Scotch or Bourbon; Whisky or Whiskey - What's the difference?
It's no surprise if you find yourself perplexed by the nuances that set the prominent grain-based spirits apart. Although they share a common foundation, their unique historical backgrounds, geographical origins, and production methods create a fascinating tapestry of differences.
There are a lot of traditions, techniques, and culture shared between bourbon, scotch and whisky, but what are their characteristic differences? You may have heard the phrase, “All bourbon and Scotch are whiskies but not all whiskies are bourbon or Scotch.” But what does that mean? And is it “Whiskey” or “Whisky”?
If you don’t know the answers to these, admittedly confusing, questions, you’re not alone. Many people struggle to understand the difference between these distinct distilled grain spirits. And while they are related, there is a wealth of history, geography and processes that make them quite different.
EVERYTHING IS WHISKY
Put at its most simple Whisky is the overall category and both bourbon and Scotch are distinct types of whisky.
Whisk(e)y is a distilled and barrel-aged spirit made from fermented grain.
The most commonly used grains are corn, barley, rye, and wheat, which each have their own unique flavour profiles. Bourbon and Scotch have specific requirements as to which type of grain is used. single Malt Scotch is made from barley while Scoch Grain whisky can be made from a myriad of malted or unmalted grains. Bourbon must be made with a minimum 51% corn and other grains (often barley and wheat, are added to make the whiskey sweeter or spicy. The malted barley is added to kickstart the conversion of starch to sugar, as the enzymic activity from corn, rye or wheat is not sufficient for this purpose. Single grain whiskies that are not barley are therefore relatively rare, as the cost of production is quite high.
Rye Whisky is made with a minimum of 51 % rye. the whole debacle surrounding the productio of Rye outside of Canada is still going on. You can read more about it here.
Is it Whiskey or Whisky?
The answer to this question is purely a matter of preference. Both are technically correct. American and Irish brands will most often use the “Whiskey” spelling, while Scotland, Canada, and a large portion of the EU tend to use the “Whisky” spelling. This is historical. While German settlers in North America made beer, the Irish settlers made whiskey, and they spelled it with an "e".
We prefer to use the Whisky spelling to refer to both our own and the entire spirit category unless we are speaking about specific brands that call themselves whiskey.
Bourbon
Bourbon is a type of whisky that is made exclusively in the United States. Like Scotch, which can only be made in Scotland, bourbon can only be made in the United States and there are laws that stipulate, “No whiskey made outside the United States may be labelled bourbon”.
While bourbon can be made from anywhere within the United States, the alcohol is mostly associated state of Kentucky. According to reports, approximately 95% of all bourbon is produced in Kentucky.
Bourbon must be made from 51% or more corn grain and aged in new, charred American white oak barrels. There is no specified minimum period for its ageing. Due to its corn base, bourbon tends to be sweeter on the tongue.
Scotch
It doesn’t take a huge leap of intuition to make the connection between Scotch and Scotland, and just as bourbon can only originate in the United States, Scotch can only be made in Scotland. The industry is regulated by the Scotch Whisky Association. When Scotch is made from 100 % barley, we can call it malt whisky. The legacy of Scotch can be dated all the way back to the 15th century, but it wasn’t until 2009 that the Scotch Whisky Regulations were established to define the rules and regulation around what can, and cannot, be labelled a Scotch.
Rye
In the United States, rye whisky must be made from a mash containing at least 51% rye, distilled to no more than 80% ABV, and aged in new charred oak barrels at no more than 62.5% ABV when filled. It cannot contain added flavoring or coloring, and if labeled “Straight Rye Whiskey,” it must be aged at least two years and declare the age if under four. Canada, by contrast, requires whisky to be mashed, distilled, and aged in Canada for a minimum of three years, but it may include added flavoring and caramel coloring and does not require a majority-rye mash.
In the European Union, whisky must be distilled below 94.8% ABV and aged at least three years in wooden casks up to 700 L, with caramel coloring permitted. However, due to the EU–Canada Agreement on Trade in Wines and Spirits, EU producers are prohibited from labeling their product as “Rye Whisky” unless it originates in Canada, as stated in Article 17(2): the EU “shall recognise Rye Whisky as referring only to spirit drinks originating in Canada and shall not permit the use of this name” for others. As a result, European distillers may make whisky from rye grain, but must use alternative descriptions such as “whisky made from rye.” Whisky Advocate writes more about that.
Japanese Whisky
Recently the Japan spirits and Liqueur Makers Association (JSLMA) introduced a set of rules defineíng Japanese whisky. It basically says that to label it Japanese Whisky it must be mashed, fermented, distilled and then aged for a minimum of 3 years in Japan. It does NOT, however, require the use of oak, just wood smaller than 700 litres. It also says barley MUST be part of the mashbill, which excluded smaller rice whisky producers. Read more here.
Nordic Whisky
A new region is emerging with a joint venture across the Nordic region. The work is still in progress, but first meetings have been held and the next years will hopefully see a rise in awareness. On a smaller but slightly more advanced scale, Danish whisky distilleries have signed (in 2025) a manifesto outlining, like Japanese Whisky, what requirements must be met in order to label a whisky "Authentic Danish Whisky". The focus is on innovation, different cask types, and new stills.