A-Z Whisky Glossary
At Stonehouse VII, we aim to demystify the world of whisky by providing an alphabetical A to Z glossary of key terms. Whether you’re a novice or a connoisseur, this guide will help you navigate and appreciate the nuances of whisky with ease.
Angel’s share
Refers to the portion of whisky that evaporates from the cask during maturation. In Scotland and Ireland, this loss is around 2% annually, though it can be higher in warmer climates.
ABV
Short for Alcohol By Volume, this term denotes the percentage of alcohol in spirits, indicating their strength.
Blended whisky
A whisky created by combining various single malt and grain whiskies from different distilleries and ages to achieve a desired flavour profile.
Bonded Warehouse
A bonded warehouse, or bond, is a secure facility where dutiable goods can be stored, processed, or even manufactured without the immediate need to pay duties. These spaces offer a flexible solution for managing high-value or luxury items, allowing for efficient inventory control and cost management until the goods are ready for distribution or sale.
Campbeltown
A historic whisky-producing region in Scotland, now home to just a few distilleries. Located on the Campbeltown Peninsula on Scotland’s west coast.
Cask
The oak barrel used to age whisky, imparting unique flavours. Common oak varieties include American, European, and Japanese.
Cask strength
The undiluted strength of whisky straight from the cask, typically ranging from 40% to 65% ABV, with younger whiskies generally being stronger.
Charring
Burning the inside of a cask to enhance flavour by releasing natural compounds from the wood. The intensity of charring affects the whisky’s character.
Chill filtration
A process that removes natural substances causing whisky to become cloudy when chilled or diluted. The whisky is cooled, causing impurities to solidify and be filtered out.
Column still
An industrial still used for continuous distillation, primarily in grain whisky production. Also known as Coffey stills, they are efficient and modern.
Condensation
The transformation of alcohol vapours back into liquid form, facilitated by cooling apparatus within the still.
Cooper
A skilled artisan who crafts casks by fitting wooden staves together to create a watertight container. The craft is known as coopering and takes place in a cooperage.
Distillation
The process of heating the mildly alcoholic wash in a still, turning it into vapor, then condensing it back into a high-proof liquid spirit.
Draff
The leftover barley husks and grains from the mashing process, which are dried and sold as animal feed.
Dram
A traditional Scottish term for a small serving of whisky, often enjoyed in a social setting.
Drum malting
A modern method of producing malted barley where the barley is soaked and consistently turned in a large drum until it germinates.
Fermentation
The conversion of sugars into alcohol by adding yeast to wort in a washback. This process creates a liquid called wash, which has an ABV of 5-8%.
Floor malting
A labour-intensive traditional method where barley is soaked, spread on a floor, and turned by hand until germination occurs.
Grist
Ground malted barley, ready to be mixed with water to create mash. This process releases the barley’s natural sugars.
Highlands
A vast whisky-producing region in Scotland, stretching from north of Glasgow and Edinburgh to the northern coast. Includes the renowned Speyside sub-region.
Islands
A whisky region encompassing all Scottish island distilleries. Known for peaty, smoky whiskies, particularly from the western isles and the Orkneys.
Islay
An island famed for its heavily peated and smoky whiskies, hosting eight distilleries, the highest concentration of any Scottish island.
Kiln
A large room where malted barley is heated to halt germination and remove moisture. Peat was traditionally used as fuel, imparting a smoky flavour.
Lowlands
A Scottish whisky region between Glasgow and Edinburgh, extending south. Once a major producer, it now has just a few active distilleries.
Lyne arm
The part of a still that transports alcohol vapours to the condenser. Its shape and angle influence the distillation process and flavour profile.
Malt
Barley that has been through the malting process, converting its starches into fermentable sugars.
Malting
The process of soaking barley, allowing it to germinate, converting starch into sugar, then drying it to create malt, which is ground into grist.
Mashing
Combining grist with warm water in a mash tun to dissolve sugars and create wort, which is then fermented.
Mash tun
A vessel where mashing occurs, made of cast iron, stainless steel, or wood. It extracts sugars from the grist, creating wort for fermentation.
Master blender
An expert who selects and blends whiskies of different ages and origins to achieve a specific flavour profile.
Maturation
The period during which whisky ages in wooden casks, absorbing flavours from the wood and the surrounding environment.
Milling
The grinding of dried malted barley into grist, preparing it for mashing.
Neck
The part of the still between the pot and the Lyne arm, influencing which alcohol vapours reach the condenser.
Pagoda
A pyramid-shaped roof on a kiln, designed by Charles Doig, inspired by Japanese architecture, that provides ventilation during barley drying.
Peat
A dense, organic material used as fuel in whisky production. Burning peat imparts a distinctive smoky flavour to the malted barley.
Pot still
A copper still used for single malt whisky production, consisting of a pot, neck, and Lyne arm. It heats the wash and condenses alcohol vapours.
PPM
Parts Per Million, a measure of phenol levels in whisky, indicating the influence of peat smoke.
Purifier
A device on the Lyne arm that condenses heavier, unwanted alcohol vapours, redirecting them for further distillation.
Quaich
A traditional Scottish drinking vessel with two handles, symbolizing friendship. Sharing a drink from a quaich is a gesture of enduring camaraderie.
Reflux
The re-condensing of alcohol that flows back into the still for additional distillation. The shape and angle of the still determine reflux levels.
Saladin box
An automated trough for malting barley, invented by Charles Saladin. It controls germination through regulated airflow and temperature.
Shell and tube condenser
A system where copper tubing surrounds the Lyne arm, cooling alcohol vapours with cold water and condensing them into liquid spirit.
Single malt
Whisky made entirely from malted barley at a single distillery. It is a blend of whiskies of various ages from different casks.
Speyside
A major Scottish whisky region with around 40 distilleries. Located between Inverness and Aberdeen, named after the River Spey.
Spirit safe
A secure, glass-walled box attached to the spirit still. Used for analysing spirit without direct contact, locked and monitored by Customs & Excise.
Spirit still
The smaller still in a pair, used for the second distillation. It purifies low wines to a higher ABV, collecting the middle cut for maturation.
Vatted malt
A blend of two or more single malts from different distilleries or ages, containing no grain whisky, only single malts.
Warehouse
The storage area for whisky during maturation. Traditional dunnage warehouses have stone walls and earth floors, while modern racked warehouses offer climate control.
Washback
A large vat where fermentation occurs. Traditionally wooden, modern washbacks are often stainless steel.
Wash still
The first and larger still in a pair, where the fermented wash is heated to produce low wines with an ABV of 20-22%.
Worm tub
An old cooling method using a spiral copper pipe submerged in cold water to condense alcohol vapours. Few distilleries still use this traditional system.
Wort
A sweet liquid derived from dissolving sugars in malted barley with warm water. It undergoes fermentation to become wash, the precursor to whisky.
