questions

What is the difference between single malt and blended whisky?Single malt Scotch comes from one distillery, is made exclusively from malted barley and is distilled in pot stills. Blended Scotch is…
What is peated whisky?Peated whisky is whisky whose barley has been dried over a peat fire. The smoke leaves phenols in the malt,…
What does cask strength mean?Cask strength means that the whisky is bottled at cask strength, without dilution with water. The percentage differs per bottle because each cask…
What is single cask whisky?Single cask whisky comes from a single cask, not from a blend of casks. A cask is finite, so such a bottling is…
What is the difference between whisky and whiskey?Whisky and whiskey are two spellings of the same word, not two kinds of drink. Scotland and Japan write whisky, Ireland and the United…
What is an independent bottler?An independent bottler buys filled casks from distilleries and bottles them under its own name, separate from the distillery. Often these are…
What is bourbon and how does it differ from whisky?Bourbon is an American whisky made from a mash of at least 51% corn, distilled to at most 80% alcohol, matured in new charred oak…
What does a sherry cask do to whisky?A sherry cask is an oak cask that has been seasoned with sherry. Most casks used by the whisky world do not come from a…
What does non-chill filtered mean for whisky?Non-chill filtered means that the whisky has not been chilled and filtered before bottling. During that chilling at around 0 degrees, long-chain…
What does NAS mean for whisky?NAS stands for no age statement: there is no age on the bottle. That is allowed, because an age statement is voluntary. As soon as there is…
What is Speyside whisky?Speyside is one of the five protected whisky regions in the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, alongside Highland, Lowland, Islay and Campbeltown. The region…
What is Japanese whisky?Japanese whisky has been a protected designation since 1 April 2021 under an agreement of the Japanese industry association. The whisky must be in Japan…
What is rye whiskey?Rye whiskey is American whiskey made from a mash of at least 51 percent rye. The distillate comes off at no more than 80 percent of the…
What do first fill and refill mean for a whisky cask?First fill means that whisky goes for the first time into a cask that previously held bourbon, sherry or wine. Every subsequent…
How do you store a bottle of whisky?Store a bottle of whisky upright, in the dark and at a stable room temperature. Standing upright prevents spirits of at least 40 percent from lying against…
Should you add water to whisky?Water in whisky is a matter of taste, not a rule. Research in Scientific Reports from 2017 shows that guaiacol, a smoky aroma compound, gathers…
What is Scotch whisky?Scotch whisky is whisky that, according to the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, is made in Scotland from water and malted barley, distilled to…
What does cask finish mean?Cask finish means that after the main maturation whisky spends a further period in a second cask, often a sherry, port or rum cask.…
How do you read a whisky label?On a bottle of Scotch, 3 things are mandatory: the legal category, the alcohol percentage and the volume. Age, year of distillation, distillery name and region name are…
What does triple distilled mean?Triple distilled means that the distillate has passed through a still three times instead of two. The new distillate therefore comes…
What do ABV and proof on a bottle mean?ABV stands for alcohol by volume: the share of alcohol in the volume of the drink. American proof is exactly twice…
What is cask maturation?Cask maturation is the years-long stay of newly distilled spirit in a wooden cask, during which flavour, colour and composition change. For Scotch whisky…
What is the angel's share?The angel's share is the part of the whisky that evaporates from the cask during maturation. In Scotland it amounts to…
How do you taste whisky?You taste whisky in four steps: looking, smelling, tasting and assessing the finish. Use a tulip-shaped glass that concentrates the aroma, such as…
What is a blended whisky?A blended Scotch whisky is a blend of at least one single malt and at least one single grain, as stated in the…
Why is one whisky at 40% and another at 60%?Forty percent is the legal lower limit: both the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 and Regulation (EU) 2019/787 require at least 40 percent alcohol. Whisky…
What happens in a distillery?In a distillery, grain is turned into matured spirit, in six steps: malting, milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling and maturing. Barley germinates six…
What is the difference between a pot still and a column still?A pot still works in batches and a column still continuously. The pot still produces a distillate of roughly 60 to 80 percent…
How long does whisky stay good after opening?Whisky does not spoil. With at least 40 percent alcohol, the legal lower limit for Scotch, nothing grows in the bottle. What does change…
Which whisky regions does Scotland have?Scotland has five legally protected whisky areas. The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 recognise three regions, Highland, Lowland and Speyside, and two protected localities,…
