USA

Whiskey came to the American continent with Irish and Scottish immigrants. As the groups settled, they were forced to adapt in many ways including the use of new raw materials in their surroundings such as corn and rye. Today there are few similarities between American whiskey and its cousins the Scottish and Irish whiskies. For example, no smoke is used to dry the corn, rye or wheat, which are used in American whiskey. Also mashbills in the US feature a higher percentage of corn and rye than other whiskies and distillers use backset from the previous distillation in the next mash - hence sour mashing. It must also be remembered that most American whiskies come off the still at a low distillate strength and are then put into new charred barrels to mature. Because of this, American whiskey often has a fuller, stronger and sweeter taste than most of its European counterparts.

Kentucky is still the heartland of Bourbon, with all the big names, Brown-Forman, Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Beam, Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve having a distillery there. Many people believe Bourbon can only be made in Kentucky, but in fact Bourbon may be produced in any state. The only prerequisites are that it must be made in the US, contain at least 51 per cent corn and that it must be matured in new, charred oak barrels.

South of Kentucky, the behemoth of Jack Daniel's holds its sway across the globe and the smaller distillery of George Dickel sits a few miles away. Across the other side of the country, the Anchor Distilling Company embodies America's new found joy of small craft distillers. The company produces bourbon and rye in very small batches. Now small outfits are following suit and springing up across the States making quality spirit, such as Clear Creek in Oregon, the West Virginia Distilling Company and Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. As with the Scotch industry, many of the US distillers are expanding to meet the demand of a world which is waking up to the delights of American whiskey.