What is the difference between whiskey and bourbon. What are they made of

Rare movie heroes of America are not tempted by a glass of whiskey in some provincial bar, where for a coin a musical hurdy-gurdy will play something "of its own", country, blues or happy Elvis' rock and roll.

And the bartender, capable of talking about any topic, will fill the glasses again and again, passing them over the smooth wood of the bar counter, until the wanderer's hand stops catching them at the very edge. Outside small windows, wayward time will roam, cutting through prairies full of bison, multi-lane freeways lined with corn, gas stations and glittering motels, and, in order to start a conversation, the wanderer, like Vian's character, will ask: "Buddy, what can I do in these parts?" And they will answer him: "Nothing. There are girls in the pharmacy opposite, and Ricardo has bourbon ..." And in an empty bar, when the bourbon warmed by the palms pampers the throat and unties the tongue, the bartender will begin to talk about the people who come to his institution, and the aromas of a strong drink will add to his narrative something that is timeless - images of freedom-loving and adamant, capricious and dreaming, America abandoned overseas.

Legend
Everything starts with her. In 1789, in the state of Kentucky, the province of Bourbon, a suburb of Louisville, named after the representative of the Bourbon dynasty, Louis XV, came to conquer New World pastor Elia Craig, who left his native Scotland forever with the cross and sermons. In order not to indulge in too much homesickness between Sundays and to ennoble the soul with righteous work, in the surrounding fields he cultivated barley and brewed whiskey, trying to make the drink somehow similar to scotch so close to the heart of every Scot. But the harvests, despite fervent prayers, were meager, and the quality of the whiskey did not reach the contents of the barrels that sailed from distant Europe. One day, the pastor had a trip to the town with the ordinary name of despair, Georgetown, which stands at the confluence of the Kentucky River with the broad streams of the Ohio, to attend the funeral of another local sheriff. And when the coffin with the poor fellow who had died from a bullet fell into the ground, the pastor, reading the most frequent prayer in these parts, looked around and saw only corn growing abundantly under the hot sun of this godforsaken state. Whether it was an insight from above or just ordinary human eccentricity, but Elia Craig built a simple alembic and began to drive in it the wort of corn grains instead of barley. The resulting moonshine, brewed on a crystal clean water Kentucky, he sealed it in white oak barrels that he made himself.

They say that the barrels burned when the atheists set fire to the pastor's house, but Eliya did not make new ones, but poured moonshine into those that were, and forgot about them for several years. And when he uncorked one, whiskey poured into the mug, which no one had ever tasted in either the Old or the New World. Darker than usual, giving away charcoal, the pastor sent this drink to New Orleans in kegs, on which he painted a label with the inscription: "Bourbon, Kentucky."

She is never about one thing. The history of bourbon, as Kentucky corn whiskey soon became known, is inextricably linked to the history of spirits in America. The popularity of whiskey, then just a strong drink, for a long time could not compete with sailors' favorite rum and port, but soon grew noticeably - when the first president, George Washington, imposed exorbitant taxes on whiskey production. Benjamin Rush, the hero of the Revolutionary War and a fierce supporter of a sober lifestyle, declared whiskey "a vice fraught with physical and spiritual degeneration of the nation" and, together with puritans and religious fanatics, began the struggle for the purity of moral principles. The farmers disagreed. They smeared Pennsylvania tax collectors with tar and sprinkled them with feathers, and when in 1791 5,000 people went to sack the abode of morality - Pittsburgh, the government had no choice but to send in troops. The distillery workers had to leave their homes and go to Kentucky, where they were greeted with joy by the locals and where faith in God, affirmed on this earth through the lips of Pastor Craig, did not compete with the manufacture and drinking of good bourbon.

The war for morality and against whiskey continued in 1873, when Carrie Amelia Nation, whose husband drank to death, with the Holy Scriptures and a hatchet in her hands, began to gather troops like her and "patrol" bars and salons, singing hymns, destroying barrels and bottles of whiskey and calling dashing cowboys "to return to their families." However, the real blow to the producers of American whiskey was the "prohibition" of 1920. The number of distilleries immediately decreased by almost 10 times, the drink could only be obtained in pharmacies, and then by prescription, but it was this time that became the beginning of a triumphal procession across the country of bourbon. True, the procession is illegal.

