Whether you are new to whiskey or are looking to buy for whiskey enthusiasts in your life, welcome! I’ll break down the major types of whiskey so that you can make informed decisions with some foundational whiskey-buying knowledge. Generally speaking, there are regulations in each country that whiskey is distilled to define the criteria for their whiskey. There are some criteria that define distillation proof and the like but that is deeper than foundational knowledge. I’ll leave them out of this discussion.
Types of Whiskey in this Article
For clarity, this article is intended for an American audience. I’ll get more specific on types of American whiskey here but not so much for “World Whiskeys”. I’ll dive into types of Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey in future posts. The major categories I’ll discuss are what you might see on the signs in typical retailers in the United States. Here’s what they are:
- Scotch Whisky
- Irish Whiskey
- Bourbon
- Tennessee Whiskey
- Rye/Wheat/Malt Whiskey
- American Single Malt
- Canadian Whisky
- Japanese Whiskey
- Texas Whiskey
What makes it a whiskey?
- Distilled from cereal grains
- Put into an oak container
- Bottled at no less than 40% ABV
- A few additional distillation requirements but those aren’t necessary to know for buying
Super simply put, whiskey is the alcohol from distilled cereal grains. Again, there’s a little more to it to separate a whiskey from a grain neutral spirit. But that’s the key piece to know for the typical consumer at the store. In a way, you can think of it as distilled beer. Beer is to whiskey as wine is to brandy.
During the distillation process, a mash of fermented cereal grains is heated up until the alcohol generated from the fermentation process starts to evaporate. Then, some of that alcohol is collected. Some is discarded or even redistilled depending on the distillery and the whiskey. At this stage of the process, you have the clear spirit. This clear spirit is often referred to as “white dog” or “new make spirit”. It requires two more steps to be legally called a whiskey.
It must be put into an oak container. The chosen word “container” here is intentional and becomes interesting when we get to bourbon.
It also must be bottled at no less than 40% ABV (alcohol by volume) i.e. 80 proof.
What is the difference between “whiskey” and “whisky”?
- Different countries and distilleries spell it differently
Spelling. That’s it. These two words refer to the same thing. Spelling differences are typically country to country. In the United States, some distilleries nod to the Scottish tradition and use the no “e” spelling. But it’s mostly spelled “whiskey”. As a general rule of thumb, if the name of the country has an “e”, so does “whiskey” (i.e. United States, Ireland, etc.). Canada and Japan spell it as “whisky”. The major exception is England. However, the region that really matters there in terms of whisky is Scotland. “Scotland” has no “e”; therefore, it’s “whisky”. As the whiskey market grows and other countries put their name on the map, this trick may become irrelevant.
It’s the Scotch Whisky Association that continues to really lay the groundwork globally. Don’t be surprised to see more countries adopt the Scottish spelling. Luckily for us, the current up and coming countries are Japan, India, and Australia (as of writing in 2025). No “e” in sight there. So for now, our rule of thumb still works.
The other exceptions to this rule are specific distilleries that choose one spelling over another for a variety of reasons. One example of that is Balcones Distilling in Waco, Texas. They use the no “e” spelling for their products as a nod to the rich heritage of making whisky.
What are the major types of whiskey?
I know. You’ve read four paragraphs but still have not seen the categories that I’ve mentioned in the second sentence. It’s important to understand the background information first because the categories of whiskey only refine their definitions further from there. Scotch, bourbon, etc. are not different from whisk(e)y. They are all types of whiskey. Let’s break them down.
Scotch Whisky
- Must be produced and aged in Scotland
- Aged in oak casks for at least 3 years
- Only acceptable ingredients are cereal grain, water, yeast, natural enzymes from malted barley, and caramel coloring
- Traditionally double-distilled (not a requirement)
To call a whiskey Scotch whisky, first and foremost, it must be produced and aged in Scotland. In the United Kingdom, any whisk(e)y produced and/or aged outside of Scotland cannot be labeled a Scotch by law. As with many of these categories, the global industry honors each country’s rules.
Secondly, it must be aged in oak casks for at least 3 years. Notice the two points there that are different from “whisk(e)y” as a class. Scotch does specify “casks” not just “container”. They also specify a timeframe. The whisky must age in those oak casks for at least 3 years, which in the mild weather of Scotland, is a must to get much of any barrel impact on flavors. Regulations also specify the range of acceptable cask sizes but again, this is not something that a typical consumer needs to know, in my humble opinion.
The third requirement for a whisky to be called a scotch is that the only permissible ingredients are cereal grain, water, yeast, natural enzymes from malted barley, and caramel coloring. That’s it. This makes it a bit interesting for spirits in Scotland that are distilled from something other than or in addition to malted barley like rye, wheat, or corn. They still need to use enzymes from malted barley in order to call it a scotch whisky.
