Whisky maturation is the process by which new make spirit transforms into whisky through years of contact with oak casks.

The main reason distilleries use chill filtration is visual appeal. Cloudiness or sediment can be mistaken by consumers for faults or impurities, particularly in markets where whisky is often served...

Before modern whisky regulations, new make spirit was often consumed unaged, especially in rural communities where time and storage capacity were limited. In centuries past, much of Scotland’s illicit whisky...

For most of Scotch whisky’s commercial history, blends dominated the market, and the focus was on combining malt and grain whiskies. Blended malt was once referred to as “vatted malt”...

Although single grain whisky is usually associated with large-scale production for blends, it can be bottled on its own. In recent years, more distilleries and independent bottlers have released aged...

Because the term is not legally regulated, it is sometimes used loosely for marketing purposes. True small batch whiskies tend to have verifiable production details, such as the number of...