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The first of the many differences between Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky which one can easily make out is that Irish spell it as “whiskey” and Scots “whisky”. But the true differences between Scotch and Irish whiskey, two finest whiskeys of the world, are far greater than how they spell their names. 

 

For one, there is remarkable difference in their tastes. While the Scotch has a clean, smoky, stormy and peaty taste and comes across as a strong whisky, Irish whiskey on the other hand is light, delicate and gentle in taste and is much smoother than the Scotch. 

 

Both, Irish whiskey and single malt Scotch are distilled by using traditional and slow pot still method that is followed from centuries. The basic ingredients used in making both the whiskeys are same which are barley and water. But after that, Scotch and Irish whiskey take their different paths.

 

The differences between Scotch and Irish whiskey are reflected in their respective aromas and how each tastes and the methods used in producing them. While barley and water is used to make both whiskeys, the combination of malted and unmalted barley is distilled to produce a single malt Irish whiskey, and the blended Irish whiskey is produced by combining malted barley with other grains. On the other hand single malt Scotch whisky is distilled by a single distillery from malted barley and blended Scotch whisky is made from malted barley and other grains.

 

The other major difference between Scotch and Irish whiskey is that the peat fires are used to dry the barley meant for producing Scotch giving it a characteristic peaty taste, while smokeless kilns are used to dry out the barley used for making Irish whiskey.

 

Another difference is that single malt Scotch whisky is usually distilled two times, while producing Irish whiskey distillation process is repeated three times. This extra distillation of Irish whisky makes it light and smooth in taste as strong flavors are extracted from repeated distillation leaving behind pure and smooth distillate.

 

And of course the most obvious difference between Scotch and Irish whiskey is that Scotch is produced in Scotland and Irish whiskey is made in Ireland.

 

The other important difference between Scotch and Irish whiskey is their reputation and brands available through out the world. During the prohibition period in the United States, Irish whiskey was considered to be rough and coarse drink. That was because of the inferior quality of whiskey produced by bootleggers. Since the repealing of the Prohibition Act, Scotch became famous in United States while Irish whiskey had to regain its lost ground. Today both, Scotch and Irish whiskey, are enjoyed equally by knowledgeable American whisky drinkers.

 

However, there still remains a noticeable difference among them. There are fewer brands of Irish whiskey available in America, while in comparison more than 100 brands of Scotch are imported into America. Black Bush, Bushmills, John Jameson 1780, John Jameson and Midleton Very Rare are few of the Irish whiskeys that are available in America. On the other hand world famous blends of Scotch like Johnnie Walker Red Label, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Grant’s, Chivas Regal, Haig & Haig, Black & White, Cutty Sark and single malt brands like Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Laphroaig, Glenmorangie and Glen Moray are available through out America.

 

 

Scotch Differences

 As the fine wines of the world are grouped by the region, so are the single malt whiskies produced in Scotland. Islay, Cambletown, Lowlands, Highlands, Islands and Speyside are the six main traditionally whisky producing regions of Scotland. All of these regions are known for producing distinct quality of malt and as they vary in characteristics they methods used for distilling are distinct too. Difference in climate, quality of raw material used and the methods of production involved play major roll in providing distinct characteristic to the malts produced in each region.

 ISLAY

 Islay is a small island that is situated just off the western cost of Scotland and is the hub of whisky tourism and host of an annual event “Festival of Malt and Music” that begins at the end of May. Many events like whisky tasting are held during the festival of to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Islay. There are currently eight distilleries that are running on the island with one more being made ready for distilling. The whiskies produced generally have a strong peaty character traditionally associated with island of Islay though light peated whiskies and well balanced whiskies that use medium strong peating levels of barley are also produced.

 CAMBELTOWN

 Cambeltown once known to be major whisky producing region and considered to the capital of Scotch whisky currently has only three running distilleries. There were used to be more than 30 distilleries in the beginning of the 20^th century. Cambeltown located on the western coast of Scotland at the end of the Mull of Kintyre peninsula is still considered as a separate malt state by many historians.

 Lowlands

 Lowlands is southern most region of the Scotland and as the name suggests this region is comprised of vast flat areas without mountains. During 1700’s and 1800’s Lowlands was the main whisky producing region of Scotland and has witnessed the beginning of industrial production of whisky. The whiskies produced in this region have lesser peat, smoke and salt than the ones produced in other regions of Scotland. Currently there are only three running distilleries in this region.

 Highlands

 Highlands, the rocky and mountainous area of Scotland, is considered to be the largest whisky producing region of the Scotland. The whisky brewed here is rich in flavor and smoky but not as much as it is on the Islands. Unlike Lowlands, the whiskies produced in various distilleries have a distinct taste of their own. This is mainly because of the vast mountainous area of Highlands that helps in creating differences in the microclimate of the region. Also the use of various types of raw materials and techniques applied for producing whiskies contribute to the differences in taste.

 Speyside

 Speyside, surrounding the Spey river valley, is located in north-east region of Scotland and is considered the main whisky producing region of the Scotland. It got its name from the river Spey that runs through it. Most of the distilleries use the Spey river water to produce their whiskies. There are some similarities in the whiskies through out the region mainly because so many are distilled here. The Speyside region is famous for producing some of the most elegant, smooth and refined whiskies of the world. Although Speyside geographically is the part of the Highlands, the whiskies produced here have their own unique characteristics. People trying the Scotch for the first time are recommended to taste whiskies from Speyside as they are not only rich in flavor but are comparatively mild too.

Islands

 The islands of Scotland including Orkney, Arran, Jura, Mull and Skye are also known for producing whiskies that are famous through out the world.  More often than not whiskies produced on islands are related to flavor and strong peat by many but in reality there is a rich range of malts that are produced on these islands. All the islands of Scotland are easy to approach and they offer a complete Scottish experience.

 

Scotch Regions Regions of Scotland, Scotch