Including the last ingredient, caramel coloring, in that list means that all other color and flavor additives are excluded. Once again, with the mild weather in Scotland, getting a rich color in a whisky can prove difficult even after spend a decade or more in a cask. Scotch has further categories some of which, such as a single malt scotch, exclude the option to add caramel coloring. I won’t discuss those here. That’s another article by itself.
Traditionally, Scotch is double-distilled. Essentially, the mash is distilled once. Then it’s placed back into the still to be distilled a second time, often leading to milder flavor.
Irish Whiskey
- Must be produced and aged in Ireland
- Aged in oak casks for at least 3 years
- Only acceptable ingredients are cereal grain, water, yeast, enzymes, and caramel coloring
- Fermentation must occur by action of yeast
- Traditionally triple-distilled (not a requirement)
The requirements Irish whiskey is very similar to scotch. So I’ll just cover the differences between the two. The first major difference might be obvious but rather than being produced and aged in Scotland, Irish whiskey must be produced and aged in Ireland.
The “cask” (not just “container”) requirement and time spent in that cask (at least 3 years) still stands in Ireland. As does the stipulation that the only coloring ingredient allowed is caramel coloring. No flavors additives are permitted. The mild Irish weather has the same effect as the mild weather in Scotland. Getting a rich color in the whiskey doesn’t really happen naturally here.
Where the Irish differentiate their ingredient list is in the enzymes during the fermentation process. Ireland does not limit distillers to using only natural enzymes from malted barley. They only require that fermentation must occur by the action of yeast. Malted barley is still the traditional grain in Ireland like it is in Scotland but the Irish could have a 100% malted rye whiskey and not use anything from malted barley.
The other main differentiator between a scotch and an Irish whiskey is traditional and not a requirement. In Ireland, they traditionally triple distill. So they do what the Scottish do. Then they distill it yet again. This is why Irish whiskey is know to have even gentler and softer flavors than scotch.
Bourbon
- Must be produced and aged in the United States (not just Kentucky)
- Mash bill must be at least 51% corn
- Put in a new charred oak container
- No time requirement for aging
- No color or flavor additives
Bourbon is the top dog in the United States whiskey industry. Just like in Scotland and Ireland, in order to be called a bourbon, the first requirement is that it must be produced in the United States. Notice that it’s not just Kentucky. Many consumers still believe that a bourbon must be produced in Kentucky. This is not the case. Kentucky is the bourbon capitol of the United States without question but a bourbon can be produced anywhere in the United States and still be called a bourbon. Many consumers believe that the requirements for bourbon are stricter than they actually are. I’ll address some of the other myths about bourbon here as well.
The second major requirement for bourbon is that it’s mash bill (grain composition) must be at least 51% corn. The remainder can be any other cereal grain. Bourbon can be distilled from 100% corn but it typically is combined with rye or barley and sometimes wheat.
The third major requirement is that it must be put in a new charred oak container. Let’s break this down because there are some things to unpack here. We already know about the oak. It’s been a consistent thread. As promised, let’s return to the word “container”. Bourbon does not have a “cask” requirement. Nor does it have a container size requirement. If you had an oak cup and charred the inside of it, it’s sufficient to meet the standard for a charred oak container. Additionally, it has to be a new container. It cannot have held any substance prior. No former rum casks. No former sherry casks. Brand new.
The other component to that requirement that is different from scotch and Irish whiskey is not what is written but what is missing. Bourbon does not have an age requirement. Notice the word “put” is not the word “aged”. If you took your new make spirit and placed it in a new charred oak bucket and immediately transferred it to a bottle, you can call it a bourbon. The barrel will likely have no noticeable impact to the color or flavor of that whiskey.
Most distillers will not do this because consumers who want a bourbon simply will not buy it. Consumers have their own standards for a bourbon. They expect some color and flavor impact on the whiskey from the wood. To make a market-acceptable whiskey, casks are necessary and so is time-spent.
The final differentiator for bourbon is that no color or flavor additives are permitted at all. In the United States, barrel impact is not hard to come be cause our weather fluctuates enough to move the whiskey in and out of the pores in the wood no matter where you are in the country. You can get plenty of flavor and color in 3 years. On that note, it’s why there is no age requirement. In a place like Texas, you can get sufficient color and flavor impact in just two years due to the wild weather fluctuations. An age requirement would eliminate some very good young whiskeys in the United States.
Any whiskey with flavor additives must be called a “Flavored Whiskey” in the United States.
