Scotch vs Bourbon

Man has consumed alcoholic beverages for medication, recreation, or as part of their diet since ancient times. They are even used in religious rituals and festivals and they produce a relaxing and euphoric effect and sometimes even attributed with aphrodisiac effects.

Alcoholic beverages have three general classifications:

Beer which is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and is also the oldest. It is made from brewed and fermented cereal grains.
Wine which is made from fermented grapes or other fruits and has 9-16 per cent ABV alcohol content.
Spirits which are made from fermented grains or malt which are distilled and have at least 20 per cent ABV alcohol content. There are six types of spirits, namely; vodka, rum, tequila, gin, brandy, and whisky.

Whisky, or whiskey, is an alcoholic drink which is made from fermented grain (barley, rye, wheat, and corn) mash. Distillation reached Europe, particularly Ireland and Scotland, between 1100 and 1300. Since grapes were scarce, they made whisky using barley which was also used to make beer.
This was called Scotch whisky which was produced in monasteries. And until the mid-1500s, when King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, whisky was produced in homes and farms. Scotch whisky is aged for at least three years in white oak casks which gives it its distinct taste.

It has five categories:

Single malt Scotch whisky
Single grain Scotch whisky
Blended malt Scotch whisky
Blended grain Scotch whisky
Blended Scotch whisky

Only whisky that is produced, processed, converted, fermented, distilled, and matured at a Scotland distillery can be called Scotch whisky. It must not have added ingredients other than water and caramel, and it must have a 40 per cent alcohol content.
Other countries also produce whisky using different materials and procedures. Canada, India, and the United States have their own types of whisky. In the United States, whiskey is made from rye, malt, wheat, corn, or a combination of two or more grains or malt.

One type of American whiskey is Bourbon, which is made from mash that contains at least 51 per cent corn. It does not have to be aged. But if it is aged, it is only for a short period and it is kept in charred oak barrels. It does not have any added flavorings, coloring, or spirits. It is produced in Tennessee and in Bourbon, Kentucky, although it can be legally produced in any part of the United States. Only whiskey that is produced in the United States is called Bourbon.

Summary:

1.Scotch whisky is a distilled alcoholic drink which is produced in Scotland while Bourbon is a distilled alcoholic drink which is produced in the United States.
2.Scotch whisky is aged in white oak casks for at least three years while Bourbon is aged in charred oak barrels for a shorter period.
3.Scotch whisky is made from grains, malt, or a combination of both while Bourbon is made primarily from corn.
4.Scotch whisky has been produced since the mid-1500s while Bourbon was produced during the 1800s.

Sharing is caring!