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The most well-known whisky terms explained in plain language, with a bottle for each word to taste it yourself.
By angel's share to barrel strength: In the M4W Dictionary, we explain the most well-known whisky terms in plain language. For many words, you will immediately find a bottle from our collection in which you can taste it, and of course, all the terms from our Taste Compass.
Also: M4W Taste Compass
Our own tool for choosing whisky by taste rather than by name or region. Every whisky in our shop is represented as a dot on a map featuring four taste worlds. The closer two dots are to each other, the more similar they are. Whisky liqueurs and gin are deliberately excluded from the compass.
“Just something tasty. Light, fruity, and accessible.” Think pear, apple, citrus, vanilla, and honey; often matured in ex-bourbon casks. A great start if you are still discovering whisky.
“Something warm. Full of character and perfect after dinner.” Rich notes of dried fruit, raisins, toffee, chocolate, and spices, often thanks to sherry, port, or wine casks.
“Lively, exciting and full of character.” Pepper, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and oak; often whisky with rye, new oak or a robust alcohol strength.
“Deep, intense and made for connoisseurs.” Peat smoke, briny, tar, campfire and iodine. These whiskies are made with peated malt or matured by the sea.
Also: Flavor profile
The sum of aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and finish of a whisky. In our Taste Compass, we summarize it in one of four quadrants and a position on the map: the further towards the edge, the more pronounced.
One of the four sections of the Taste Compass: Soft & Fruity, Full & Sweet, Spicy & Spicy or Smoky & Powerful. Every whisky is assigned exactly one quadrant, even if it lies close to a boundary.
The same drink, two spellings. Scotland, Wales, Canada, and Japan usually write “whisky”; Ireland and the United States usually write “whiskey”. A rule of thumb: countries with an “e” in the name often use an “e” as well.
Also: Scotch
Whisky distilled in Scotland and matured for at least three years in oak casks in Scotland, bottled at a minimum of 40% alcohol. Only then may “Scotch” appear on the label.
Malt whisky from a single distillery, made from 100% malted barley and (in Scotland) distilled in copper pot stills. “Single” refers to the distillery, not a single cask.
What is the difference compared to blended malt? · For example: Kingsbarns Balcomie
Also: Vatted malt
A blend of single malts from two or more distilleries, without grain whisky.Compass Box is a master at it.
Also: Blend
A blend of malt whisky and grain whisky, often from multiple distilleries. The majority of all whisky in the world is blend; good blends are anything but second-rate.
Also: Grain whisky
Whisky made from (partially) unmalted grains such as wheat or corn, usually distilled in a column still. Lighter and sweeter than malt whisky and the base of most blends.
Grain whisky from a single distillery. It is increasingly bottled independently, and when aged for a long time, it is surprisingly smooth and creamy.
Typical Irish style: whiskey made from both malted and unmalted barley, distilled in pot stills at a single distillery. Provides a creamy, spicy mouthfeel.
Whisky whose grain is grown, malted, distilled, and aged on the same estate. Rare, and the ultimate form of provenance.
Also: Rye
A type of grain that gives whisky a dry, peppery, and spicy edge. Widely used in America and Canada; in Europe, distilleries like Thy are experimenting with rye and spelt.
American whiskey made from at least 51% corn, aged in new, internally charred oak barrels. Those barrels are used only once and then often go to Scotland, Ireland, and Japan: the famous ex-bourbon barrels.
Also: New make, white whisky
The colourless distillate as it comes out of the still, before maturation. It shows the pure style of a distillery; only after three years in a cask may it be called whisky.
Whisky fortified with sugar and flavorings, at 15 to 25% alcohol (whisky itself must be at least 40%). Sweet, accessible, and delicious in cocktails. Deliberately not listed in the Smaakkompas.
Also: Teaspooning
A single malt to which a small splash (sometimes literally a teaspoon) of whisky from another distillery has been added. As a result, it is officially a blended malt, and the name of the source distillery may not appear on the label.