Tennessee Whiskey
- Produced in Tennessee
- Charcoal-filtered through a process known as the Lincoln County Process
- Still a bourbon
As you would guess, a Tennessee Whiskey must be produced in Tennessee. However, there is a second crucial piece. Just being produced in Tennessee is not enough to officially label it a Tennessee Whiskey. It also must undergo
A Tennessee Whiskey is actually still a bourbon. This is controversial to some who will insist that bourbon is not charcoal-filtered. These same individuals are likely the same ones who think only Kentucky can make bourbon. As we’ve already learned, they are wrong in both cases. The law does not say anywhere that a bourbon has to be made in Kentucky. Nor does it say that bourbon cannot be charcoal-filtered.
Rye/Wheat/Malt Whiskey
- Mash bill must be at least 51% of the named grain
- Put in new charred oak container
In the United States, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulates the categories of whiskey. I’ll be using their definitions for these. In Scotland, anything other than malted barley is just known as grain whiskey. In the US, rye whiskey, wheat whiskey, or malt whiskey are similar to bourbon in that the mash bill needs to be at least 51% of that grain. So a rye whiskey needs to be at least 51% rye. A wheat whiskey needs to be at least 51% wheat. A malt whiskey needs to be at least 51% malted barley. It also must be put in a new charred oak container like bourbon does.
American Single Malt Whiskey
- Must be distilled and matured in the United States
- Distilled at a single distillery
- Mash bill must be 100% malted barley
- Matured in oak casks not exceeding 700 Liters
As of writing in early 2025, American Single Malt is a new official category of whiskey in the United States. Many in the industry, particularly the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASWMC), worked very hard for a long time to set the standard and establish clarity for American Single Malt. This sets the stage for American Single Malt to grow globally as a distinct category of whiskey. You may not see overhead signs that say “American Single Malt” on retailers shelves just yet. However, I fully expect to see it in the future as the category gains ground.
Single malts must be made from 100% malted barley. On top of that, it must be produced at a single distillery. The word “single” in the name is actually describing this and not the number of grains. Both of these are true in America, Scotland, and Ireland. American Single Malt specifically, must be distilled and matured in the United States.
American Single Malt must also be matured in oak casks not exceeding 700 Liters. Unlike the criteria for other American categories like bourbon, “cask” not “container” is specified here along with a maximum size. Again, this is more consistent with the criteria for single malts in Scotland and Ireland. Each of these criteria were intended to help make American Single Malt recognizable and acceptable in global markets.
As with other American whiskeys, there is no age requirement. There’s only a requirement to be “matured”. Again, this is because of the vast climates in the United States. Defining a length of time for aging could have eliminated entire regions from producing American Single Malt.
Canadian Whisky
- Must be produced and aged in Canada
- Aged in wood barrels for at least 3 years
- No specified cereal grain
- No restrictions on artificial flavors or coloring
Canada is quite a bit more lax on what can be called a Canadian whisky. Keeping the ever consistent and obvious criteria, it must be produced in Canada. Returning to the Scottish and Irish traditions, it also must be aged in Canada in wood barrels for at least 3 years. After that, as long as it’s made with cereal grains, it’s still a Canadian whisky. In Canada, they can add artificial flavors and colors to their heart’s content and still call it a Canadian whisky.
Japanese Whisky
- No official regulatory definition
- Generally follows Scottish traditions
Japanese whisky has really come into its own on a global scale in recent years despite having been produced since the late 1800s. Japan actually does not have a legal structure for defining Japanese whisky. However, Japan was heavily and primarily influenced by Scottish distilling and therefore generally follows the tradition of Scotch Whisky. Because of this, the ingredients in Japanese Whisky are still more clear than the potential ingredients in a Canadian Whisky.
Texas Whiskey
- No official regulatory definition but uses a market solution
- Certified Texas Whiskey shield on the bottle
- Must be grain to glass Texan
- Member distilleries must commit to be truthful and transparent about their production practices
Texas has become a hotbed for new and innovative whiskey distilleries. Although Texas has not created legislation to define what exactly defines a Texas whiskey, Texas distillers created a market solution. A handful of Texas distilleries joined forces to create the Texas Whiskey Association (TXWA). They continue to amass members across Texas to establish credibility, clarity, and transparency in Texas Whiskey.
To do this, they created the Certified Texas Whiskey shield for those distilleries that apply and meet their criteria. The TXWA standards require the grain itself to be grown in Texas. In addition, the whiskey must be distilled and aged in Texas. Grain to glass Texan. However, in order to be a member of the TXWA and use the Certified Texas Whiskey shield, the distillery must also commit to be truthful and transparent about their production practices.
