Scotland tends to dominate the whisky conversation, and for good reason, but it stopped being the only story a long time ago. Brilliant whisky is now made all over the world, each country bringing its own character, rules and quirks. If you've found your feet with Scotch, exploring beyond it is one of the most rewarding things you can do, and you don't need a passport. Here's a quick tour of four whisky worlds worth knowing.
A small note before we go. The spelling is a clue to where a whisky comes from. Scotland, Japan and England write whisky without an "e," while Ireland and the United States usually keep it and write whiskey. Same drink, different heritage.
Japanese whisky
Japan built its whisky on Scotland's blueprint. In the 1920s, after one of its founders trained at Scottish distilleries, Japan started making whisky in much the same way, then quietly spent a century perfecting it.
The result is a style famous for precision and balance. Japanese whisky tends to be clean, elegant and beautifully put together, sometimes delicate, sometimes with a wisp of smoke, almost always refined. Suntory, with Yamazaki and Hibiki, and Nikka, with Yoichi, are the big names, and the Japanese also turned the simple whisky highball into something close to a national drink.
One thing to watch as a buyer. For years the term "Japanese whisky" was used loosely, and some bottles labelled that way actually contained whisky imported from elsewhere. Tighter labelling standards have come in to fix that, so it's worth checking that a bottle was genuinely made and matured in Japan if that's what you're paying for. Demand has also made the good stuff scarce and pricey, so bargains are rare.
Irish whiskey
Ireland has one of the oldest whiskey traditions in the world, nearly lost it entirely in the twentieth century, and is now in the middle of a roaring comeback. If you want smooth and approachable, this is your shelf.
Irish whiskey is often triple-distilled, which tends to produce a lighter, softer, exceptionally easy-drinking spirit, and it's usually unpeated, so smoke rarely features. That smoothness is why so many people find Irish whiskey such a comfortable place to start. Ireland also has a style all its own called single pot still, made from a mix of malted and unmalted barley, which gives a spicier, creamier, fuller character you won't find anywhere else. Jameson is the household name, but it's worth seeking out a Redbreast or a Green Spot to taste what Ireland does at its best.
American whiskey
America does whiskey loud, sweet and full of character, and it splits into a few distinct styles worth telling apart.
Bourbon is the famous one. It's made mostly from corn and aged in fresh charred oak barrels, and that new wood is the secret to its big, sweet hit of vanilla, caramel and oak. Despite the reputation, bourbon doesn't have to come from Kentucky, though most of it does. Rye whiskey, made mainly from rye grain, is the spicier, drier, more peppery cousin, and it's the backbone of a lot of classic cocktails. Then there's Tennessee whiskey, essentially bourbon with an extra charcoal-mellowing step, which is the Jack Daniel's school. Maker's Mark, Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve are good places to meet bourbon properly.
There's a neat connection here, too. Those fresh charred barrels can legally be used only once for bourbon, after which many are shipped to Scotland and beyond to age Scotch. A lot of the whisky world is, quite literally, drinking from America's hand-me-downs.
English whisky
This is the exciting one, and close to home. England barely made whisky for more than a century, then quietly started again in the mid-2000s, and the scene has grown fast ever since. There are now dozens of English distilleries, and the category is one of the most interesting places in whisky right now.
Because English whisky is young and unburdened by centuries of regional tradition, distilleries feel free to experiment. You'll find everything from soft, fruity, Speyside-style malts to bold peated drams, often made in small batches with real craft and care. Names like the Cotswolds, the Lakes, Bimber and Spirit of Yorkshire are building serious reputations, and there's now a proper protected standard for single malt English whisky to back the quality up. If you want to taste a whisky tradition being built in real time, this is it.
It's also the one we're proudest to champion at Oak & Ember, because some of the most rewarding bottles being made anywhere are coming out of England right now, and they deserve a wider audience.
Where to start
If you're stepping outside Scotch for the first time, let your taste point the way. Irish whiskey is the gentlest landing if you like things smooth. Bourbon is the move if you've got a sweet tooth and want big, rich flavour. Japanese whisky rewards anyone who likes elegance and balance, as long as you can find a fairly priced bottle. And English whisky is for the curious, the people who enjoy discovering something while it's still finding its feet.
The truth is that whisky stopped belonging to any one country a long time ago. Wherever it's made, the pleasure is the same: pour a little, pay attention, and enjoy where it takes you.
Getting the best from whatever you pour
None of this changes the basics of enjoying it. Whichever country your bottle comes from, a nosing glass that gathers the aromas will show you more of its character, from the precision of a Japanese malt to the vanilla rush of a bourbon.
That's what we care about at Oak & Ember: helping every whisky you choose, from anywhere in the world, show you everything it's got.
Pick a country you've never tried and pour something from it this week. The world of whisky is wider and more interesting than the Scotch shelf alone.
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