Racketeers and pimps, thieves of all stripes and just adventurous love of life quickly smelled the sweet smell of forty-degree liquid gold, equipping clandestine stills and turning every drop of whiskey into handfuls of money, which in those days were found only with bootleggers. Escorted caravans of trucks stretched from city to city, the roads turned into arteries, along which the "blood of America" ​​splashed - amber bourbon. Neither scotch, nor rum, nor brandy, nor malt whiskey, for its production was the cheapest and fastest - corn cost a cent, and the maturation period in charred oak barrels was less than that of any other drink. Thousands of dollars were paid for a barrel of bourbon, blood was shed for it in Chicago, New York, Dallas, Boston, it became America's national drink.

Thirty-one years after the repeal of Prohibition, in 1964, bourbon was the only type of whiskey that was enshrined in US federal law as National treasure. Elvis Presley and Bill Monroe's songs were played in bars where "healing tinctures" used to be taken out from under the floor, praising the thorny lands of Kentucky, which gave America its dream - like no other corn whiskey.

Production and brands

Although the people of Kentucky believe that real bourbon- this is the one made in their state, officially any whiskey produced in America, containing at least 51% and no more than 80% corn in the must and aged in charred American white oak barrels for at least two years can bear this name. The technology for making bourbon differs from the production of ordinary whiskey only in the absence of a grain malting step. At first in small portions grind grains of corn, rye, barley and wheat ( different combinations grain crops - the know-how of bourbon producers), mixing them with water (the quality of water is equal to the quality of whiskey). Then the stage of heat treatment and fermentation begins. After that, the wort is saccharified, diluted with water and distilled. Next, the liquid is corked into oak barrels, clean and new (however, some manufacturers use port or brandy barrels for the specific taste), where the future bourbon is waiting in the wings, absorbing the aromas of a noble tree and acquiring golden color. The final product, with a strength of 40 to 62.5 °, is filtered before being bottled, but there are also special series for lovers of "real" bourbon - without filtering, when the full range of charred American oak aromas is preserved.

Since bourbon has become the property of the entire New World, it has become impossible to determine the truly traditional technology. There are no thorough rules for its production, and the main differences between bourbon brands are the timing of its exposure. So, the main representative of the bourbon family, Four Roses, is stored in the cellars of Louisville for at least six years. They say it got its name in 1888 in honor of four mysterious beauties who came one evening to the developer of this brand, Rufus Rose, in luxurious black dresses, with marvelous roses pinned to the corsages.

One of the best selling brands in the world is Wild Turkey. In it, as in Four Roses, great content rye, but the manufacturing technology is strictly classified. Many claim that the secret unique taste Wild Turkey - extraordinary in use low temperatures during fermentation and distillation. There are two varieties of this 50.5-foot bourbon - a twelve-year-old White Label and an eight-year-old pure Rye Whiskey. By the way, based on it, an amazing "sweet bourbon" is made. This is Wild Turkey Liqueur - honey liqueur, which since 1976 has been served with coffee in all self-respecting restaurants in the world. Thin and light (as far as can be light drink pioneers!), Maker´s Mark became one of the most revered bourbon brands decades ago when, after endless trials and home kitchen the producers decided to replace rye with wheat in the old recipe.

In the production of Blanton´s Single Barrel, special attention is paid to the aging and bottling process. The contents of oak barrels gain their color and aromas under the vigilant control of masters, and each label of this brand of bourbon always contains information about the bottling date, barrel number and the autograph of the bottling master.

Jim Beam Bourbon is considered the drink of "real Americans". It is produced in the capital of Kentucky, Claremont, according to the unchanged recipe of 1795. White Label is aged for 4 years, and Black Label - exactly 101 months. The name of the unforgettable pastor Craig is immortalized on the bottle label of Eliah Craig. In general, there are many names in the names of bourbons. Old Crow, Old Fitzgerald, Old Forester, Old Weller. No, as we see, barons de or dukes de - the American title is much more specific: Old such and such.

Europe, forced to reckon with America's identity, did not stand aside from the production of its own bourbons. And although, just as real cognac can only be produced in the province of Cognac, true bourbon is made only in the USA, the French, Scots, Canadians and Japanese in their homeland comply with all the conditions for the manufacture of American corn whiskey.

