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Straight whiskey (or straight whisky), as defined in United States law, is
whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...
that is distilled from a fermented (
malt Malt is any cereal grain that has been made to germinate by soaking in water and then stopped from germinating further by drying with hot air, a process known as "malting". Malted grain is used to make beer, whisky, malted milk, malt vinegar, ...
ed or unmalted) cereal grain mash to a concentration not exceeding 80%
alcohol by volume Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...
(abv) and aged in new charred oak
barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden stave (wood), staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers ...
s for at least two years at a concentration not exceeding 62.5% at the start of the aging process. Domestic sales of straight whiskey surpassed 27 million 9-liter cases in 2021. The only allowed modifications to straight whiskey prior to its bottling consist of batching whiskey from different barrels (and sometimes from different distilleries, although only from within the same state), chill filtering the whiskey, and adding water to reduce proof while retaining at least a 40% abv concentration. This definition is established for production of American whiskey for consumption within the United States as per the U.S federal ''Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits''. The regulations do not necessarily apply to American whiskey made for export. Alternatively, '' straight'' can be regarded as a synonym for ordering or serving whiskey '' neat'', without any water, ice, mixers, or other liquors.


Aging and labeling requirements

A ''straight'' whiskey must spend at least two years stored in charred new oak barrels, except corn whiskey, which must use uncharred or used oak barrels. The spirit penetrates the wood, extracting many flavor compounds and caramelized wood sugars, and oxidizing during this aging. A straight whiskey that has been aged less than four years is required to be labeled with an age statement describing the actual age of the product.Statements of Age
, U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, April 2007, page 8-15.
Other than an age statement, which lists the age of the youngest spirit in a bottle, the only other special labeling dealing with the age of a straight whiskey in the U.S. is bottled in bond. All bonded whiskeys are required to be straight whiskeys, and are additionally required to be aged for at least four years. Bonded whiskeys must also fulfill several other requirements.


Ingredients

When at least 51% of the content of the mash used in the production of a straight whiskey consists of
corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
, rye,
barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...
, or
wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
, the designation can be coupled with a special name associated with the type of grain and whether the grain was
malt Malt is any cereal grain that has been made to germinate by soaking in water and then stopped from germinating further by drying with hot air, a process known as "malting". Malted grain is used to make beer, whisky, malted milk, malt vinegar, ...
ed. For example, a straight whiskey may be a
bourbon whiskey Bourbon whiskey (; also simply bourbon) is a Aging (food), barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn (maize). The name derives from the Kingdom of France, French House of Bourbon, although the precise source of inspiration is uncerta ...
(using a mash of
corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
), malt whiskey (using a mash of malted
barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...
), rye whiskey, rye malt whiskey, or wheat whiskey. An especially prominent variation is the labeling "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey", used to indicate a straight whiskey made in
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
from a mash of at least 51% corn. For a straight whiskey to be called corn whiskey, it must use a mash with at least 80% corn and be aged in used or uncharred barrels. Extra ingredients, such as caramel coloring, are forbidden in straight whiskey. In contrast, even the regulations governing single malt whiskey production in some countries allow the addition of caramel coloring to enhance appearance.


ABV limit

The limit of 80% maximum abv concentration for the distillation is a key element of the definition of ''straight whiskey''. At alcohol concentrations exceeding this amount, most of the flavor from the original fermented mash that was used in the distillation process will be removed, resulting in a more
neutral grain spirit Rectified spirit, also known as neutral spirits, rectified alcohol or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, is highly concentrated ethanol that has been purified by means of repeated distillation in a process called rectification. In some countr ...
. In other countries, whiskey may be produced from a spirit that is much higher in alcoholic proof, which generally reduces the flavor derived from the original mash that was used in its production.


Relationship to blended whiskey

Straight whiskey is a distinctly different product from '' blended whiskey''. Most premium-category brands of American whiskey are straight whiskey, while the economy category is primarily blended whiskey. However, straight whiskey is also an important component of American blended whiskey. Blended whiskey made in the United States must contain at least 20% straight whiskey. The remaining portion is higher-proof spirit, often unaged neutral grain spirits, which are less expensive to produce. The straight whiskey component adds characteristic whiskey flavor to the blend, as the higher proof spirit loses most flavoring compounds during the distillation process, and does not gain flavors from barrel aging. Blended whiskey may also contain additives for coloring and flavoring. Canadian whiskey, which is typically a blend, also uses straight-whiskey-style spirits as a major flavor component, though Canada does require at least three years of aging (usually in used barrels) to qualify any product as Canadian whiskey."Canadian Food and Drug Regulations (C.R.C., c. 870) - Canadian Whisky, Canadian Rye Whisky or Rye Whisky (B.02.020)"
. (Access date December 15, 2010.)


See also

* Outline of whisky


References

{{Whisky Whisky