Whiskey

Whisky or whiskey is a liquor made from fermented grain mash. Various grains, which may be malted, are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, commonly of charred white oak.

Whisky that has been aged in oak barrels absorbs substances from the wood. The wood gives the whisky several compounds, among them the aldehydes and acids vanillin, vanillic acid and syringaldehyde. One of the compounds taken from the wood is cis-3-methyl-4-octanolide, known as the whisky lactone, which has a strong coconut aroma. The starting grain and subsequent treatment post-distillation, i.e., oak aging, are the two main contributors to the flavor of whiskey and other oak-aged spirits. Phenolic compounds contribute mainly bitterness and smokiness to the flavour of whisky. Guaiacol is among the most important phenolic compounds in whisky in terms of contribution to flavour. Some distilleries use a peat fire to dry the barley for some of their products.

Bourbon whiskey is a barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn. Bourbon sold in the U.S. must be produced within the U.S. from at least 51% corn and stored in a new container of charred oak. In bourbon, the spirit gains its color and much of its flavor from the caramelized sugars and vanillins in the charred wood. Bourbon has been distilled since the 18th century.

All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. The first known written mention of Scotch whisky is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland of 1494.

—

Related: Acetyl Furan · Ambermax · Ambrofix · Egg · Ethyl Maltol · Flour · Furfural · Genepi