"Hey buddy, can you still hear me - or are you already so drunk that you are ready to walk the dusty roads of Kentucky, howling at the moon along with packs of jackals. This land has its own history, but you see the wrong America. Descendants of those who abandoned their homes and lived as freely as the bison they shot from the windows of rattling engines now whine about healthy way life and yearn for paradise, which they have sealed with rules of conduct. They come to the bar and get drunk like pigs from idleness and loneliness, diluting the "blood of America" ​​with soda and ice. They do not know how to drink and do not know how to listen to what every drop of bourbon says, which every second absorbed the aromas of a tree that lives hundreds of years longer than a person.

I'll pour you another, and we'll drink as this whiskey requires. Sit in your chair as if it were your first time, and a happy Elvis will sing to you about the blue moon of Kentucky until a glass of amber bourbon warms in your palms. Shake it, for the flavors and aromas must be placed in their place, as part of the story that lies ahead of you. I like the stories of that bourbon that slowly and viscous flows down the sides of the glass, but you seem to be too inexperienced yet. Add a couple of drops of water or, at worst, a piece of ice, because the water will separate the flavors of bourbon in rivers, and it will be easier for you to distinguish the coast with a touch of vanilla from the coast with the aroma of cigars and dried tobacco. If you want an epigraph, rub a few drops of bourbon on your fingers and inhale before you take your first sip. Now drink slowly and listen carefully to what the bourbon tells you.

If you think the story is too simple, wait a bit until the lingering aftertaste highlights details you didn't know existed. Once you've gotten used to listening to Blended Bourbon, bourbon blended in bottles of several varieties, try Single Barrel Straight Bourbon - it'll tell you something special. And when you want to change history, make yourself a cocktail. Add some rum, cream, sugar syrup And egg yolk, and you will get a thick and pleasant Bourbon Flip. If you want something invigorating, mix bourbon with pomegranate syrup and lemon juice, Then tart taste cocktail Bourbon Skin will prolong your evening. And if you've never been to Kentucky, make yourself a Kentucky Bourbon with some Benedictine D.O.M. and decorate the glass with a cherry.

Do you feel how bourbon gives strength, how the desire to act appears? Are you talking about the impossible like it's two blocks away? Well, go, wanderer, make your story, and when it has aged in the fiery barrels of time and it has its color and its flavors, someone will drink a glass of good bourbon for you.

Text: Alexey Yakovlev

If you are interested in seeing the production with your own eyes - welcome to The Kentucky Bourbon Trail. This special program for tourists, allowing you to visit the eight most famous factories Bourbon - Buffalo Trace (Frankfort), Four Roses (Lawrenceburg), Heaven Hill (Bardstown), Jim Beam (Clermont), Maker's Mark (Loretto), Tom Moore (Bardstown), Wild Turkey (Lawrenceburg), and Woodford Reserve (Versailles) .

I bring to your attention comparative characteristic two wonderful drinks, such as bourbon and whiskey so beloved by many, and together with you we will solve one of the most important and eternal problems of connoisseurs elite alcohol: “What, after all, is better? Bourbon or whiskey?

Well, let's start by defining the properties of each of the products in question, in terms of term and method of production.

Whiskey is Reviver, which usually contains 32 - 50 vol. alcohol obtained by means of fermentation, distillation, as well as keeping it in oak barrels. The main raw material in the manufacture is various varieties grains, namely barley, rye and wheat, and corn. Great Britain is considered the birthplace of this brand of alcohol.

After all, from the Celtic word is translated as "water of life", well, let's hope that it miraculous properties will not give in to the sweetness of the opponent of alcohol.

Unlike the "favorite" of the British, bourbon was born in the USA and its main difference is the presence of corn as the main component. Its strength is 40 rpm. If you notice, little is said about it, because in fact it is a type of whiskey. Although if you want to drink the true and genuine quality of alcohol, then it must contain water from the Kentucky River, which in the past was low in iron and high in limestone.

So, after so much brief exposure to two elite alcoholic drinks, it is too early to answer the question better bourbon or whiskey.

If you true connoisseur, then before choosing between them, you should know a few important points.

Bourbon:

1. Possesses subtle notes vanilla, cinnamon and flowers on the palate, and fruity notes on the nose. What gives it a particularly unique aftertaste.
2. According to the canon, it is worth drinking from glasses with a thick bottom and transparent walls in order to fully enjoy not only the taste, but also the view.
3. The composition allows you to make a cocktail out of this drink by adding a little juice or something else that does not contain alcohol. Or add to various dishes.
4. Do not rush in such a matter as drinking, because it can relax you in the most wonderful way after a quarrel with a loved one or after a hard day's work.
5. The price is acceptable, in the presence of high-quality alcoholic and original composition.

