The Glossary of Terminology is currently being compiled.
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A
Term |
Definition |
Alcohol |
A compound found in beverages to be internally consumed (usually drank in liquid form), the alcohol is in the form of Ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol). It is an organic compound with the commonly written formula CH3CH2OH Ethanol is naturally produced during the fermentation process of sugars by yeast. |
ABV
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Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the number of millilitres (ml) of pure ethanol present in 100 ml of solution at 20 °C (68 °F) and expressed as a % percentage. Example; The legal minimum ABV of Scotch Whisky is 40%, this would mean there would be 40ml of Alcohol (Ethanol) for every 100ml of solution (whisky). A typical 700ml bottle of 40% ABV Scotch Whisky would therefore have: 700ml / 100ml = 7 40ml (%) x 7 = 280ml of Alcohol (Ethanol) per bottle. |
Age
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Age (Age Statement) is the unit of time expressed in Complete Years that a whisky has been in contact with wood (matured) in a wooden cask before being disgorged and subsequently bottled. The count begins the moment the cask has been filled and sealed to the moment the whisky has been removed from the cask and NOT placed into an additional cask. It is only the time the whisky has been in contact with wood that counts towards the age and expressed as full years. Example 1; A Whisky spent 4 years and 6 months in Cask A before being immediately transferred to Cask B for a further 4 years and 3 months. The Age of the Whisky is 8 Years. Example 2; A Whisky spent 5 years and 1 month in Cask A before being immediately transferred to Cask B for a further 4 years and 11 months. The Age of the Whisky is 10 Years. Example 3; The spirit filled the Cask on 01/01/2010. The Cask was disgorged on 02/01/2022 Example 4; The spirit filled Cask A on 01/01/2010. The Whisky was then transferred from Cask A to Cask B on the 05/06/2015. Cask B was disgorged on 04/05/2018 The Age of the Whisky is 7 Years. |
Alligator Char |
A think layer of charred wood on the inside of a wood Cask which when viewed looks like the pattern of alligator hide. |
American White Oak |
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American Standard Barrel
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The typical size of American White Oak Barrel used in the making of Bourbon in the USA, 53 US Gallons approx 200 Litres. It is one of the smallest barrels to be used in Scotch Whisky production. The ASB is the De Facto standard size barrel used in whisky making globally due to the availability of the Barrel following use in the Bourbon industry. |
Angels Share |
The term given to the loss of alcohol (ethanol) via the porous wood of a Cask during the aging of whisky. |
B
Term |
Definition |
Barley |
A Grain (Hordeum vulgare) from the genus of sweet grass, is the 4th (fourth) major cereal crop grown in mainly temperate climates. Used as animal feed (70%) with the remaining (30%) used across fermentable beverages such as beer making, distilled spirits such as whisky and in broths and bread making etc. |
Barrel |
Generically called a Cask, it is a hollow wooden cylindrical container with a bulging centre, longer than it is wide. Made using wooden Staves bound together with wooden or metal hoops. In Scotch Whisky they have to be constructed of Oak - there is no regulation on where the oak comes from but American White Oak and European Oak is most common. A barrel can come in varying sizes but the most common in Scotch Whisky is the 200 Litre American Standard Barrel.
|
Barrique |
Barrique is French for a barrel |
Batch Strength |
Refers to the strength of the whisky without any dilution from water where more than one whisky has been blended together. Example; Whisky 1 has a Cask Strength of 62.3% ABV when transferred from the cask However, Batch Strength can also be used interchangeably with Cask Strength to confuse the matter. Batch Strength can also be used on bottles of batch release whisky where the strength may change batch to batch. And finally, different whisky producing areas indeed even producers, may have a specific description or assign a different meaning to the term depending on what marketing message they are trying to portray. |
Beginner also:
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Someone who is new to whisky or has not experienced enough variety in whisky to have an overview of the types and styles. Someone who has very little knowledge of whisky terms or has basic whisky knowledge. Someone starting out on their whisky journey. |
Blended Whisky
|
A Blended Whisky is a whisky that has been composed of whisky from more than 1 (one) distillery. In Scotch Whisky there are several categories: Blended Malt Whisky - Malt Whisky from more than 1 (one) distillery Each whisky territory could have their own specification as to what constitutes a blended whisky, however, in the UK, England and Wales have adopted the same specifications as Scotland as set out in the 2009 Scotch Whisky Regulations. |
Blender
|
As the name suggests, the blender creates blends using whisk(e)y from different casks and is responsible for making sure the product remains consistent across different batches, sometimes the blender can be seen as the marketing figurehead of the company with their name & or signature often appearing on bottle labels. |
Blood Tub |
The smallest of the Cask sizes 30-40 Litres. |
Body |
The feeling (haptic) of whisky in the mouth, such as |
Bottle |
The inert (non reactive) container that the whisky is stored in after maturation has finished. It is important that the container is inert or non reactive since whisky is at a minimum of 40% Alcohol and alcohol is a solvent, therefore the container must not breakdown or leach chemicals into the whisky. The most common materials used are Glass - Colourless and coloured. |
Bourbon |
A United States Whiskey made according to the US Bourbon Act. 1. Made from a minimum of 51% Corn Maize. |
Bourbon Barrel |
A Cask made from American Oak that previously held Bourbon Whiskey |
Bung |
A wooden stopper placed into a Cask. |
Butt |
A wooden (oak) Cask of between 475-500 Litres, usually American, French or Spanish. |
C
Term |
Meaning |
Campbeltown |
One of the Five Scotch Whisky Regions, Campbeltown is a small harbour town located on the Eastern Coast of the Kintyre Peninsula which is located to the South West of Scotland, West of the Isle of Arran. It currently has 3 (three) active distilleries producing 5 (five) whisky brands Glen Scotia Distillery - Glen Scotia Whisky |
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) |
A bi-product of the fermentation process by yeast in the conversion of sugars to alcohol. It is a colourless gas. There are various initiatives taking place in the Scotch Whisky Industry to capture the gas for use in other industries. See Project Nexus in partnership with Whyte & Mackay (link in new window) |
Cask |
A generic term to describe a wooden cylindrical shaped vessel composed of wooden staves with metal hoops locking the staves in place. The most common form of cask in the whisky industry is the Barrel - follow the link for further information. The maximum permitted size of a cask in the Scotch Whisky Industry is 700 Litres. |
Cask Strength |
The strength of the whisky without any further dilution when transferred from the cask to bottle. Not to be confused with Batch Strength which can also be used interchangeably with Cask Strength, however, it does have its own meaning. |
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END OF GLOSSARY OF TERMINOLOGY
