Beginning Guide to Whiskey: Whiskey 101

So you’re new to the wild world of whiskey, and you’d like to know what the heck is going on? You’ve come to the right place. Welcome to Whiskey 101. Your crash course starts now. Let’s start by taking a step back and viewing craft whiskey in overarching terms. It is a distilled beverage typically made from fermented grains, which could be any mix of barley, corn, rye, or wheat. The process includes mashing, fermentation, distillation, and aging in wooden barrels. 

The grain makeup that a distiller has decided on is ground and mixed with water as hot as 158 degrees. This process extracts the sugar, which will then begin to ferment when yeast is added. Sugar is the element that makes your final product contain alcohol, a process called fermentation. This product, typically called a ‘wash,’ will then be distilled. Distilling involves heating the liquid and collecting evaporated alcohol vapor, which is then cooled and condensed. After the product has gone through that process, the aging begins. This is where most of the flavor in the unique whiskey you see comes from. The whiskey absorbs the flavor from the wood in the barrels, and the time allotted for aging will affect how much flavor gets absorbed. 

There are a few main styles of whiskey, some of the main ones that you’ll likely encounter first are:

Scotch Whiskey
This popular and typically smokey variety is primarily made with malted barley and aged in oak barrels for a minimum of three years in Scotland. 

Irish Whiskey
Some of America’s favorite and most accessible whiskey is from Ireland. These whiskeys are unique because they are usually triple-distilled, resulting in a lighter spirit. 

Rye Whiskey
This style must utilize rye grain for over 51% of their mash bill, and the result is a spicy and robust flavor profile. The small batch rye whiskey we make here at our Texas distillery is aged to the sound of music reverberating through our whiskey distillery and boasts notes of vanilla, caramel, and a hint of apple on the finish. 

Bourbon Whiskey
The most popular style consumed in the United States is bourbon, a style that requires over 51% corn in the mash bill and that it be made in the United States. While Kentucky is a popular place for bourbon distilling, Texas bourbon is known for its complex flavor profile. 

Now that you’ve had a crash course into the basics of whiskey distilling, you’ve got to go out and see for yourself! The aroma, flavor, and body of whiskey can vary greatly. Sign up for our newsletter to get updates about our small batch whiskey from Austin, coming out this summer!