(no 'e') is Scottish (protected marque, I believe) and is usually, although not always, produced using a single-malt process whereby barley is converted to malt, which is then mashed to produce a starch-sugar liquid, which is then fermented, then distilled, then matured. All of these steps have their own intricacies, trade secrets and purity requirements across different brands. Different water and barley can produce greatly differing results too: barley roasted over peat tastes different to mill-dried barley etc. The number of times a distillation occurs; how the distillate is filtered, how the final product is stored etc. all add up. For example: I had a nice 17-year-old Bruichladdich a while ago, which had been "madeira finished" -- i.e. changed into old madeira port barrels for its final few years of maturation -- it added a rose colour and added a sweet twist to the aftertaste.
Whiskey (with an 'e') is usually used to cover non-Scotch whiskeys of all hues (although in the UK, it's often a synonym for Irish product, as others, e.g. Bourbon, go under those names).
'Bourbon' was perfected in America as an adjustment to the growing condiditons. The malt is majority-produced from corn rather than barley ('Straight Bourbon' must use at least 51% corn in the grain mash, must mature for at least two years and must contain nothing but undiluted grain distillates). It's usually produced by "sour-mashing" -- adding previous distillate to the following batch during the mashing stage to keep certain characteristics running. As it's corn-based, it's sweeter than scotch and, by and large, requires less time to reach maturity, although -- again -- local techniques and conditions vary. I think you can only call it bourbon if it's made in Kentucky (originally Bourbon county), but could probably be wrong as I've a feeling they changed that.
(The bourbon casks can then be shipped to Scotland and reused for Scotch whisky, which requires used barrels).[ Parent ]
You're probably right. I'm not as up on the bourbon production method as the scotch one. There were an awesome set of pages online a few years ago, where the chief distiller at the Balvennie distillery explained exactly what went into the production of a specific expression (while keeping exact quantities secret) -- highly-detailed and fascinating -- almost a how-to if you had the equipment and time. Unfortunately, it seems to have been removed.
Wikipedia says ...
Interestingly, Maker's Mark is one of the only American made whiskies to be spelled in the traditional form, "whisky," as opposed to "whiskey." Technically, in United States law, the official American spelling is "whiskey," but an exception exists to allow it be spelled without an "e." Maker's Mark does this as an homage to the creators Scottish heritage.
I think it's "Scotch" and "Scotch Whisky" that are protected marques globally, although, internally to the UK, it may be different again. The fact MM call it "Bourbon Whisky" probably ducks any issues there may be internationally.