Most famous brands bourbon: Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Early times, Wild Turkey.

Whiskey:

1. The manufacturing process is painstaking and therefore, perhaps, is of better quality.
2. Do not add ice, because it completely spoils this wonderful alcohol. Although on the other hand, a couple of drops plain water it is enough for the liquids to mix, and you experience relatively new flavors.
3. Age is important (at least three years), because it takes time to get excellent quality.
4. There is a great variety of classifications and everyone who picks up something to their liking will definitely be satisfied.
5. As for the price, it will correspond to the impressions received and, as a bonus, it is a little lower in terms of price.

Most famous brands: Macalan, Chivas Regal, Dewars, Black or Blue Label

We recommend choosing drinks starting from the middle price segment. The cheapest options may disappoint you in terms of taste and quality. Single malts are most valued and the older the better. It is desirable that the drink was at least 12 years old.

That's all. I want to believe that you have received an answer to the question of what whiskey is better or bourbon, and also that they chose a worthy candidate, from the two proposed, for a cultural pastime and, if the opportunity arises, you can rub the nose of the interlocutors with knowledge of qualitative differences.

Bourbon is the embodiment of the traditions of American distillation. The drink is very similar to other types of whiskey, but has some features that allow it to be distinguished into a separate subgroup of hard alcohol.

Differences between bourbon and whiskey:

1. Raw material. Whiskey is made from barley, wheat and rye. Classic bourbon is at least 51% corn, the remaining 49% is rye, barley and wheat. Corn began to be used in America due to its cheapness and good yield. At first, bourbon was an alcohol for the lower strata of society, but as the skill of local distillers grew and, as a result, quality improved, it turned into national pride USA, the country's visiting card in the global alcohol market.

2. Production technology. Whiskey requires malting - soaking, sprouting, drying and peeling grains to release enzymes in it that break down starch into sugar naturally. In the production of bourbon, malting of corn is not used. Grains are crushed, poured with water and boiled. The resulting wort is saccharified with barley or other type of malt, fermented with yeast from the previous sourdough and distilled. At some distilleries, for example, Jack Daniels, the drink is filtered through maple charcoal before aging.

Bourbon insist only in new oak barrels, burned inside. Minimum term exposure - 2 years (usually 4 or more). For whiskey, barrels of sherry, cognac, madeira, calvados and bourbon are repeatedly used. Scotch whiskey is aged for at least 3 years, Canadian - 6 years, Irish - 5 years (on average).


3. Region. Whiskey is a broad concept that covers drinks from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Asian countries. Bottle labels with Irish whiskey are marked with the inscription "Whiskey", Scottish - "Whisky" or "Scotch" (scotch tape). Whiskey labels from other countries simply indicate their geographical origin, for example, "Canadian whiskey". According to the US legislation of 1964, only drinks produced in the United States can be called bourbons. traditional technology.

Disputes often arise: Jack Daniel's (Jack Daniels) is bourbon or whiskey. The bottle is labeled "Tennessee Whiskey", but the drink itself is 80% corn, 12% barley, 8% rye and is aged in new charred barrels. According to the production technology, this is a classic bourbon, but because of one additional stage counts a separate variety- Whiskey from Tennessee. The only difference between Jack Daniel’s and traditional bourbon is that after distillation, the distillate is additionally filtered through sugar maple charcoal, which makes the drink softer.

Some consider Bourbon to be a vile sweetish corn moonshine, others value it for its expressive and original bouquet and even rank it as whiskey.

The dubious reputation of the drink should be left on the conscience of the largest producers, who have stocked the world market with millions of liters of low-grade conditionally aged liquor, which is not a sin to mix even with cola.

Shake, believes that real bourbon worthy of the name comes from small home distilleries. Such bourbon is not necessarily blended, single-barreled and released in small batches after a solid (the more, the better) aging period.

Bourbon - what is it

According to American law, bourbon is national drink United States that meets the following criteria:

1. Manufactured in the United States.
2. The composition of raw materials is exclusively from cereals (corn, rye, wheat, barley).
3. The content of corn in raw materials is from 51%.
4. No chemical additives.
5. The strength of the distillate at the end of the distillation is up to 80 degrees.
6. The alcohol content during aging is up to 62.5%.
7. Aging in new charred White American Oak barrels (with a aging period of up to 4 years, the corresponding mark must be on the bottles).
8. The ethanol content during bottling is from 40%.

