Malt whisky is

whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ca ...

made from a fermented

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consisting primarily of

malt Malt is germinated cereal grain that has been dried in a process known as " malting". The grain is made to germinate by soaking in water and is then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air. Malted grain is used to make beer, ...

barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley ...

. If the product is made exclusively at a single distillery (along with other restrictions), it is typically called a single malt whisky. Although malt whisky can be made using other malted grains besides barley, those versions are not called malt whisky without specifying the grain, such as

rye malt whisky Rye malt whiskey, under US regulations, is a whiskey produced via a mash primarily consisting of malted rye. It is distinct from rye whiskey due to the malting step, and is distinct from unqualified malt whiskey, which is made from malted barley, ...

or buckwheat malt whisky.

Laws

The exact definitions of "malt whisky" and "single malt whisky" and the restrictions governing their production vary according to regulations established by different jurisdictions for marketing whisky. For example,

Scotch whisky Scotch whisky (; sco, 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 All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley.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 dist ...

regulationsThe Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009
''The National Archives'', 2009.The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009: Guidance for Producers and Bottlers
, ''Scotch Whisky Association'', February 12, 2009. require malt whisky to be made in

pot still A pot still is a type of distillation apparatus or still used to distill liquors such as whisky or brandy. In modern (post-1850s) practice, they are not used to produce rectified spirit, because they do not separate congeners from ethanol a ...

s using water and malted barley without the addition of any other grains or cereals, and the whisky must be aged for at least three years in oak casks. The use of new

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 staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...

s is not required. Caramel coloring can be added, but no other additives are allowed.

Irish whiskey Irish whiskey ( ga, Fuisce or ''uisce beatha'') is whiskey made on the island of Ireland. The word 'whiskey' (or whisky) comes from the Irish , meaning ''water of life''. Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world, though a lo ...

regulations are almost identical to Scotch regulations. Malt whiskey must be distilled in a pot still from a mash of 100% malted barley, which may be peated or unpeated in character, although unpeated malt is typically used. All Irish whiskeys must be matured for at least three years in wooden casks (which may have been previously used) and must contain a minimum of 40% alcohol by volume, with caramel coloring as the only allowed additive. Single pot still whiskey, while also being primarily made from malted barley, is not called malt whisky because it contains unmalted barley. It is considered a separate category under Irish regulations. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

Code of Federal Regulations In the law of the United States, the ''Code of Federal Regulations'' (''CFR'') is the codification of the general and permanent regulations promulgated by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government of the United States. ...

, the ''Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits'' define a "malt whisky" as a whisky produced at an

alcohol by volume Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...

(ABV) level not exceeding 80% from a fermented mash of not less than 51% malted barley grain that is stored for aging in charred new oak containers at less than 62.5% ABV. If such a whisky has been aged for at least two years, contains no added coloring and flavoring, and has not been blended with

neutral spirits 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 ...

or other types of whisky, the adjective " straight" can be applied, as in straight malt whisky. A blended whisky that contains at least 51% straight malt whisky may be labelled as blended malt whisky or malt whiskey – a blend.

Canadian whisky Canadian whisky is a type of whisky produced in Canada. Most Canadian whiskies are blended multi-grain liquors containing a large percentage of corn spirits, and are typically lighter and smoother than other whisky styles.

regulations"Canadian Food and Drug Regulations (C.R.C., c. 870) – Malt Whisky (B.02.013)"
(Access date March 25, 2015.) allow the addition of flavoring agents as well as caramel coloring. There is no maximum limit on the alcohol level of the distillation or aging for Canadian whisky, so the distillate may be close to neutral before aging. Like the regulations for the aging of Irish and Scotch whisky, the aging requirement for Canadian whisky is three years, and the use of new barrels is not required.

References

{{Whisky , state=expanded Whisky Malt-based drinks

Laws

See also

References