American Whiskey
Created in the United States from a fermented mash of cereal grain, American Whiskey is an indigenous product of the United States.
Bourbon Whisky
Must contain a minimum of 51% corn, be produced in the United States, be distilled at less than 80% ABV (160 proof) and be aged for a minimum of two years in new charred barrels, although in practice virtually all straight whiskies are aged at least four years. Any Bourbon, or any other domestic or imported whiskey, for that matter, that has been aged less than four years must contain an age statement on the label. Small Batch Bourbons are bourbons that bottled from a small group of specially selected barrels that are blended together. It should be noted though that each distiller has their own interpretation of what constitutes a "small batch." Single Barrel Bourbon is Bourbon from one specifically chosen cask.
Tennessee Whisky
Must contain a minimum of 51% corn, be produced in Tennessee, be distilled at less than 80% ABV (160 proof), filtered through a bed of sugar maple charcoal, and be aged for a minimum of two years in new charred barrels.
Canadian Whisky
Made primarily from corn or wheat, with a supplement of rye, barley, or barley malt. There are no Canadian government requirements when it comes to the percentages of grains used in the mash bill. Unlike Bourbons, they are aged, primarily in used oak barrels. The minimum age for Canadian Whisky is three years, with most brands being aged four to six years. Virtually all Canadian whiskys (except the pot-distilled malt whiskies of Glenora in Nova Scotia) are blended from different grain whiskies of different ages. Bulk Canadian Whiskys are usually shipped in barrels to their destination country where they are bottled. These bulk whiskies are usually bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) and are usually no more than four years old. "Bottled in Canada" whiskies generally have older components in their blends and are bottled at 43.4% ABV (86.8 proof).
Scotch Whisky
A malt whiskey or grain whiskey made from malt barley in Scotland is simply referred to as ‘scotch’. All scotch must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years. First noted back in 1495, by a Scottish friar named John Cor, scotch is a strictly regulated spirit worldwide with many classes and types. The typical unifying characteristics of the different classes and types are the fermentation of grains, distillation, and aging in wooden barrels.
Irish Whiskey
Irish whiskey or ‘uisce beathea’, which is Irish for "water of life" is distilled and aged on the island of Ireland. The product must be aged for at least three years in wooden casks and have less than 94.8% alcohol content from a yeast-fermented mash of cereal grains. Whiskey types common to Ireland include single pot still, single malt, single grain, and blended but the meaning of such terms can vary substantially from producer to producer.