There are also a number of unwritten rules:

1. The most authentic bourbon is produced in Kentucky, thanks to the most favorable chemical composition local water (minimum iron, maximum limestone).
2. The main raw material for bourbon: corn, not malted.
3. A certain amount of cake left over from the previous fermentation is added to each new batch of mash.

In fact, the production of the so-called whiskey from Tennessee, led by the notorious Jack Daniels, corresponds to all these rules. Even the water used by Kentuckians and Tennessees to make their versions of corn is exactly the same. At the same time, despite the borrowing by many bourbon producers of the Tennessee practice of filtering the finished distillate through maple charcoal, Tennessee whiskey continues to be officially considered a non-bourbon drink.

By the way, there are two versions of the origin of the "royal" name of Kentucky moonshine. The first of them connects it with the district of the same name, located in Kentucky itself. The second is with Bourbon Street in New Orleans, where in early XIX centuries, there were several shalmans in which the aforementioned strong drink was served, designed to represent cognac.

There are several criteria for dividing American corn into varieties.

According to the composition of raw materials:

1. Pure or straight straight bourbon - 100% corn and at least 2 years old.
2. The so-called corn whiskey ( corn whiskey) - 80% corn and rather low quality.
3. Wheated bourbon - 2nd place in the composition of unmalted raw materials is occupied by wheat.
4. Rye rye bourbon (not to be confused with rye whiskey) - 2nd place in the composition of unmalted raw materials is rye.

By holding time:

1. Aging for several months - base white white bourbon.
2. Exposure 2-4 years - conditionally aged drink, not much different from the first.
3. An aging of 4-6 years is an immature, but relatively decent option.
4. Exposure 6-10 years - a classic mature digestif.
5. Aging from 15 years is a premium drink, according to some experts, it suffers from a glut of tannins.

By the nature of the bottled product:

1. Single barrel bourbon - a drink with long term aging, bottled from one barrel.
2. Small-batch small batch bourbon is a blend of perennial direct distillates aged on “gentle” medium storage tiers, produced in limited batches.
3. Strong Barrel proof bourbon is a single-barrel version with a decent aging period and a strength of 50-60 degrees.
4. Blended bourbon - plebeian, usually consisting of 51% pure bourbon and 49% of any grain alcohols (mostly rectified).

In addition, there are inexpensive blends that include corn distillate with various terms extracts, as well as honey bourbon with the addition of the corresponding bee product.

Bourbon recipe at home

First of all, you need to deal with the ingredients. For the preparation of a drink a la bourbon, corn and other grain flour or cereals are best suited as a base, and any dry light unfermented malt as a saccharifier.

Then, it is worth deciding on the ratio of cereals. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with the following proportions:

1. Straight Bourbon: corn - 80%, corn malt - 20%.
2. Corn whiskey1: corn - 80%, wheat or barley malt – 20%.
3. Corn whiskey2: corn - 80%, rye - 8%, barley malt - 12%.
4. Rye bourbon: corn - 51%, rye - 24%, barley or wheat malt – 25%.
5. Wheated bourbon: corn - 51%, wheat - 24%, wheat or barley malt - 25%.

And finally, yeast. It is necessary to add 20 g of dry yeast or 100 g of pressed yeast for every 10 liters of the substance prepared for fermentation.

