How does whiskey taste

How can two bottles of whiskey taste so different? Whiskey has one of the widest flavor ranges of any spirit because there are so many variables in its production. It can be made from any grain, on any type of still.

The grains can be smoked, or unsmoked. Distillers can use any kind of yeast, and a huge variety of barrels. Yet there are still some overlaps between all the various different styles. All whiskey is made out of grain. But any grain can be used to make whiskey, from traditional choices like corn, rye, or malted barley to out-there heirloom grains like triticale, spelt, and millet. Adding ice cubes chills the whiskey also making it a bit more palatable, as it tempers the intensity of the whiskey and calms the burn of the alcohol.

Whiskey is great as part of a cocktail, but with more than just whiskey in your drink some of its flavors will be lost as new ones are added from the other ingredients. Even if you use a proper nosing glass so that you can pick up all the aromas and detect all the flavors, you may not be able to do so the first time around.

Or even the second or third. I'm Josh Mitchell. I love whiskey and am working on increasing my whiskey tasting abilities and my collection. But I wanted to know exactly how sitting in a barrel for years or Skip to content Whiskey is a popular drink that many people love.

What Does Whiskey Taste Like? General Descriptors Here are some general descriptors to start with when tasting whiskey. Full Bodied A full-bodied whiskey is one that has several if not dozens of dominant flavors.

Light-Bodied In contrast, light-bodied whiskeys have only one or two dominant flavors and therefore a clear, fresh taste. Bold The opposite of light and the same as intense or rich. Smooth This can refer to one or all of the following three things.

Sweet Tasting sweet. Floral Sounds posh but just means tasting of flowers. Briny Since some distilleries are by the sea their whiskeys absorb some of the briny sea air. Flavors That Come From the Grain The grain or grains from which a whiskey is made will give it some of its flavor.

Barley Malted barley is sweet with lots of caramel, toffee and brown sugar notes. Unmalted barley has light, sharp, sour and fruity notes. Corn Corn is also very sweet. Rye Rye makes a whiskey more spicy with pepper and cinnamon flavors.

Wheat This will make a whiskey that tastes of wheat bread and honey. European oak barrels impart a spicy, bitter flavor. New or Used If the barrel had previously been used to store other spirits, the wood will have absorbed some of it and will transmit its taste to the whiskey.

I know which I find more interesting. Scotch Scotch is whiskey made in Scotland. Highlands The Highlands are known for medium bodied whiskeys, that are stronger than those from the Lowlands but lighter and more luxurious than those from Islay. Speyside In general, Speyside whiskeys are sweet, fruity and spicy with hints of apple, nutmeg and vanilla. From its Scottish origins to American bourbon made from corn mash, people worldwide enjoy drinking this intoxicating beverage.

Making whiskey begins by preparing yeast which causes fermentation of sugars found in grain usually malted barley or wheat. Whiskey has been around for centuries and will continue to be enjoyed by many generations to come. Different types of whiskey have different tastes depending on how long it was aged or stored in barrels with certain ingredients. Each type is made differently with different ingredients, making them distinctly unique from one another.

The Scots have been distilling alcohol for more than years, with records going back to and mentions as early as the s. Blended Scotch Whisky is the most common type of whisky in Scotland, and it accounts for more than three-quarters of all bottles sold there today. Single malt Scotches account for about 15 percent, while grain whiskies make up just under five percent.

To understand what scotch whisky tastes like, you first need to know the difference between single malt and blended. Single malts are made with barley that has been distilled in one distillery from just one batch of grain mash just a mixture of water and ground-up grains. The flavor of Scotch whisky is influenced by where the barley was grown and what type of water they used to make it hard or soft.

This gives Scotch its distinctive color, deep flavors, and stronger alcohol content—it can range from 40 to 45 percent alcohol. Scotch is traditionally made at a lower proof than other whiskies, which makes it less harsh and easier to drink on its own.

Irish whiskey can be made from barley, corn, rye, or wheat and must be aged at least three years before it can be sold as an Irish Whiskey. Irish whiskey is a unique and flavourful liquor that, unlike scotch whisky, relies on peat for its smoky taste, uses kiln-dried barley.

Alcohol, malt, vanilla cream, orchard fruit, and marmalade are the main flavors in Irish whiskey. The U. S government mandates that bourbon be produced in the United States, and it must be aged in new, charred American oak barrels. The grains are milled into flour that has been mixed with hot water before yeast and sugar have been added for fermentation. The dominant flavours in wheat whiskey include honey, wheat bread, cedar, cherries, and oak.

It is quite light on the palate and less sweet than bourbon whiskey. In addition to the whiskeys mentioned above, there are many unique blended and single malt whiskies produced by distilleries in Japan, Australia, England and other countries.

These whiskies use a wide variety of whiskey production techniques, resulting in many interesting and delicious whiskies worth trying. At the end of the day — the best way to learn what whiskey tastes like is to drink more whiskey! You will have a lot of fun exploring the world of whiskey and discovering new products that you enjoy.

Bourbon See All. Wild Turkey Rare Breed [ Scotch See All. The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask Review. Rye See All. Few Rye Whiskey Review.