Whisky is an alcoholic drink distilled from grain, often including malt, that has been aged in barrels. The alcohol content ranges from a legal minimum of 40%, and although it has no upper limit, the highest common content to be found is 63.5%.
“Whisky” is the name generally given to the drink in the United Kingdom (including Scotland), Canada and Japan, while the term used in the United States and Ireland is “whiskey”.
This strictly regulated drink has its designations of origin and various classes and types. The common feature of these different classes and types is the fermentation of cereals and the maximum distillation of 80% alcohol for those from corn and 90% alcohol for those from other cereals, before the addition of water, to retain the flavours of the cereals used to make the alcohol.
Whisky gains 60% of its flavour based on the type of cask used in its ageing, so most classifications are based on the type of wood used and the quality of the flambé and wood burning. For Bourbon whiskey, for example, it is legally required to be aged in flamed oak barrels.
