Q. What is the difference between whisky and scotch?
A. The term scotch is internationally protected so that ONLY whisky distilled in Scotland can be called
scotch. That’s the only difference.
Q. What is single-malt scotch?
A. Single malt scotch is made of 100% barley from one distillery. The basic difference between
a single malt scotch and a blended whisky is that single malt is the product of one distillery - blends are a mix of
whisky from multiple distilleries. You’ll find the greatest concentration of single malt distilleries in the Speyside
region of northeastern Scotland.
Q. Is the age of scotch important?
A. Yes, it is. Scotch, by law, must be aged a minimum of 3 years, but the really smooth ones are aged
at least 10 years. Scotch does not continue to age once it has been bottled, no matter how long it has been stored.
Q. Is older scotch always better scotch?
A. No. A whisky can mature at various ages, depending on several factors such as environment and cask quality.
Q. What does the age labeled on a bottle of blended scotch refer to?
A. The law requires that when the age is declared on a label, it must refer to the youngest scotch
whisky in the blend. For example, if a blend is described as an eight year old, the youngest scotch in that blend must
have been matured for at least eight years.
For a complete list of scotch available at the New Hampshire State Liquor & Wine Outlets
click here.
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