Scotch

Scotch is whisky made in Scotland, matured in oak for at least three years, and bottled at 40% ABV or more. The word “whisky” is spelled without the e, and the rules behind it are written into law, not left to tradition.

What Scotch whisky is made from

Under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, Scotch is made from water and malted barley, and whole grains of other cereals may be added. Single malt is pot-distilled from malted barley alone at one distillery. Grain whisky is typically made in column stills from a mash that includes wheat or corn, and it is lighter. Malting barley over peat fires, as on Islay, leaves smoky phenols in the spirit, which is where Scotch picks up a flavor bourbon does not have.

What the law requires

Scotch must be distilled in Scotland to less than 94.8% ABV, matured in oak casks of no more than 700 litres in Scotland for at least three years, and bottled at no less than 40%. The only permitted additions are water and plain caramel colouring, E150a. An age statement on the label must reflect the youngest whisky in the bottle, and bottles with no age statement are still at least three years old. Because the casks are usually used, ex-bourbon or ex-sherry, Scotch does not take on the raw new-oak extractives that bourbon does.

Types of Scotch

The regulations define five categories: single malt, single grain, blended malt, blended grain and blended Scotch, which mixes malt and grain whisky. Glenfiddich 12 is a single malt, Monkey Shoulder is a blended malt, and Johnnie Walker Black is a blend. Regions matter mainly for style: Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Islay and Campbeltown are the protected regions, and Islay is the heavily peated one, as in Lagavulin 16. Scotch is often compared with its neighbours at Irish whiskey, and the closest direct comparison here is bourbon vs scotch.

Calories and sugar

Scotch has no added sugar, so the calories are the alcohol. Ethanol alone at 40% is about 97 kcal per 1.5 oz pour, and the figures do not move much between a blend and a single malt at the same strength. Caramel colouring contributes negligible sugar. The ranking of individual bottles is at healthiest scotch, and the barley question is answered at gluten-free scotch.

Hangover profile

Scotch rates 7 out of 10 on the hangover index here. The profile is high congeners, moderate histamines and tannins, and very little sugar. Sherry casks can add sulfites, and peated malts carry phenols such as guaiacol and cresols on top of the usual congeners. Older whisky concentrates more of both. A lightly peated blend at 40% is the gentler end of the category, and a cask-strength Islay malt is the heavier one.