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ThirstenHowl · M
TLDR: both bourbon and Scotch are significantly different types of whisk(ey), and this is not just because of where each is made; Southern Comfort is a liqueur
moreover, I don't know why @DeWayfarer is claiming Scotch is made in Ireland, as Irish Whiskey is yet another distinct whisk(e)y category, but he routinely makes false statements in a variety of subject areas on SW, so I've learned to just ignore his comments after witnessing it enough times; he is also wrong about his claims regarding Theodore Roosevelt or bourbon whiskey being a French recipe ... maize did not even arrive in France from the Americas until the 16th century
I'm trying to avoid straying from the topic of the OP, but some other misinformation in the comments: only about 3% of vodka produced around the world is made from potatoes; most is made from grains, however the vodkas with the best aroma and yes, actual flavor are made from potatoes
bourbon is a whisk(e)y legally required to be distilled from at least 51% corn / maize; the remainder 49% can be a mix of other grains like rye, wheat, malted barley; bourbon is legally required to be aged in new, charred oak barrels
there is no minimum aging period to just be labelled as bourbon, but to be labelled as Straight bourbon, the aging period must be at least 2 years; moreover, if it is aged less than 4 years, then the number of years must be stated on the label; if aged for more than 4 years, there is no requirement for the number of years to be on the label
there is also a myth that bourbon has to be distilled in Kentucky, but it can be distilled in any US state
moreover, the novelty item that is "Tennessee whiskey" also legally meets the definition of bourbon (and that means exactly, completely and literally that, including being aged in a new, charred oak barrel) @DeWayfarer, but the distillers in Tennessee want to market themselves as unique, so they add a step of filtering through sugar maple charcoal before putting the new whiskey into barrels for aging ... and in spite of all this silly trouble most Tennessee whiskey tastes bland and watery compared to the rest of bourbon actually marketed as bourbon ... even the premium tiers of Jack Daniels for example still taste boring and destined to be blended with cola
Scotch is a more complicated whisk(e)y category (or rather, parent category)
Single Malt Scotch:
- must be distilled from 100% malted barley
- must be distilled in pot stills
Single Grain Scotch:
- must be distilled from a base of malted barley, while other grains (maize, wheat, rye) can be added, whether they are malted or not
- is generally distilled in continuous column stills
both Single Malt and Single Grain Scotch:
- must be distilled at a single distillery
- must be aged for 3 years in oak barrels not exceeding 700 liters, but these do not have to be (and rarely are) new barrels; most often they are used bourbon or Sherry barrels
- must be aged in Scotland
Blended Scotch:
- a blend of at least one Single Malt and at least one Single Grain Scotch
Scotch is also legally allowed to add stupid things like caramel coloring, because the combination of a cool climate in Scotland and using used barrels for aging mean the final whisky with naturally have a light hue (e.g., lighter than bourbon aged in new barrels in one of the more hot and humid US states), but some consumers equate quality with a darker hue even though this has no bearing on quality at all, and so some producers feel compelled to pander to this ignorance
(used barrels have less wood sugars, lignins and tannins for the aging whisk(e)y to extract, and these are what contribute to bourbon being dark without adding artificial coloring)
moreover, aside from these crucial core technical differences, there are also legal considerations with the naming: anything labelled as bourbon must be distilled in the US, anything labelled as Scotch must be distilled in Scotland — but this aspect is more of a legal technicality rather than what makes boubon and Scotch fundamentally different types of whisk(e)y
in theory, there is nothing to stop you from going to France and making a whisk(e)y in the style of bourbon (which to me is a very tempting thing to do, for sale only within Europe) with all the tariff BS from Trump), but it can not be legally labelled or sold as bourbon
Southern Comfort is a nasty fruit and spice liqueur which sometimes has an American whiskey base (which further may or may not include bourbon specifically) and sometimes has a vodka base, and for some reason a lot of people erroneously believe South Comfort is a whiskey, or even a brand of bourbon!!!
moreover, I don't know why @DeWayfarer is claiming Scotch is made in Ireland, as Irish Whiskey is yet another distinct whisk(e)y category, but he routinely makes false statements in a variety of subject areas on SW, so I've learned to just ignore his comments after witnessing it enough times; he is also wrong about his claims regarding Theodore Roosevelt or bourbon whiskey being a French recipe ... maize did not even arrive in France from the Americas until the 16th century
I'm trying to avoid straying from the topic of the OP, but some other misinformation in the comments: only about 3% of vodka produced around the world is made from potatoes; most is made from grains, however the vodkas with the best aroma and yes, actual flavor are made from potatoes
bourbon is a whisk(e)y legally required to be distilled from at least 51% corn / maize; the remainder 49% can be a mix of other grains like rye, wheat, malted barley; bourbon is legally required to be aged in new, charred oak barrels
there is no minimum aging period to just be labelled as bourbon, but to be labelled as Straight bourbon, the aging period must be at least 2 years; moreover, if it is aged less than 4 years, then the number of years must be stated on the label; if aged for more than 4 years, there is no requirement for the number of years to be on the label
there is also a myth that bourbon has to be distilled in Kentucky, but it can be distilled in any US state
moreover, the novelty item that is "Tennessee whiskey" also legally meets the definition of bourbon (and that means exactly, completely and literally that, including being aged in a new, charred oak barrel) @DeWayfarer, but the distillers in Tennessee want to market themselves as unique, so they add a step of filtering through sugar maple charcoal before putting the new whiskey into barrels for aging ... and in spite of all this silly trouble most Tennessee whiskey tastes bland and watery compared to the rest of bourbon actually marketed as bourbon ... even the premium tiers of Jack Daniels for example still taste boring and destined to be blended with cola
Scotch is a more complicated whisk(e)y category (or rather, parent category)
Single Malt Scotch:
- must be distilled from 100% malted barley
- must be distilled in pot stills
Single Grain Scotch:
- must be distilled from a base of malted barley, while other grains (maize, wheat, rye) can be added, whether they are malted or not
- is generally distilled in continuous column stills
both Single Malt and Single Grain Scotch:
- must be distilled at a single distillery
- must be aged for 3 years in oak barrels not exceeding 700 liters, but these do not have to be (and rarely are) new barrels; most often they are used bourbon or Sherry barrels
- must be aged in Scotland
Blended Scotch:
- a blend of at least one Single Malt and at least one Single Grain Scotch
Scotch is also legally allowed to add stupid things like caramel coloring, because the combination of a cool climate in Scotland and using used barrels for aging mean the final whisky with naturally have a light hue (e.g., lighter than bourbon aged in new barrels in one of the more hot and humid US states), but some consumers equate quality with a darker hue even though this has no bearing on quality at all, and so some producers feel compelled to pander to this ignorance
(used barrels have less wood sugars, lignins and tannins for the aging whisk(e)y to extract, and these are what contribute to bourbon being dark without adding artificial coloring)
moreover, aside from these crucial core technical differences, there are also legal considerations with the naming: anything labelled as bourbon must be distilled in the US, anything labelled as Scotch must be distilled in Scotland — but this aspect is more of a legal technicality rather than what makes boubon and Scotch fundamentally different types of whisk(e)y
in theory, there is nothing to stop you from going to France and making a whisk(e)y in the style of bourbon (which to me is a very tempting thing to do, for sale only within Europe) with all the tariff BS from Trump), but it can not be legally labelled or sold as bourbon
Southern Comfort is a nasty fruit and spice liqueur which sometimes has an American whiskey base (which further may or may not include bourbon specifically) and sometimes has a vodka base, and for some reason a lot of people erroneously believe South Comfort is a whiskey, or even a brand of bourbon!!!