Cooking Method

1. Pour corn and other flour or groats (except wheat) into the boiler and pour water heated to a temperature of 50-55 ° C (keep in mind that the vessel should not be more than three-quarters full). At the same time, pour water without haste, constantly stirring the contents of the container to avoid the formation of lumps.
2. Raise the temperature of the mixture to 70°C and add 10: crushed malt to the brew.
3. During further heating of the substance, add wheat flour or cereals, if any, and mix everything again.
4. Next, bring the contents of the boiler to a boil and boil for 2 hours in order to obtain a completely homogeneous mushy mass.
5. Then, remove the kettle from the fire, wait until the future mash for the mash cools down to a temperature of 65-67 ° C and add all the remaining crushed malt, mixing everything again.
6. The container with the resulting mass, whose temperature should be 63-65 ° C, wrap tightly in several layers of heat-resistant fabric and place in a warm place for 2 hours. At the same time, during the first hour, the mash must be intensively mixed every 15 minutes. It is also very important not to allow the mixture to cool to a temperature of less than 55°C. After the above two hours, the congestion in a hurry (so as not to turn sour) must be relocated to fermentation tank, cool to a temperature of 25-28 ° C and add yeast to it (if we are talking about pressed, they must first be scattered in a small amount water).
7. A vessel with wort, equipped with a lid with a water seal, should be placed in a dark, warm and quiet place for the duration of fermentation (from 2 to 6 days). At the same time, the temperature of the substance should not go beyond the same 25-28°C.
8. The preparation of the fermented wort depends on the distiller. If your unit is equipped with a steam generator, then you can load it directly from the tank. In the case of a simpler apparatus, the liquid component of the wort should be filtered or squeezed through gauze. For example, the wort is poured into a gauze bag, placed in a metal bucket ahead of time, then the contents of the bag are carefully and firmly squeezed into the mentioned container, from which the liquid component of the wort is sent straight to the distillation cube. According to tradition, part of the spent cake should be saved for adding as an additional starter to a new portion of the future mash.
9. The raw material loaded into the distiller is subjected to double distillation. Primary distillation takes place without separation into fractions. With repeated - there is a need to cut off the "heads" and "tails". At the same time, in order to avoid the risk of spoiling the final product, the head and tail fraction must contain 10% of the total volume of distillate.
10. Received corn moonshine, he is also a “white dog”, it is necessary, according to American canons, up to a fortress of 62.5 degrees.
11. Further, the future drink should be aged in a burnt oak barrel or on a well-done oak chips. This is done not in special cellars, but in ground rooms at natural temperature. At the same time, it is considered that optimal container for aging small batches of corn a la bourbon, small-sized oak barrels with a volume of 10 to 50 liters are used. Given the small volumes of containers in which your drink will be aged, for good result it is enough to wait 8-10 months (however, some, especially impatient subjects, argue that it is quite acceptable to divide this period in two). At the same time, we would advise you to show character and withstand your drink for 2 years, and even better - 4 or all 6 years.

Bourbon is often called American whiskey, although this is not entirely true. The recipe for these drinks is similar, but the production of bourbon is based solely on American distilling traditions. Although they are, in fact, close relatives, the difference between the drinks is significant. What is the difference between bourbon and whiskey?

Bourbon: the history of the name

Bourbon appeared in the United States at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. According to one version, the district of southern Kentucky, where the settlers launched the production of whiskey, as well as the drink itself, were named after the famous family of French aristocrats. Another legend says that he owes this name to the street of the same name in New Orleans, where he was especially revered.

Raw materials for production

The raw material basis for distillation of bourbon is corn, which must be at least 51% of the volume of raw materials. Cereals can also be used: rye, barley, wheat, but the "queen of the fields" should be at least half. Whiskey is a drink exclusively grain. Depending on the variety, different ratios rye, wheat and barley are used for its production.

Manufacturing technology

For the preparation of classic whiskey, malting is required - sprouting, drying and peeling the grain. This is done to isolate enzymes and break down starch into sugar. Classic whiskey must be filtered before bottling. Bourbon production technology is different: raw materials are crushed, soaked and boiled. It is then saccharified with malt, fermented with yeast and distilled.

There is also a difference in insistence. For bourbon, only new American oak barrels are used, always burned inside. The aging period of the drink is at least two, but, as a rule, from four years.

The requirements for whiskey barrels are somewhat different: previously used oak barrels are used for infusion - preferably from sherry, cognac, madeira, calvados or the same bourbon. The duration of whiskey aging depends on the variety: Scottish - from 3 years, Irish - an average of 5 years, Canadian - 6 years.

Place of manufacture

There are no restrictions for traditional whiskey: it is produced in Scotland, Ireland, Canada and some Asian countries. On labels scotch whiskey written "Whisky" or "Scotch", Irish - "Whiskey". Drinks from other countries are labeled with an indication of the geographical place of manufacture (“Canadian whiskey”). As for bourbon, everything is much stricter here. According to a law adopted in the United States in 1964, alcohol is called alcohol produced only in the country using strictly traditional technology.

Taste, color and smell

Sophisticated manufacturing technology and the possibility of experimentation provides a wide range of taste and aroma of whiskey. The bitter notes of the drink can be recognized Irish whiskey, while Scottish scotch characterized by a smoky aroma.