The secret language of whisky labels: what to look for when buying

Whisky labels can be revealing, beguiling, familiar. You might look behind a bar or scroll through pages online and see an image that speaks to you. It takes you back. It suggests a certain character or flavour. It promises the reacquaintance of an old friend or the introduction of a charming new one. 

But whisky labels aren’t so welcoming to everyone. To some, reading them can feel like deciphering a secret language. For the uninitiated, a whisky label can be nothing more than a dense field of jargon. Hidden maps, filled with clues for the curious.

Here’s a guide to decode these labels, so you can make informed choices next time you’re browsing. What you’ll notice is that each individual category on its own can reveal a lot and be misleading at the same time. You need to take in the whole picture to understand a whisky from its label, and we’re going to help you do just that. 

Happy exploring, and may you find a whisky that ticks all your boxes.

The secret language of whisky labels: what to look for when buying

Brand/distillery name

The first thing you’ll notice is the distillery or brand name. Once you’ve become a bit of a nerd like me, those names will mean something. Some are synonymous with quality or a particular style, like Ardbeg or Talisker. Others are recognisable because their size has made them ubiquitous, like Johnnie Walker or Glenfiddich. 

If you’re not familiar with distillery names that’s ok. First, you can always head to our dedicated distillery pages and find out more about the history of a producer and how it makes whisky. But there’s also plenty of other information on the bottle that will tell you more about what to expect if a name alone doesn’t mean much to you.  

Country

Next, you should see a statement of where the whisky is made. Generally, this will be a country, Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky, Scotch whisky etc. This can reveal an amount about the whisky, particularly if it’s from a country like Scotland with firm production regulations that guarantee quality standards. Ireland might serve up a triple-distilled, lighter, smooth whisky, while American bourbon boasts sweeter, spicier profiles. Where a whisky is made matters and will influence the character of the spirit. But within countries, different styles of whiskies are made, so this will only reveal so much.

Region

In Scotch whisky, there are five defined production regions: Speyside, Islay, The Highlands, The Lowlands, and Campbeltown. These will typically be declared on a whisky’s label as these are proud and protected identities that each suggest a certain profile. Islay whisky is often smoky and coastal, Speyside whisky tends to be fruitier. But there’s nuance and variation within each region too, so you can’t know the sum total of the whisky simply from the region it was made in. Learn more about Scotch whisky regions in our Whisky Guides. 

Age Statement

The big number you’ll often see on a whisky label is its age and it’s a factor many whisky fans hold most significant. Now, age matters, but maybe not as much as you think. The age statement tells you the youngest whisky in the bottle – though outside of single cask whisky, every whisky is created from a marriage or blend (yes, even single malt) and there’s every chance there might be older whisky in there too. A 12-year-old whisky means every drop has aged for at least 12 years. 

Older doesn’t automatically mean better either. The ageing process has the effect of maturing whisky, bringing more complexity, nuance, and refinement to the spirit. But it’s possible to age a whisky for too long, or to choose the wrong cask for the spirit’s profile, or to have aged a poor spirit in the first place that will only mature so much. Don’t dismiss younger whiskies off-hand, they can offer vibrancy and bold flavours that reveal a lot about the spirit that went into the cask, which can be tremendously rewarding and revealing to big nerds like me. 

If you don’t see an age statement declared on the label, then you’re likely looking at what we call a NAS (No Age Statement) whisky. Typically these are blends, but not always, and they contain both young and older whiskies. A lot of whisky fans are sceptical of NAS. That might be because they believe that whisky too young has been used to essentially pad out the spirit and that there’s a reason the producer doesn’t want to declare the youngest age. It might be because it lacks a certain transparency of production. But some of it is also snobbery and we recommend you don’t dismiss a whisky simply because it’s NAS. Try it for yourself first. 

ABV (Alcohol by Volume)

ABV, or Alcohol by Volume, tells you the percentage of alcohol in the bottle. You may also see the whisky’s ‘proof,’ in the United States for example, which is simply another way to indicate strength. The proof is twice the ABV – so a whisky at 40% ABV is 80 proof.

The minimum strength a whisky can be bottled at is 40% ABV (according to most rules anyway) and many of them sit around 40-46%. 