Which whisky suits someone who is just starting?There is no beginner's whisky, but there are three characteristics by which you choose for yourself: peat level, cask type and bottling strength. Start unpeated, take a bottle that is at…
What is Irish whiskey?Irish whiskey is whiskey that has been distilled on the island of Ireland and has matured there for at least three years in wooden casks, bottled…
What does the age on a whisky bottle mean?The number on a whisky bottle refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle, not to the average. If a blend contains…
Does whisky keep maturing in the bottle?No. Whisky matures in the cask and not in the bottle. Glass gives off nothing and lets virtually no air through, whereas…
Is an older whisky always better?No. Age says how long whisky lay on wood, not how good it is. Scotch must mature for at least 3 years and on…
What is a dram?A dram is not a fixed measure. The word comes from Scotland and means no more than a glass of whisky. In the Netherlands…
What does ppm mean in whisky?Ppm stands for parts per million: 1 ppm is 1 milligram of phenol per kilogram of malt. The figure is measured on the malted…
How do you organise a whisky tasting at home?Allow 2 cl per person per bottle. With six guests, 12 cl comes out of each bottle, so from a bottle…
How is the price of a bottle of whisky built up?A 70 cl bottle of whisky with 40 percent alcohol contains 0.28 liters of pure alcohol. The Dutch excise rate is 18.27 euro per…
What is Dutch whisky?Dutch whisky is whisky that has been distilled and matured in the Netherlands and complies with Regulation (EU) 2019/787: distilling to less than 94.8…
Which bottle sizes exist for spirits?For spirits, European Directive 2007/45/EC lists nine fixed bottle sizes between 100 and 2,000 ml: 100, 200, 350, 500, 700, 1,000, 1,500,…
What is a whisky sample?A whisky sample is a small bottle, usually 3 to 5 cl, filled from a larger bottle. The contents are…
What do limited release and edition size mean on a bottle?Limited release is not a legally protected term. No European or British rule fixes how many bottles a limited release may number, so…
What is a whisky festival and how does it work?A whisky festival is a day on which distilleries, importers and bottlers let visitors taste their whisky. On entry you buy tokens, receive a tasting glass…
Can you ship a bottle of spirits safely?Yes, provided the bottle stands upright in a sturdy box and has at least 5 centimetres of shock-absorbing material around it on all sides…
May you give spirits as a gift to someone under eighteen?A shop may not. Article 20 of the Alcohol Act prohibits the commercial supply of alcohol, or supply other than free of charge, to…
How do you recognise a counterfeit bottle of whisky?Of 55 rare whiskies examined by carbon dating in 2018, 21 turned out to be fake or not distilled in the year on…
How do you make a whisky highball?A highball is whisky with cold sparkling water over ice, usually in the ratio of one part whisky to three to four parts…
How many bottles come out of a whisky cask?A 200-litre cask yields roughly 233 bottles of 70 centilitres after ten years of maturation, a 250-litre hogshead roughly…
What is the difference between American and European oak?American white oak and European oak differ in two respects. American oak contains more methyl octalactone, the substance that in the trade literature is called whisky lactone…
Why has whisky become more expensive?Three things are at work at the same time. The Dutch excise duty on spirits went from 16.86 to 18.27 euros per hectolitre on 1 January 2024…
Why does the same whisky taste different per batch?Each batch is composed from different casks, and oak varies per tree, per growing place and per batch. In addition, a…
What does bottled in bond mean?Bottled in bond is an American designation with legal conditions. The rule is in 27 CFR 5.88: all the spirit comes from the same…
What do double cask and triple cask mean?Double cask means the whisky has lain in two different casks, triple cask in three. Neither term is in…
What does small batch mean?Small batch means that a bottling comes from a limited number of casks. How many casks that is, is not fixed anywhere: the term is…
What is blind tasting and why do they do it?Blind tasting means tasting without knowing which bottle is in the glass. Research in the trade journal Beverages from 2026 showed…
What is a blended malt whisky?A blended malt Scotch whisky is a blend of two or more single malts distilled at more than one distillery,…
What is an own bottling by a shop or club?An own bottling is a bottle filled specially for a customer: a shop, a whisky club, an association or the distillery…
What is a cask share or a private whisky cask?A cask share is a share in a numbered whisky cask that stays in a bonded warehouse in the buyer’s name. Scotch must…
What is a whisky auction and how does it work?A whisky auction is a public sale in which bottles go to the highest bidder. On top of the bid the buyer pays a premium, the…
What is Mizunara oak?Mizunara is Japanese oak, botanically Quercus mongolica var. crispula, whose trunks are only felled at around 150 years in Japanese forest management.…
What is natural colour and what is E150a in whisky?Natural colour means that the colour of a whisky comes only from the cask. E150a is ordinary caramel, besides water the only…
