Whisky & Spirits Glossary
Your comprehensive guide to understanding the terminology of whisky, spirits, and the fine art of distillation.
A
ABV
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 drink.
B
Blended Whisky
A mix of barrel-aged malt and grain whiskies.
Brandy
Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine.
C
Cognac
Cognac is a type of brandy made from specific types of grapes in the Cognac region of France.
D
Dram
And it's in Scotland that the word dram was first used to describe a glass of whisky. It isn't an official measurement; a dram is most often referred to as "any amount of whisky that you could swallow in one mouthful."
P
Proof
Proof is defined as twice the alcohol (ethanol) content by volume. For example, a whisky with 50% alcohol is 100-proof whiskey.
R
Rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world.
S
Single Cask
'Single cask' has a simple meaning. Single cask means the whisky came from only one barrel of whisky.
Single Grain Whisky
Single Grain Scotch: whisky produced by a single distillery. Can be made using any cereal, including wheat, corn or rye.
Single Malt Whisky
Single malt whisky is malt whisky from a single distillery. A distillery blends whisky from several of their own casks to create a whisky. All whiskies must be from 1 distillery. This whisky is a Single Malt.
W
Whiskey
It is generally spelled "whiskey"—with an e—in the United States and Ireland.
Whisky
Whisky is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash.
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