You do get higher than that, particularly with cask-strength releases, which means that the whisky was bottled at the strength that spirit was at in the cask. Most whiskies are diluted with water before bottling, which is done to create a consistent profile or for the same reason you might add water to your dram, to tailor it to a certain taste. Many whisky fans like cask strength whisky as a higher ABV can intensify the flavour and texture of a whisky.

Style: Single malt, blend, bourbon, single pot still…

Whisky labels will also tell you the style of the whisky inside and that will give a big clue about the whisky’s character. 

Single malt, for example, refers to whisky from a single distillery made from 100% malted barley, while blends combine whiskies from multiple distilleries – often grain and malt whiskies. Bourbon can only be made in America and the mash bill (the recipe of which grains were used to make it) must contain at least 51% corn. Single pot still whiskey can only be made in Ireland and must contain both malted and unmalted barley. 

Each of these styles has a defined production process that brings distinctive elements to the whisky’s flavour. The high use of corn in bourbon, for example, adds a creamy sweetness to the whiskey, while the unmalted barley in single pot still Irish whiskey adds rich, unctuous spiciness. We still need more information, however, as there is nuance and diversity within every style. Learn more about different types of whisky in our Whisky Guides. 

Production info

Here’s where things get interesting. Whisky labels often mention production details like what kind of casks were used to mature it or if the whisky was peated. These give you a sneak peek at the flavours waiting for you. 

There’s many different cask types out there: bourbon barrels, sherry butts, Port pipes, etc., each adding its own twist. You expect bourbon barrels to contribute vanilla and caramel, sherry casks to bring fruit and spice, and so on. As we touched on previously, the type of grain used, whether it’s corn, rye, or just barley, also affects the taste. 

Some whiskies, particularly from Islay and parts of the Highlands, mention peat or peated barley. This means that peat was used to dry the malted barley in the production process, which gives the whisky a smoky, earthy character. Learn more about peated whisky in our Whisky Guides. 

Tasting notes

Some bottles provide tasting notes, offering a flavour preview. This is one of our favourite features we highly encourage it. Not everyone will understand a distillery name or a specific production process, but everyone knows what an apple tastes like.

Mind you, tasting notes always need to be taken with a pinch of salt. While we don’t doubt the integrity or ability of the person who wrote them – tasting is subjective, and your palate might pick up different notes. But they’re usually a good guide and the purpose isn’t necessarily to be searingly accurate. If a writer says the whisky smells like marmalade, then you can imagine there’s a note of orange in there somewhere and that can help you to understand the whisky more. If it mentions ‘honey and dried fruit,’ expect something sweet and rich; if it’s ‘smoke and seaweed,’ you’re in peaty territory. 

So do take in the tasting notes if they’re on the whisky’s label. But the best way to discover the taste? Pour a dram and find out for yourself.

Limited Edition

The words “Limited Edition” on whisky labels are a siren song for whisky enthusiasts. These whiskies are produced in small batches, often from unique casks, or maybe they’ve spent a bit longer in a special finish. The appeal here is exclusivity and, quite often, a memorable, sometimes experimental dram. Although, while this can and usually does indicate a limited supply there are no official rules or requirements around using this wording on a label. One brand/producer’s opinion of what counts as “limited” can vary greatly from another’s. Of course, if they are truly limited editions then they tend to disappear quickly, so if it sounds intriguing, don’t hang about.

Non-chill-filtered whiskies

A very technical term you might see on a whisky label is to declare that it is “non-chill-filtered”. Chill filtration is a process of removing oils and fats in the whisky that prevent it from clouding (learn more about chill filtration in our Whisky Guides). Some whisky aficionados feel strongly that chill-filtering robs whisky of texture and depth. It’s rare a whisky label will tell you that it is chill-filtered, but brands will often declare if the whisky is ‘non-chill-filtered’ as a means of appealing to the aficionados and indicating that you’re getting a whisky with all its original character intact. 

Colour additive statement

It’s common for whisky producers to add caramel colouring (E150a). This is done for aesthetic consistency mostly, and isn’t a process for adjusting the taste of the whisky, but purists prefer their whisky unadulterated. To that end, if a whisky says “natural colour” on the label, it means what you see is purely from the cask influence.

Tell us what you think about whisky labels

Is there anything we forgot to mention, any particular details on whisky labels you always look out for? Let us know in the comments below.

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