Classification of Whiskey

Journalist: "Mr. Shaw, do you prefer blondes or brunettes?"
Bernard Shaw: "Yes."

Whiskey is categorized based on several factors, including region, ingredients, production methods, and aging processes. Here's a roadmap through the amber-hued landscape of distinctions.

By Region

Recently, Taiwan, India, Australia, Germany, Israel, and Spain have introduced their aged distillates to the marketplace at competitive quality levels and price points. Most newcomers follow either the Scottish or Irish tradition, though each adds its own regional accent to the spirit.

By Ingredients

Barley reigns as the aristocratic grain for whiskey crafting. Other grains serve more pragmatic purposes:

• To reduce production costs

• To simplify or accelerate the fermentation phase

• To stabilize the supply chain, making it more predictable and controllable

While each objective may be laudable in certain circles, any departure from classical sourcing positions the result as an outlier from tradition—a rebel in the whiskey world.

By Production Methods

Straight whiskies typically occupy the economy seats in the spirits theatre. The reasons are straightforward:

• They're crafted from more affordable raw materials—corn or rye

• They're aged for shorter periods

Blended whiskies usually command mid-range prices. Certain brands and expressions may cost even more than premium single malts, but these are exceptions rather than the rule. The moderate pricing reflects a reliable supply chain designed to deliver consistent, well-defined organoleptic characteristics on the shelf. Since the blend lies under the Master Blender's watchful eye, there's sufficient variety and flexibility among the "subcontracting" distilleries to achieve the desired outcome.

Single malts generally demand higher prices than other spirits with comparable characteristics. The raw material (barley) costs more than the alternatives and proves more temperamental during malting and fermentation than other grains.

Beware the word "Single" on labels—it's often deployed to bedazzle the consumer:

• Single grain - whisky produced at a single distillery using a variety of grains, which may include corn, wheat, or rye, alongside malted barley.

• Single pot still - a traditional Irish whiskey style made at one distillery from a mash combining both malted and unmalted barley. This combination trims grain processing costs while bestowing a distinctive creamy texture and spicy, peppery character that distinguishes it from single malts, which rely solely on malted barley.

• Single barrel or Single cask - indicates the whiskey in your bottle flows from one individual aging barrel. Most whiskies (including many "single malts") are actually marriages of numerous barrels from the same distillery, blended to ensure flavor consistency.

• Single wood - can denote a single type of wood used for aging. However, it doesn't guarantee a single cask. Whether "single wood" elevates the spirit's nobility or diminishes its honor remains a matter of debate.

Conversely, "Double wood" or "Triple wood" on the label counts the types of wood comprising the barrels. Alternatively—depending on the distillery's philosophy—it may indicate how many different barrels the spirit passed through between still pot and bottle. Sometimes, the distillery orchestrates a brief sojourn of a year or two in a Sherry cask. This enriches the nose and palate while economizing on the expense of occupying costly Sherry barrels for extended periods.

By Aging Process

Aging stands as the most "measurable" and immediately comprehensible characteristic of whiskey. Why? The mathematics are elementary: 5 is less than 10; 21 exceeds 15. Simple arithmetic that anyone can grasp. Understanding single-whatever versus blends, counting wood types, grain varieties, pre-malting processing, malting termination procedures, and filtration peculiarities? That's graduate-level complexity beyond the reach of mass markets. One number is digestible marketing.

Because of this simplicity, age statements are often inflated in whiskey pricing without delivering proportional organoleptic value to the liquid. A venerable industry maxim holds that "age can transform a good whisky into greatness, but aging poor whisky merely yields expensive regret in a bottle."

Understanding these classifications illuminates the diversity of whiskey and guides you toward selections aligned with your personal taste preferences. And remember: don't stumble into the trap of the seductive "Single" designation or worship blindly at the altar of age numbers. Both can be signposts to quality—or merely clever marketing sleight of hand.