Whisky

Whisky is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash, typically barley, corn, rye or wheat, and aged in wooden casks, most often oak. The name derives from the Gaelic uisce beatha, meaning water of life. Major regional styles include Scotch whisky, which by law must be distilled and matured in Scotland for at least three years, Irish whiskey, American whiskey in styles such as bourbon and rye, Canadian whisky and Japanese whisky, each shaped by its own grain, still and cask traditions. Whisky ranges widely in character from light and grassy to smoky and peated, depending on the grain used, the stills, and the wood and duration of aging.