Whisky and Brandy, what is the Difference?

By look and colour it is possible to mix up a glass of whisky and a glass of brandy.  These two spirits are very different.  Both with distinct tastes and textures, made from different ingredients, using a different process. 

Whisky is a distilled spirit made from different forms of fermented grain mash.  Whisky can be made from barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat and corn.  Whiskies must be strengthened and aged in barrels.  This aging process results in the whiskies colour. 

Whiskies can further be classified under:

• Malt whisky: made primarily from malted barley.

• Grain whisky: made from any type of grain.

• Single malt whisky: produced in a single distillery and made from a mash that uses only one particular type of malted grain.

• Blended malt whisky: a blend of different malt whiskies from different distilleries.

• Blended whiskies: made from a mixture of malt and grain whiskies along with neutral spirits, caramel, and flavouring.

• Cask strength: rare whiskies that are bottled directly from the cask and are undiluted or only a little diluted.

• Single cask: each bottle of a single barrel whisky is from an individual cask, with the cask number labeled on the bottle.

Brandy is short for Brandywine.  Brandy is a spirit distilled from wine, grapes and other fruit that can produce a sugary juice.  When brandy is made from fruit other than grapes it must be labeled as fruit brandy or fruit spirit.  Brandies are more commonly considered as an after-dinner drink and can range from 35 to 60% alcohol.  The aging process of brandy will determine the colour.  Brandy that is not aged is generally clear.  The longer it is aged the deeper the colour can be.  Brandy is also labeled following specific rules to show the quality of the brandy.

Cognac is Brandy that is made in the Congac region of France, while Brandy can be made anywhere in the world. 

Labels include:

• A.C. (aged 2 years)

• V.S. (Very Special, aged 3 years)

• V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale, aged at least 5 years)

• X.O. (Extra Old, aged at least 6 years)

• Vintage (the label shows the date it was placed into the cask)

• Hors d'age (too old to determine age, commonly more than 10 years).

Sources:

https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/article/6570/The_Difference_between_Whisky_and_Brandy

https://www.businessinsider.com/the-difference-between-cognac-and-brandy-drinks-2018-9