Also: Barley
The most important grain for malt whisky. Barley provides the starch that changes into sugars after malting.
Also: Malting, malt
Germinate barley by wetting it, and then stop the germination process by drying it. During germination, enzymes are produced that can convert starch into sugar. The result is called malt.
Also: Peat, peated
Compressed, partially decayed plant material from peatlands.If the malt is dried over a peat fire, it absorbs smoke: the source of smoky whisky.
Smoky & Powerful · Why a Lowland whisky is peated · Penderyn Peated
Also: Phenol parts per million
A measure of the amount of phenols (smoky notes) in the dried malt. Lightly smoky is around 10 ppm, robust Islay around 40–50 ppm. Note: this says something about the malt, not exactly about the whisky in your glass.
Also: Mashing
Ground malt (grist) is mixed with hot water so that the sugars dissolve. The sweet liquid that remains is called wort.
The sugar-rich liquid after mashing. Passes on to the fermentation tanks.
Also: Fermentation, wash
Yeast converts the sugars in the wort into alcohol. After two to four days, a type of unhopped beer of about 7–9% alcohol is produced: the wash. Longer fermentation often yields more fruity notes.
Also: Heating
Heating the wash so that alcohol and aromas evaporate and condense again. This concentrates the alcohol. In Scotland, this is usually done twice for single malt.
Also: Kettle still
Copper still in which distillation takes place one at a time (in batches). The shape and size help determine the character: tall, slender stills produce a lighter spirit, while squat stills yield a fuller one.
Also: Column still, Coffey still
Tall column in which continuous distillation takes place. Efficient and pure; primarily used for grain whisky.
In double distillation, the wash first passes through the wash still (resulting in low wines of approximately 20–25%), then through the spirit still, where the final spirit of about 65–70% is produced.
Unique still from Penderyn: a pot still with a rectification column on top, producing a very pure, fruity spirit in a single distillation run.
Also: Triple distilled
The number of times the distillation is conducted. Scotland usually does it twice, Ireland often three times. Each extra round makes the spirit lighter and softer.
W.D. O'Connell Bill Phil · English Whiskey Co. Triple Distilled
Also: Leading, middle running, trailing
During the distillation process, the distiller collects only the “heart.” The head and tail contain unwanted substances and are returned in a subsequent round. Where that “cut” lies determines much of the character.
Also: Cask
Oak barrel in which whisky matures. Up to 60–70% of the flavour comes from the barrel: vanilla, coconut, and caramel from the wood, and fruit or spices from what was inside before.
Also: Maturation
The years whisky ages in a cask. The wood imparts color and flavor, removes sharp notes, and allows the whisky to breathe slowly through the wood. In Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, a minimum of three years.
Also: Bourbon cask
American oak barrel that previously contained bourbon.The most used cask in Scotland; yields vanilla, coconut, honey, and light fruitiness.
For example: Kingsbarns Balcomie · Uncharted Orkney 20 Refill Bourbon
Also: Sherry cask
Usually a European oak cask that previously contained Spanish sherry. Gives notes of raisins, dried fruit, nuts, Christmas and spices, often found in Vol & Sweet.
Dry, nutty sherry variety. Oloroso casks impart dark fruit, walnut, leather, and a rich, round flavour to whisky.
Isle of Harris The Hearach Oloroso · Uncharted Royal Brackla 8
Also: Pedro Ximénez
The sweetest type of sherry, syrupy like dates and figs. A PX cask gives whisky a distinctly sweet, dark finish.
Also: Port cask
Barrel in which Portuguese port has aged. Contributes red fruit, berries, chocolate, and often a pink-amber color.
Cask from fortified Madeira wine. Contributes tropical fruit, toffee, and a sweet-sour freshness. Penderyn ages a lot of whisky in it.
Also: Wine cask
Cask that previously contained (red or white) wine, such as Amarone, Barolo, or Cabernet Sauvignon. Contributes red fruit, tannins, and sometimes a slightly dry finish.
