irish whiskey vs scotch

Irish whiskey is any whiskey that’s been distilled in the island of Ireland (either in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland), using a mash of malted cereals. Enjoy a glass (or two) in honor of International Scotch Day. Irish whiskey tastes like: Very, very smooth and less sweet than most American bourbons. My name is Rick and FoodForNet.com is just a website about food and drink that I like. I particularly like Scotch from the Islay region, which tend to be smoky and peaty. We’re not — in any way — saying one is more superior, refined, or correct. It also is subject to stringent regulations to ensure that its high standard is maintained. You may have already noticed at this point, but Scotch whisky is spelled without the letter “e”, unlike the Irish counterpart that’s always spelled with an “e.” Why is that? My Favorite Whiskey From Scotland & Ireland. In the end, what may be true “traditionally” may no longer be true for some distillers working today. Some of these variants that rely on a single type of ingredient you are probably already familiar with! You have other players like rye and bourbon but these fall into slightly different categories. Malted cereals or grains (in this case almost always barley malted with peat smoke) is ground to a grist, before water and yeast are added to begin fermentation. Blended scotch makes up for 90 percent of the Scottish whisky market. From there, we have a similar process of malts to grist to fermentation to distillation to barreling. First, there aren’t region specific Irish whiskeys per se. Irish whiskey, by contrast, comes from unmalted barley and is renowned for its smooth flavour and hints of vanilla. At the very least, you’ll get a nice buzz on along the way. Because the majority of Irish whiskies are triple distilled and made from a variety of grains, they tend to be lighter in taste when compared to the average Scotch or bourbon. For one, distillation occurs three times during the entire process, which leads to it being light and smooth. Scotch whisky is defined as whiskey “produced in Scotland from water and malted barley.” So even if distilleries from other countries imitate the techniques used in Scotch whisky to the letter, they can never really be considered as Scotch whisky. Posted on December 4, 2018 December 17, 2018. by gtexas catering. The other literally uses a raw version of that ingredient. It all depends on your personal preference for the absolute superiority. It was also the first recorded drink to be distilled in Scotland in 1494. Single malt Scotch whiskey is made from only water and malted barley at a single distillery. On top of that, there's much more general public interest in things like single malts, special blends, and the culture of Scotch. Irish whiskey is made with a blend of malted and unmalted barley in a pot still, whereas Scotch uses 100% malted barley (grain that has been soaked so that it begins to sprout). There are. They differ in base product, alcoholic content, and quality.Many countries like America, Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Sweden, and Wales produce their own whiskies.Scotch is produced from any of the following regions of Scotland: 1. That third round of distilling really does smooth it out. Unsubscribe at any time. But, at the end of the day, we’re talking some very minor variables here. Much like shoulder pads and mullet hairstyles this is an idea that came to the fore in the 80s and one that needs to go. Required fields are marked *. It is said that Irish monks during 1000 AD brought home the technique of distilling perfumes from what they had learned in the Mediterranean countries. Whisky in Scotland is made solely using malted barley, whereas Irish whiskey is made using other grains too. Back in the 1800s, Irish distillers were ruling the whiskey world and wanted to assure that Irish whiskey was always better than their neighbor’s scotch. The grain needs to be made from malt, fermented by yeast, and distilled to an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8%, but more than 40%. When the word was translated, the Irish decided to keep the “e”, while the Scottish dropped it entirely. Irish whiskey is made with a blend of malted and unmalted barley in a pot still, whereas Scotch uses 100% malted barley (grain that has been soaked so that it begins to sprout). This is because grain mash, the main component of any whiskey, can be made up of different grains, with either a focus on one grain or a mixture of a few. Scotch whisky can come in three forms, generally — single malt, single grain, and blended scotch. They might fill the same place in the market, but their mash base is different from traditional whiskey. However, when production of whiskey was taxed in 1644, whisky distilling became more underground, with unlicensed distilleries producing their own batches without the government knowing. Exceptions abound. Irish whiskey also uses raw, kiln-dried barley instead of the wholly-malted barley Scotch whisky makes use of. The Scotch Whisky Association states that uisge beatha, a Scottish drink, was what the scotch whisky today is based on. The materials used in the process of making whiskeys is also integral to the final flavours. In case you need a refresher, though, here’s a quick comparison between the two. So if you aren’t sure of the difference between Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey (other than the spelling, of course), then read on to learn about what really separates the two. 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