Your Daily Facts about Scotch
In order to be called Scotch whisky, a whisky must be distilled and matured in Scotland.
A whisky can be called Scotch whisky only after it has matured for a minimum of three years in oak casks in Scotland.
Scotch whisky must be bottled at a minimum strength of 40% ABV i.e. Alcohol by Volume.
There are mainly two types of Scotch whisky – Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Blended Scotch Whisky.
Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made from 100% malted barley and distilled at a single distillery.
Blended Scotch Whisky is made by blending together a number of single malts and grain whiskies.
90% of all Scotch whisky sold in the market comprises of Blended Scotch Whisky.
The whisky in ‘Scotch Whisky’ is always spelt without an ‘e’.
In Britain, the term ‘whisky’ is taken to mean Scotch whisky only, unless it has been specified otherwise.
In English-speaking countries other than England, Scotch whisky is often referred to as simply ‘Scotch’.
Scotch whisky should not contain any added substance, apart from water and caramel coloring.
The label of a Scotch whisky always contains the words ‘Scotch whisky’, in which ‘whisky’ is sometimes capitalized.
In case the term ‘Scotch’ is missing from the label of a whisky, there are strong chances that it has not been made in Scotland.
If a label contains the words ‘single malt’ or ‘single highland malt’, the bottle contains single malt Scotch whisky.
The basis of Scotch whisky is the heather-flavored ales made from barley malt.
The first documented proof of the existence of a distillery in Scotland dates back to 1494.