What is Scotch Whisky?

The definition of Scotch Whisky

'Scotch Whisky is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland.'

Scotch whisky (Scottish Gaelic: uisge-beatha; Scots: Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland.

All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distilleries began introducing whisky made from wheat and rye in the late 18th century. As of 2020, there were 134 Scotch whisky distilleries operating in Scotland.

All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years. Any age statement on a bottle of Scotch whisky, expressed in numerical form, must reflect the age of the youngest whisky used to produce that product. A whisky with an age statement is known as guaranteed-age whisky. A whisky without an age statement is known as a no age statement (NAS) whisky, the only guarantee being that all whisky contained in that bottle is at least three years old. The minimum bottling strength according to the regulation is 40% alcohol by volume. Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: single malt Scotch whisky, single grain Scotch whisky, blended malt Scotch whisky (formerly called “vatted malt” or “pure malt”), blended grain Scotch whisky, and blended Scotch whisky.

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FURTHER DEFINITIONS

Collins Dictionary Definition:

Scotch – also called: Scotch whisky

Whisky distilled especially from fermented malted barley and made in Scotland.

Reference Link:

Collins Dictionary

Merriam-Webster Definition:

Whisky distilled in Scotland especially from malted barley — called also Scotch whisky.

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Merriam-Webster

Urban Dictionary Definition:

A lovely brown whisky drink from Scotland. Must be distilled to certain standards to be called Scotch. Also certain other things from Scotland are called Scotch (Scotch pies, etc). It’s spelt WHISKY not WHISKEY. Irish and American whiskey is spelt WHISKEY whereas Scotch and Canadian whisky is spelt WHISKY. Scotch as a term to refer to people from Scotland is too old school and many Scots find it offensive.

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Urban Dictionary