Why Tomatin ages in Italian wine barrels · Tomato Amarone Edition
Cask of French brandy from Gascony. Yields dried plum, raisin, and a soft, warm fruitiness.
Also: Japanese oak
Rare Japanese oak species that is difficult to work with and prone to leaking, but gives whisky a unique aroma of incense, sandalwood, and coconut.
Also: Chestnut, kuri
Sweet chestnut wood, as an alternative to oak. Provides nutty, sweet, and slightly spicy autumnal notes.
Also: Barrel, hogshead, butt, octave
The smaller the cask, the more contact with the wood and the faster the maturation. Approximately: octave ±50 liters, barrel ±200 liters, hogshead ±250 liters, butt ±500 liters.
Also: Octave cask
Small cask of about 50 liters. Duncan Taylor lets whisky mature in it for a few months for an intense, rich flavor.
“First fill” means that the cask contains whisky for the first time after, for example, bourbon or sherry: significant influence. “Refill” is a cask that previously held whisky: more subtle, allowing more room for the spirit itself.
Isle of Harris First Fill Oloroso · Uncharted Orkney Refill Bourbon
Also: Post-ripening, double maturation
Whisky that spends a period in another cask after primary maturation, such as sherry, port, or wine, for an additional layer of flavour.
Also: Part of the angels
The portion of the whisky that evaporates through the wood during maturation; in Scotland, about 2% per year. That is why old whiskies are scarce and expensive.
Also: Age statement
The number on the label is always the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. Whisky does not mature further in the bottle.
Also: No Age Statement
Whisky without an age statement. That says nothing about quality: the maker selects based on taste rather than a number.
Also: Distillation year
The year in which the whisky was distilled. Often stated together with the bottling year, such as 2002–2025.
Also: ABV, % vol.
The alcohol percentage in the bottle. Whisky must be at least 40%. Around 46% or higher is often not chill-filtered and has more texture.
Also: Vascular strength, natural strength
The whisky goes straight from the cask into the bottle, without dilution with water. Often 50–65%. Try it neat first and then add a few drops of water.
All whisky in the bottle comes from a single cask. As a result, every batch is unique and limited, often with the cask number and number of bottles on the label.
Kingsbarns Single Cask · Duncan Taylor Glentauchers The Hague
A bottling of a small number of casks. No legal definition, but usually a sign of a carefully curated, limited edition.
Also: Cask number
The number of the cask from which a single cask comes. Together with the number of bottles, it shows how unique your bottle is.
Also: Independent bottler
A company that buys casks from distilleries and bottles them itself, often as single cask or at cask strength. Sometimes the name of the distillery is not allowed on the label.
What is independent bottling? · Cadenhead · Duncan Taylor · Living Souls
Also: Distillery bottling, OB
Whisky that is bottled by the distillery itself, usually in a fixed, recognizable house style.
Also: Whiskey bonder
Irish tradition: a merchant who buys whiskey from distilleries, ages it himself, and sells it under his own name. W.D. O'Connell breathes new life into that tradition.
Also: Chill filtration
Whisky is filtered around freezing point so that it does not become cloudy in cold or ice. In the process, some oils and flavor are lost. “Non-chill filtered” means that this has not happened.
Also: No coloring, E150a
Many whiskies are given caramel colouring (E150a) for a uniform colour. “Natural colour” means that all the colour comes from the cask.
Also: M4W Exclusive
Bottles that we have selected especially for Mood4Whisky or that are hardly available in the Netherlands, such as our single casks and anniversary bottlings.
Scottish word for a (small) shot of whisky. No fixed measure: “a wee dram” is simply a glass to enjoy.
Also: Nose, aroma
What you smell. Hold the glass slightly under your nose, breathe in calmly with your mouth slightly open, and take your time: scent determines the majority of what we “taste”.
Also: Palate
What you taste in your mouth. Swirl the whisky around for a moment, so that sweet, sour, bitter, and salty touches your tongue everywhere.
