Types of Whisky
In the early days of whisky making there was really only one kind of whisky which was made in small pot stills from malted barley. Over the years various other options have been produced. Let’s take a look at the common types of whisky on offer today:
- Malt whisky - malt whisky is whisky made in the traditional manner from malted barley. This can still be made in the traditional pot still which is shaped like an onion.
- Grain whisky - grain whisky is made from both malted and unmalted barley and can also include other grains such as wheat and maize in its ingredients. This kind of whisky was first produced in the 1830s after the invention of a special still for this purpose by a man called Coffey. This whisky is generally used in blends.
- Single malt whisky - single malt whisky is whisky which comes from one distillery and which is made solely of malted barley. Whiskeys here have a specific taste that is special to the distillery and they may often be blends made up of various whiskies to get the right taste.
- Blended whisky - blended whiskeys will generally be made up from a mix of malt and grain whiskies. The malt whisky here will improve the quality of the final drink as grain whiskeys are held to be of inferior taste quality. It can also be used to describe a blend of malt whiskeys from different distilleries (which may also be called blended malt whisky)
- Cask strength whisky - cask strength whisky is taken from the cask and bottled immediately without being diluted which gives it a higher alcohol content.