Scotch vs Whiskey – Difference and Comparison

What is Scotch?

Scotch is an alcoholic drink, consumed by drinkers at parties, events, and home tables. Malted barley and water are fermented in a specific setting to produce Scotch. Beverage manufacturers consider it a particular type of whiskey. Scotch comes with multiple flavors and other ingredient variations. They are readily available in sweet flavors with underlying tastes of vanilla and caramel. In some cases, Scotch is more of a smoky taste or a bit of sourness.

The manufacturing of Scotch requires proper soaking in water, followed by its drying up. The aforementioned process associates a specialty of taste with Scotch. Scotch is made in a strictly controlled environment to ensure its unique flavor among other alcoholic beverages. In fact, Scotch manufacturing is protected by specialized laws for quality assurance. The distilling of Scotch is carefully done in order to achieve its carefully brewed taste.

For an alcoholic drink to be termed Scotch, it is considered that it should be Scotland. Distilling malted barley and bottling it according to requirements is a must. Scotch is packed in barrels to remain drinkable for a period of three years. Scotch is a beverage that is neatly taken without putting ice cubes or anything other mixers. Its use is more common in the form of cocktails.

What is Whiskey?

Whiskey is a comparatively general term that applies to sorts of spirits. The prime characteristic of whiskey is that it is made of fermented grains after distilling them in fixed conditions. The grains can be wheat, barley, or rye, and each grain or set of grains contributes to developing a unique in every kind of whiskey.

It is observed that the word “whiskey” applies to all alcoholic spirits made in the United States. The most common types of whiskeys are bourbon and rye because they are widely produced in homes. A typical whiskey can have a sweet, spicy, smoky, or caramelly feeling when it touches your taste buds and gulps down in your throat. The variance of taste is determined by a whiskey’s origin and manufacturing process.

Whiskey production goes back to thirteenth-century Italy, where it was used for medicinal purposes. After that, whiskey makers tried different recipes, either at industries or homes. In the modern day, it is supplied to the market in specially designed wooden barrels that are made to preserve it for a fixed time.

Difference Between Scotch and Whiskey

  1. Scotch is made from malted barley and water, whereas whiskey is a product of fermented grains.
  2. Scotch is specific to whisky made in Scotland, whereas whiskey refers to non-Scottish whiskeys.
  3. Scotch is made by soaking barley in water, whereas whiskey is made by fermenting mashed cereals.
  4. Scotch is preserved for three years, whereas whiskey can be kept for six months to two years.
  5. Scotch can be Single Malt or Blended Malt, whereas whiskey can be American, Japanese, or Irish.

Comparison Between Scotch and Whiskey

Parameters of ComparisonScotchWhiskey
IngredientsScotch combines water and malted cereals.Whiskey is made by fermentation of grain mash.
ManufacturingScotch is made by soaking barley and then drying it.Whiskey can be made with malted or mashed cereals.
SourceIt originated and was mainly produced in Scotland.It originated in Italy, but today, from Ireland, America, Scotland, and Japan.
Container and ExpiryScotch is supplied in barrels made of oak and can be kept for three years.Whiskey is contained in wooden barrels and can be kept for six months to two years.
SortsSingle Malt Scotch and Blended Malt ScotchIrish, Scotch, American, Japanese, Rye, Bourbon Whiskey

References

  1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128220764000188
  2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08982119208918974