Whiskey is the perfect Christmas drink, but for a keen hobbyist, it could also be a perfect seasonal gift. Whiskey is the world's most wonderful alcohol, and to fancy it you don't really require much of accessories – only a bottle of the very best. But once its taste is developed, there are a number of items that will help you in refining the experience.
In this article, we give you an overview of the types of whiskey that can be found today. The description is categorized with the individual types of whiskey, the distinguishing features regarding origin, ingredients, and production in general, in order to understand why there are different types of whiskey.
Malt Whiskey:
- Malt Whiskey ranks among the best whiskeys and is predominantly produced in Scotland.
- It can be made only from malted barley and it must be distilled in pot stills.
- The process of malting is elaborate and used to be very time-consuming and physically demanding without modern technology. Today, the process is industrially optimized.
- The whiskey is distilled twice (rarely three times) on pot stills. Then the whiskey is matured in used bourbon barrels (most often used ones) for at least three years.
- The word 'single' may be added to a whiskey if all the casks used for bottling come from a single distillery and haven't been blended with whiskeys from other distilleries.
Grain Whiskey:
- It is not made from malted barley.
- It can contain any type of grain and also a mixture of grains. Today grain whiskeys mostly contain wheat, since it offers a higher utilization level than corn, which was used in earlier times for cost reasons.
- Grain whiskey can be distilled higher than malt whiskey in column stills, but it contains fewer flavors.
- It is produced primarily for the blended whiskey industry and is almost always distilled in the cheaper column stills. It's also matured for only a short period of time.
Blended Whiskey:
- The character of a blended whiskey is determined by the ratio of whiskeys from different distilleries since each distillery produces different flavors.
- The well-known brands always keep the same ratio hence there is no change in the taste.
- In order to be able to produce these large amounts of blended whiskey, there are malt whiskey distilleries that produce exclusively for the blended whiskey industry and don't bottle any single malts.
Bourbon:
- Bourbon is produced in the United States. Most of them are produced in Kentucky.
- Bourbon, as a rule, must contain at least 51% corn. The rest of bourbon is a mixture of the grain required for the fermentation process and wheat.
- Today a lot of bourbons are produced using the sour mash process.
Rye Whiskey:
- This type of whiskey was earlier produced in the United States, and it is being produced today in Canada.
- It contains 51% rye and it must be matured in oak casks for a minimum of 2 years.
- Presently, the people of the United States don't like the spicy taste of rye whiskey.
Corn Whiskey:
- Corn whiskey also comes from the US since corn was the principal grain that grew there.
- To be called corn whiskey, it should be created only from corn.
- These whiskeys taste relatively neutral. Hence they are used widely for blends.
Rocky Mountain Barrel Company offers used bourbon barrels for sale. They believe that barrels are not just for aging spirits and wine. There are so many diverse ways used bourbon barrels can be put to use at your home or business. To get more details, visit Rocky Mountain Barrel Company now.
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