Difference Between Irish Whisky and Scotch Whisky

Ireland is the place where the alcoholic beverage known as whisky came into existence. It is believed that the production of this alcoholic drink can be attributed to the bread eating culture. The rural poor in Ireland, who used to grow grain and mill them for making bread, were the first ones to make whiskey using the mash from grain. In fact, Irish missionary monks are believed to be responsible for bringing the art of distillation to Europe. On the other hand, Scotland is known for refining the drink.

Today, whisky is produced as well as consumed throughout the world. There are basically five categories into which whisky can be broadly classified. These include Bourbon, American Blended Whisky, Irish Whisky, Scottish Whisky and Canadian Whisky. In this article, we will tell you the difference between two of these five whiskies i.e. Irish whisky and Scotch whisky. Read on to explore the information in detail.

Difference Between Irish Whisky and Scotch Whisky

Whiskeys are usually labeled after the region they are produced in. Irish whisky is the one made in Ireland, while Scotch whisky is the one made in Scotland. In fact, Scotch can only be labeled Scottish whiskey, if it has been distilled and matured in Scotland.
Irish whiskey has a softer, more rounded flavor, when compared to Scotch whisky.
Irish whiskey goes through triple distillation process, while Scotch whisky is distilled only two times. Due to it being distilled thrice, Irish whiskey is lighter than the Scottish one.
The pot stills used for making Irish whisky are larger than the stills used for making Scotch. Three times larger than normal copper pot stills are used for the distillation of Irish whiskey, which accounts for its uniquely delicate flavor.
In the process of making Scottish whiskey, the barley is first sprouted and then dried. Raw and malted barley is used to make Irish whiskey, while the Scottish whiskey is entirely made up of malted barley.
While making Irish whisky, more emphasis is laid on the process and the casks, while Scots give more importance to the skills of the master blender.
Irish whisky can be divided into Single Malt, Single Grain, Pure Pot Still and Blended Whiskey, while Scotch includes Single Malt, Vatted Malt (also called "Pure Malt"), Blended and Single Grain.
In case of Scotch, only malted barley is used, while it is not necessary for an Irish whisky to have all malted barley only. The latter usually has both raw and malted barley.
Irish malt generally is dried without using peat or any other smoke, unlike Scotch whisky, in which malt is first sprout and then dried as mentioned earlier.
The making of Irish whisky is such that more natural flavors of barley rise in it, as compared to Scotch whisky.
The aging time of both the whiskeys also differs. Scotch is aged in the cask for a period of at least 2 years. On the other hand, the Irish whiskey is aged for 3 years.

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