What is single grain whisky?Single grain whisky is whisky made at a single distillery from water and malted barley, with or without whole grains of…
What is Taiwanese and Indian whisky?Taiwanese and Indian whisky is whisky that is distilled and matured in Taiwan or India. Kavalan built its distillery in 2005 in…
What is Tennessee whiskey?Tennessee whiskey is American whiskey made in Tennessee from at least 51 percent corn, distilled to at most 80 percent alcohol, for…
What is virgin oak in whisky?Virgin oak is an oak cask that has never held another drink. For Scotch whisky, such a cask is permitted alongside…
Which cask sizes are used for whisky?For whisky the law fixes a size: the cask is made of oak and holds at most 700 litres. That limit is in…
Which whisky do you use for an old fashioned?The official recipe of the International Bartenders Association calls for 45 millilitres of bourbon or rye whiskey, a sugar cube, a few dashes of angostura…
Which whisky should you give as a gift?Choose a whisky as a gift on three hard points: the country of origin, the age statement and the strength. Whisky from Scotland and…
Which whisky goes with chocolate?Match whisky and chocolate on sweetness and on strength. Dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa or more is bitter and rich, milk chocolate…
How much alcohol is in a glass of whisky?A glass of 35 milliliters of whisky at 40 percent contains 14 milliliters of pure alcohol, about 11 grams. The Trimbos-instituut works with a…
Which whisky do you use for Irish coffee?For Irish coffee you use Irish whiskey. The official IBA recipe calls for 50 ml Irish whiskey, 120 ml hot coffee, 50 ml chilled…
What does straight mean on a whisky bottle?Straight on an American whisky bottle is a legal term. The American standard (27 CFR 5,143) requires at least two years of maturation in new,…
What is sour mash in whiskey?Sour mash is not a flavour and not a type, but a working method in the distillery. Part of the spent mash liquid from the…
What is the difference between Canadian whisky and bourbon?Canadian whisky must be made in Canada and mature for at least three years in casks of at most 700 litres, with at least 40 percent…
What is single pot still whiskey?Single pot still whiskey is a type of Irish whiskey. The mash consists of at least 30% malted barley and at least 30% of…
What is American single malt whisky?American single malt whisky has been a legal category in the United States since 19 January 2025. The rule requires a mash of…
How much excise duty is there on a bottle of whisky?A 70 cl bottle of whisky with 40 percent alcohol carries 5.12 euro in excise duty. The Dutch rate for spirits is 18.27…
How much spirits may you bring in from abroad?From outside the EU you may bring in 1 litre of spirits above 22 percent tax-free per person aged 17 or over, or…
How do you make a whisky sour?A whisky sour follows the official ratio of the International Bartenders Association: 45 ml bourbon whiskey, 25 ml fresh lemon juice and 20…
What is a Manhattan?A Manhattan is a stirred cocktail of American whiskey and red vermouth. The official specification of the International Bartenders Association starts from…
What is a quarter cask?A quarter cask is an oak cask of 125 litres, a quarter of a butt of 500 litres. Because of that smaller size…
What does a master blender do?A master blender selects casks, assesses them and composes from them a recipe that tastes the same year after year, while each…
What is the difference between grain whisky and vodka?Grain whisky and vodka both come from grain, but the law keeps them apart. Whisky may be distilled to less than 94.8 percent ABV,…
What is a distillers edition?Distillers edition is not a legally protected term but a series name used by the distillery itself. In the well-known Scottish series from seven distilleries…
What is a worm tub in whisky?A worm tub is the old-fashioned condenser in whisky: a copper coiled pipe that runs through a tub of cold water and the…
Why are whisky stills made of copper?Copper does chemical work in a whisky still. It binds sulphur compounds from the fermentation, so that the distillate loses its sulphury and meaty tone.…
What is flavoured whisky?Flavoured whisky is a drink to which aromas, sweeteners or other flavourings have been added. In the European Union that name may not just…
What is floor malting?Floor malting is the traditional way of malting: the barley steeps for two to three days in water, then lies for four to five days…
What is the middle cut in distilling?The middle cut is the middle part of the second distillation: the part between the foreshots and the feints that is…
What is a spirit safe?A spirit safe is a closed cabinet of copper and glass through which the distillate from the still flows. The stillman sees…
What is a dunnage warehouse?A dunnage warehouse is the traditional Scottish maturation warehouse: a low building with thick stone walls, a slate roof and an earthen or…
Why does every distillery have a different still shape?The shape of the still determines how much vapour falls back along the way, the reflux. A lot of reflux gives a light distillate, little reflux a heavy…
Why is whisky bottled at 40 percent?Whisky may only be called whisky from 40 percent alcohol. That is the legal floor: the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 require in rule…
