What's in a Number?

It's often said that age is just a number.

While most of us don't wear ours printed on our lapels, single malts do. Bottles of Scotch proudly proclaim their 12-, 16- and upwards of 20-year ages on their labels.

But what does that number on the label really mean? The number reflects the age of the youngest malt used to produce that particular whisky. So the 18 on that bottle of Aberlour you’re drinking guarantees that the youngest whisky used to produce that bottle matured for 18 years.

When it comes to dating, however, age doesn’t always reflect maturity. If only the maturity level of a man could be guaranteed by a number on a label neatly affixed to his chest. I don’t think it would take away from the fun of sampling at all.

Whisky vs. Whiskey

So what makes your dram a whisky or a whiskey?

Whisky is generally used for whiskies distilled in Scotland, Wales, Canada and Japan, while whiskey is commonly used for whiskeys distilled in Ireland and America.

As with the rules of grammar (sometimes vowel “y”) and The Rules (sometimes “on the first three dates we don’t have sex with a man or let him stay at our place overnight” why?) there are always exceptions. A few American spirits – that bourbon babe Maker’s Mark for one – use the whisky spelling.