Whisky Terms Glossary

An overview of commonly used terms in the world of whisky

The extensive history of whisky has produced an impressive number of terms used to describe both common things and very nuanced ones. Both whisky novices and seasoned enthusiasts will find the list below helpful. We will be updating this list regularly.

Whisky terms

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ABV (Alcohol by Volume): The standard measure of alcohol content, expressed as a percentage of the total liquid volume.
Age Statement: The number of years the youngest whisky in the bottle has matured in casks.
See also NAS.
Angel’s Share: The portion of whisky that evaporates from the cask during maturation. Typically around 1–2% per year in Scotland, though rates vary by climate and warehouse conditions.
Barrel / Cask: A wooden vessel — typically oak — used to mature whisky. Comes in many types and sizes (e.g., bourbon barrel, sherry butt, hogshead).
See also Hogshead, Sherry Butt.
Blended Malt: A whisky made by blending single malts from two or more distilleries. Contains no grain whisky.
Blended Whisky: A whisky that combines malt whisky and grain whisky, typically from multiple distilleries.
Bottler (Independent Bottler): A company that purchases spirit from a distillery and bottles it under its own label.
See also IB, OB.
Cask Strength: Whisky bottled at the natural strength of the cask, without dilution.
See also ABV.
Chill Filtration: A filtering method used to remove oils and particles, often resulting in a clearer but sometimes less flavourful whisky.
See also NCF.
Cooper / Cooperage: A cooper is a craftsman who makes and repairs casks. A cooperage is the workshop where this takes place.
Distillery: The facility where whisky is produced through mashing, fermentation, distillation, and maturation.
Dram: A small serving of whisky.
Expression: A specific bottling or release from a distillery. A single distillery may offer many different expressions, each with its own character.
Feints / Tails: The final portion of the distillation run, collected after the heart. Feints contain heavier, less desirable compounds and are typically redistilled in the next batch rather than kept.
See also The Cut, Foreshots, Heart.
Finish / Finishing: The final stage of maturation in a different cask type to add complexity (e.g., port finish, sherry finish).
First Fill: A cask being used for the first time to mature Scotch whisky. First-fill casks impart more flavour from their previous contents (e.g., bourbon or sherry) than refill casks.
See also Refill Cask.
Foreshots / Heads: The first portion of spirit to come off the still during distillation. Foreshots contain volatile, undesirable compounds and are discarded or redistilled.
See also The Cut, Heart, Feints.
Grain Whisky: Whisky made from grains other than (or in addition to) malted barley, such as wheat or corn. Typically distilled in a column still and lighter in character than malt whisky.
Heart: The middle portion of the distillation run — the desirable spirit that is collected for maturation. The heart falls between the foreshots and the feints.
See also The Cut, Foreshots, Feints.
Hogshead: A cask size commonly used in Scotch whisky maturation, holding approximately 250 litres. Typically made by fitting bourbon barrel staves with new, wider ends.
IB (Independent Bottling): A whisky released by an independent bottler rather than the distillery itself.
See also Bottler, OB.
Kilning: The process of drying malted barley in a kiln to halt germination. When peat is used as fuel during kilning, the barley absorbs smoky phenolic compounds — this is how peated whisky gets its characteristic flavour.
See also Peat, Malt.
Low Wines: The liquid produced after the first distillation in a pot still. Low wines are then redistilled in the spirit still to produce the final spirit.
See also Pot Still.
Lyne Arm: The pipe connecting the top of a pot still to the condenser. Its angle and length influence how much copper contact the vapour receives, which affects the spirit’s character.
See also Pot Still, Worm Tub.
Malt / Malted Barley: Barley that has been soaked in water and allowed to germinate before being dried in a kiln. Malting converts starches in the grain into fermentable sugars.
See also Kilning.
Maturation: The ageing process during which whisky develops its flavour and colour inside oak casks. By law, Scotch whisky must mature for a minimum of three years and one day.
NAS (No Age Statement): A whisky that does not state its age on the label.
See also Age Statement.
NCF (Non-Chill Filtered): Whisky that has not undergone chill filtration, preserving natural oils and often resulting in a fuller mouthfeel and more texture.
See also Chill Filtration.
Nose: The aroma of the whisky when smelled.
See also Palate.
OB (Official Bottling): A whisky bottled directly by the distillery.
See also IB, Bottler.
Outturn: The total number of bottles produced from a particular cask or batch. A low outturn typically indicates greater rarity.
Palate: The flavours experienced when tasting whisky.
See also Nose.
Peat / Peated: Refers to whisky made with barley dried over peat smoke, resulting in smoky, earthy flavours.
See also Kilning, PPM.
Pot Still: A large copper vessel used for batch distillation. Scotch malt whisky is typically distilled twice in pot stills — first in a wash still, then in a spirit still. The shape and size of the still influence the final character of the spirit.
See also Lyne Arm, Low Wines.
PPM (Parts Per Million): A measure of the phenol content in malted barley, indicating how heavily peated the barley is. Higher PPM generally means a smokier whisky.
See also Peat.
Provenance: The documented history of a bottle’s ownership and storage. Reliable provenance supports a bottle’s authenticity and can affect its value.
Quaich: A traditional Scottish two-handled drinking cup, historically used for sharing whisky. Often given as a gift or used in ceremonial toasts.
Refill Cask: A cask that has previously been used to mature whisky. Refill casks impart subtler wood influence than first-fill casks, allowing more of the spirit’s own character to come through.
See also First Fill.
Sherry Butt: A large oak cask, typically around 500 litres, previously used to mature sherry. Highly prized in Scotch whisky maturation for the rich, dried-fruit and spice notes it imparts.
Single Cask: Whisky bottled from one individual cask, often limited in quantity.
See also Outturn.
Single Malt: Malt whisky made at a single distillery using malted barley.
Spirit Safe: A locked, glass-walled brass container through which new-make spirit flows during distillation. The stillman uses it to judge when to make the cut between foreshots, heart, and feints — without directly touching the spirit.
See also Stillman, The Cut.
Stillman: The person responsible for operating the stills during distillation. The stillman monitors the spirit safe and decides where to make the cut — a judgement call that directly shapes the character of the whisky.
See also Spirit Safe, The Cut.
Terroir: The influence of local climate, water, barley, and environment on whisky character.
The Cut: The decision point during distillation where the stillman separates the desirable heart of the spirit from the foreshots (heads) and feints (tails). Where the cut is made significantly shapes the character of the final whisky.
See also Stillman, Foreshots, Heart, Feints.
Uisge Beatha: Scottish Gaelic for “water of life” — the origin of the word “whisky.”
Vatting: The process of blending whisky from multiple casks to achieve a desired flavour profile. Often used when creating a blended malt or a distillery’s core range expressions.
Vintage: The year the whisky was distilled.
Wash: The beer-like liquid produced after fermentation of the mash. Typically around 7–9% ABV, the wash is then distilled to produce spirit.
Worm Tub: A traditional form of condenser: a coiled copper pipe submerged in a tub of cold water, used to cool and condense spirit vapour. Worm tubs tend to produce a heavier, more characterful spirit than modern shell-and-tube condensers.
See also Lyne Arm.