Why does whisky turn cloudy when you add ice or water?Whisky turns cloudy because long-chain fatty acid esters no longer stay in solution at low temperature and at a lower alcohol strength. This is called chill haze.…
Why does whisky mature in oak and not in other wood?Whisky matures in oak because the law prescribes it and because the wood can handle it. The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 require oak…
What is a whisky cask investment?With a whisky cask investment, you buy a whole cask or a share of a cask of young whisky. The whisky stays in a bonded warehouse and you…
How is peat harvested for whisky?Peat is plant material that does not fully decompose in wet peatland. Peat grows 0.5 to 1 millimetre per year, so a layer of…
What is mashing in whisky making?Mashing is the mixing of ground malt, the grist, with hot water in the mash tun. The enzymes from the malt convert…
Where do whisky casks come from?Whisky casks are almost always made of oak and, under the Scottish and European rules, may not be larger than 700 litres. The largest…
Can whisky go in hand luggage?Whisky is allowed in hand luggage, but only in containers of at most 100 millilitres, together in a transparent resealable bag of 1…
What does on the rocks mean for whisky?On the rocks means that a drink is poured over ice cubes, usually in a low, wide glass. Neat means…
Why does whisky sting the nose?The tingling is not a smell but a sensation. Ethanol in the vapour activates the nervus trigeminus, the sensory nerve of the face and nose,…
What is a wash still and a spirit still?Scotch malt whisky is distilled in two stages. The wash still evaporates the alcohol from the wash of about 7 to 8…
What is toasting and charring of a whisky cask?Toasting is the slow heating of oak wood, during which the wood does not carbonise. Charring is a short, hot flame that a…
What does the finish mean when tasting whisky?The finish, or aftertaste, is what you still perceive after swallowing: which flavours linger and for how long. Tasters note…
How do you visit a Scottish distillery?Scotland has just over 70 distilleries with a visitor centre, spread across five whisky regions. Book your tour in advance, because groups are small and opening hours…
What does a cooper do in whisky?A cooper is the craftsman who builds, repairs and rebuilds oak whisky casks. He takes a cask apart, sorts the staves, sets up…
What is a whisky flight?A whisky flight is a series of several whiskies that you taste side by side, from separate glasses, in a fixed order. Common…
What does the batch code on a whisky bottle mean?The batch code on a whisky bottle is the lot marking: the mark with which the bottler can trace which bottles were filled together. Directive 2011/91/EU…
What does grain to glass mean for whisky?Grain to glass is not a legally protected designation. A distillery uses the term when it does the whole chain itself: grain, malting,…
What does the Scotch Whisky Association do?The Scotch Whisky Association is a trade association of the Scotch whisky industry, not a government body. The association was founded on 3 October 1912 and bears…
What is a washback?A washback is the fermentation vessel in a malt whisky distillery. The cooled wort from the mash tun goes into it, the distiller adds yeast…
How long does fermentation take for whisky?Fermentation for whisky usually takes 48 to well over 100 hours. Yeast converts almost all the sugar in the first 48 hours…
How does a condenser work with whisky?A condenser cools the alcohol vapour from the still back into liquid. There are two designs. A shell-and-tube condenser contains about a hundred copper tubes…
How is whisky bottled?After maturation the casks are emptied and usually blended together. Water is then added to bottling strength; the legal minimum is…
What is a marriage cask?A marriage cask is the cask in which whiskies lie together for a while after being blended, before they go into the bottle. It…
What are wash and low wines?Wash is the fermented mash that comes out of the washback after about two days, with 6 to 8 percent alcohol. That goes…
What is a whisky advent calendar?A whisky advent calendar is a box with twenty-four numbered compartments for the days leading up to Christmas. Each compartment contains a sealed sample of whisky,…
Which whisky goes with cheese?Choose the whisky by the age of the cheese. With old hard cheese of ten months or older, a whisky with…
Does whisky belong in a decanter?Whisky does not mature further in the bottle. Maturation takes place in the oak cask, legally at least three years, and in the bottle…
What is French whisky?French whisky is whisky that has been distilled and matured in France. European rules apply in full: distillation below 94.8 percent by volume, at least three years…
What is English whisky?English whisky is whisky that is distilled and matured in England. Since 1 October 2026, English Whisky has been listed as a protected geographical indication…
What is Belgian whisky?Belgian whisky is whisky that is distilled and matured in Belgium. It falls under the same European rules as any other whisky: at least…
Wat is Welshe whisky?Welshe whisky is whisky uit Wales. Sinds 24 juli 2023 is de naam Single Malt Welsh Whisky in het Verenigd Koninkrijk beschermd…

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