Scotch whisky

Scotch whisky (Scottish Gaelic: uisge-beatha na h-Alba; Scots: whisky/whiskie [ˈʍɪski] or whusk(e)y [ˈʍʌski]), often simply called whisky or Scotch, is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two) made in Scotland.

The first known written mention of Scotch whisky is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland of 1494. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distilleries began introducing whisky made from wheat and rye in the late 18th century. As of May 2024, there were 151 whisky distilleries operating in Scotland, making Scotch whisky one of the most renowned geographical indications worldwide.

All Scotch whisky must be aged immediately after distillation in oak barrels for at least three years. Any age statement on a bottle of Scotch whisky, expressed in numerical form, must reflect the age of the youngest whisky used to create that product. A whisky with an age statement is known as guaranteed-age whisky. A whisky without an age statement is known as a no age statement (NAS) whisky, the only guarantee being that all whisky contained in that bottle is at least three years old. The minimum bottling strength according to existing regulations is 40% alcohol by volume. Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: single malt Scotch whisky, single grain Scotch whisky, blended malt Scotch whisky (formerly called "vatted malt" or "pure malt"), blended grain Scotch whisky, and blended Scotch whisky.

Many Scotch whisky drinkers refer to a unit for drinking as a dram. The word whisky comes from the Gaelic uisge beatha or usquebaugh 'water of life' (a calque of Medieval Latin aqua vitae; compare aquavit).

The earliest record of distillation in Scotland is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland for 1494.

To Friar John Cor, by order of the King, to make aqua vitae, VIII bolls of malt.

— Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, 1 June 1494.

The Exchequer Rolls' record crown income and expenditure and the quote records eight bolls of malt given to Friar John Cor to make aqua vitae over the previous year. The term aqua vitae is Latin for "water of life" and was the general term for distilled spirits. This would be enough for 1,500 bottles, which suggests that distillation was well-established by the late 15th century.