Every day is a good day to start to learn about whiskey. This Whiskey Cheat Sheet infographic is a basic primer to get you started. First off, whether you spell it Whiskey, with the E or Whisky, without the E it doesn’t really matter. In general, it’s based on the country of origin. The E is used in AmErica and Japan but, not always. For example, one of the biggest US brands is Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky without the E. And then there is Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey with the E. So you see, when you step up to the bar or at your local packaged goods store and order a whiskey, the E is silent so does it really matter?
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Quick Whiskey Facts
- The primary grains in whiskey are corn, rye, wheat or barley.
- Single Malt means whiskey comes from one distillery, not one barrel, that’s single barrel.
- To be called Bourbon, it must be made in Kentucky. Not true. By law, Bourbon must be made in the US and follow specific guidelines but, it can be made in any state.
- Tennessee whiskey is not Bourbon. Technically, most Tennessee whiskey could be called bourbon but the fine folks from the Volunteer state prefer NOT to call it Bourbon and choose to stick with Tennessee Whiskey.
- All bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon. Got it? That’s a whole other story that you can learn more about from the Bourbon vs. Whisky infographic here.
Take a look at the infographic below to use as a primer. This will get you started. Enjoy!
Click on the infographic to see the full size image.