Also: Finish
How long and which taste lingers after you have swallowed. Short, medium, or long; with smoky and sherry whiskies, often the finest moment.
Also: Mouthfeel, texture
How the whisky feels: thin or oily, creamy or dry. Non-chill filtered whisky and cask-strength whisky often feel fuller.
A few drops of water open up the whisky: aromas are released and the alcohol stings less. Use a pipette so that you dose drop by drop.
Also: Legs
The streaks that run down the inside of the glass after swirling. Thick, slow tears indicate more alcohol or oils; it says nothing about quality.
Also: Blind tasting
Tasting without knowing which whisky you are drinking, so that you rely solely on your senses. Colored glasses also conceal the color.
Also: Tasting note
Your own description of nose, taste, and finish. Handy for getting to know your taste and choosing your next bottle.
Tasting notes & registration booklets · This is how you write tasting notes
Also: Neat
Pure is without anything. On the rocks is with ice: refreshing, but the cold dampens the aromas. Whisky stones or a large ice sphere cool with less dilution.
Scottish Gaelic toast: “good health”. Pronunciation approximately “slap-chee vaa”.
Also: Glencairn Classic
The official whisky glass, designed in Scotland: a wide bowl for the color, a narrowed opening that focuses the aromas, and a sturdy base. The standard for tastings.
Also: Nosing glass
Tulip-shaped glass: bulbous at the bottom, narrow at the rim. Ideal for smelling aromas; the Glencairn glass and the Copita are also tulip glasses.
The classic stemmed tasting glass, originally from the sherry world. You do not warm the whisky with your hand, and blenders use it to “nosing”.
Also: Rocks glass, Old Fashioned
Low, wide glass with a thick base. Perfect for whisky on the rocks or a cocktail; less suitable for smelling aromas.
Also: Taster, WEE glass
Small glass for small portions, ideal for tastings where you pair multiple whiskies side by side.
Also: Watch glass, lid
Small lid on your glass that holds the aromas in between sniffs.
Also: Pipette
To add water drop by drop, so you can dose precisely.
Also: Water jug
Small pitcher for soft, room-temperature water alongside your whisky.
Also: Decanter
Elegant bottle for pouring whisky and placing on the table. Please note: whisky that stands for a long time in a (poorly sealing) decanter loses aroma.
Also: Whisky stones
Stones made of soapstone, granite, or stainless steel that you cool in the freezer. They cool your whisky without diluting it.
Also: Cocktail smoker
Accessory for blowing wood smoke into your glass or cocktail, for a smoky aroma without peated whisky.
The heart of Scottish whisky production, around the River Spey, with more distilleries than anywhere else. Often elegant, fruity, and sweet, with many sherry casks.
Also: Highlands
The largest Scottish region and therefore very diverse: from soft and honey-sweet to robust and spicy.
Also: Lowlands
The south of Scotland, known for light, soft, and grassy whisky. Exceptions exist: Kingsbarns also makes peated whisky.
Island on the Scottish west coast, famous for intensely smoky, salty whiskies such as Laphroaig.
Smallest Scottish whisky region, once the “whisky capital of the world”. Robust, slightly salty, and sometimes smoky. Cadenhead is also located here.
Also: Islands
The Scottish islands outside Islay, such as Harris, Skye, and Orkney. Often maritime and slightly briny, with or without smoke.
Also: Irish whiskey
Known for smooth, often triple-distilled whiskey and its own style single pot still.
After more than a century of silence, Penderyn brought back Welsh whisky. Fresh, fruity, and often matured in Madeira or sherry casks.
Also: English whisky
Young whisky nation with big ambitions; The English Distillery has won the title of best single malt in the world twice.
Also: Nordic whisky
Scandinavian distilleries are experimenting with their own grain, rye, spelt, and other types of wood. Thy makes single estate whisky.
Also: Japanese whisky
Japanese whisky is known for precision, balance, and native woods such as Mizunara.
No terms found. Try another word, or discover whisky by flavor.
Discover in our Flavor Compass which whisky suits your taste.