What Are The Consumer Differences Between Scotch, Bourbon, And Tennessee Whiskies?

Anthony Caporale, Host, Art of the Drink TV

Scotch Whisky must conform to the Scotch Whisky Order of 1990, which requires that it:

• Be distilled at a Scottish distillery from water and malted barley to which only other whole grains may be added.
• Be processed at that distillery into a mash (mixture of cooked grains and water).
• Be converted to a fermentable substrate only by endogenous enzyme systems (malt).
• Be fermented only by the addition of yeast.
• Be distilled to an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8% by volume so that it retains the flavor of the raw materials used in production.
• Be matured in Scotland in oak casks for not less than three years.
• Not contain any added substance other than water and caramel coloring.
• Be bottled at not less than 40% ABV (alcohol by volume).

Additionally:

• Single Malt Scotch must be distilled at a single distillery from water and malted barley without the addition of other cereal grains by batch distillation in pot stills.

Bourbon Whiskey must conform to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau‘s standards for identity as Bourbon, which require that it be:

• Produced from a fermented mash of not less than 51% corn.
• Distilled at not greater than 160 proof.
• Stored at not more than 125 proof in new, charred oak containers.
• Bottled at not less than 80 proof with nothing added during processing but pure water.
• A product of the USA.

Additionally:

• Straight Bourbon Whiskey must be aged at least two years in new, charred white oak barrels.
• Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Whiskey must be produced at one distillery during one distilling season, aged a minimum of four years in a federally-bonded warehouse, and bottled at 100 proof.

Tennessee Whiskey as defined by the North American Free Trade Agreement must be:

• Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
• Produced in the State of Tennessee.

Additionally, some Tennessee Whiskies are filtered using the Lincoln County Process, whereby it is exposed to a column of charcoal chips before being transferred to barrels for aging.

From a consumer standpoint:

• Scotch Whisky is generally regarded as having a smoky character, though this is not universally accurate; flavors vary widely among brands.
• Bourbon Whiskey is generally perceived as being sweeter than other whiskies due to the high percentage of corn used in the mash bill and the use of new oak barrels, which retain all of their original sugars.
• Tennessee Whiskey is very similar to Bourbon, though some are perceived as being mellower than other whiskies due to filtering through charcoal.

This question originally appeared on Quora. More questions on alcohol:

• What is an interesting single-malt scotch to bring to a tasting party?
• What are some tips (or things to know) when ordering drinks at a bar, in order to not look like a fool?
• What is the best Irish whiskey?