Heritage has always been one of Scotch whisky’s greatest strengths, but in recent years it has too often been repackaged as prestige. For many larger distilleries, and even some smaller ones, that can mean higher prices, more polished luxury cues, and a sense that the ordinary drinker is being kept at arm’s length.
Bourbon, at its best, feels different. There is still luxury, rarity, and hype in American whiskey, of course, but many of its biggest brands remain rooted in accessibility, openness, and a sense of fun. Distilleries like Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve, and Maker’s Mark have given me some of the best tours I have ever done because they felt genuinely welcoming, not guarded.
That is not to say Scotch whisky has lost its way. Some Scottish distilleries are brilliant at telling their story, opening their doors, and making visitors feel part of something special. But there are areas where the Scotch industry could learn from bourbon, from transparency and tourism to cocktails, cask detail, and a little less snobbery.
The Lack Of Declarations In Scotch Whisky
Within bourbon, rye, Tennessee whiskey, and further afield, we can often find as much detail about the whiskies as we could wish for.
Granted, some Scotch whisky distilleries and bottlers are more open than others, especially on the independent side of things. But there still seems to be this idea that Scotch whisky should remain mysterious, or that business dealings should not be shown in the wrong light.
By contrast, if you want to know about something in American whiskey, someone usually has an answer for you. There are fewer backdoors shaded in mystery and hidden dealings.
Scotch whisky has got better at this. Brands like Bruichladdich and Compass Box have opened the door for transparency, but we still do not know what is in everything, or indeed where some whiskies were sourced from. Even Compass Box and Bruichladdich have some redacted information in their transparency declarations.
Another point here is coloring and chill filtration. Most American whiskey is chill-filtered, and producers make very little noise about it. Again, see my Substack for more detail on that.
Regarding coloring, anything labeled as “straight whiskey” cannot contain added coloring. Yet 90% of Scotch whisky consumed around the world is filtered and colored, with very little regard for declaring that clearly on the label. I see that as quite shameful when it comes to coloring. It is something that should legally be declared.
The Tourist Afterthought
This sounds crueler than I mean it. Scotch whisky tourism is one of the largest draws in Scotland, but those tours can often feel a little limited. Even at distilleries that I love in Scotland, the basic tour offering is almost the same as everyone else’s.
A distillery tour in America is like a cultural hug of welcome. No disparagement meant to the exemplary Scottish tour guides, but everything really is bigger in America: the welcome, the showing off of distillery features, the gift shops, the warehouse access, and the honesty of it all.
This links back to the previous section, and to the way Scotch whisky still seems to need, or want, this sense of mystery around it. I have been to certain Scotch distilleries where they essentially said, “What do you want to see first?” That was a great time. I feel this always happens in the States, but rarely in Scotland.
Cocktail Hour
American whiskey embraced the cocktail as if it were the next logical step in drinking evolution, and they were right. It has taken a while, but Scotch whisky has finally reached a point where this is becoming normal now. For the longest time, though, there was such an onus against it.
“I only add water” was a phrase heard by customers at numerous bars across Scotland. Drink it however you like, don’t get me wrong, but at least be open to the idea of a cocktail.
Again, brands like Compass Box, Bruichladdich, and even Glenfiddich were doing well with this. A downside is that it has now been turned into a premium thing. A certain Scotch distillery, I won’t say which one, but you can probably guess, recommends serving its £90 12 Year Old Single Malt in one of its £120 crystal glasses, and you can do whatever you fancy with the rest of it.
Quite shameless, really. Your whisky should not be that expensive, and a normal glass will do. This feels more like a way to justify pricing than a way to make a cocktail more viable.
The Specifics Of Casks
American whiskeys, especially bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, and rye, have rather strict regimes around them when it comes to casks. As a result, if you see any of those listed as being finished in sherry, port, or something else, the level of detail you get can be remarkable. This is something that smaller Irish and Scotch distilleries also do to an amazing degree.
When it comes to larger distilleries, however, you are often simply told, “This is sherry matured.” To which we should all reply, “Which sherry?” because there are a lot of them. The same goes for port, rum, and the many other types of wine casks that fill warehouses.
I do understand that certain companies across the UK and Spain want to keep their business dealings safe. There is a famous tale of an Islay distillery that will let you take pictures of what is in its warehouses, but you cannot publish them online. I find that a little crazy. Anyone who wants to look at that picture would clearly get excited by it.
Meanwhile, Buffalo Trace was happily sharing pictures of the peated bourbon it had maturing in one of its warehouses. That is a sense of fun not lost in American whiskey.
I also do not believe these extra details would confuse a regular customer base. If anything, they could open the world up a little more.
The Snobbery
So many brands and individuals have done a lot to try and shake snobbery loose from the foundations of Scotch whisky, and it has worked to a degree. I am sure bourbon and American whiskey have their share of this, but when I talk to people who love bourbon, rye, Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky, and so on, they all seem so open to trying new things. It is wonderful.
There are still rather large pockets of Scotch whisky drinkers who visibly wince at the idea of drinking anything spelled with an “e.” It is actually very frustrating, especially at whisky festivals.
I fully understand personal choice. I get why people do not like peated whisky, for example. That is something we can all understand. I do some work for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in the UK. When we turn up to events, we bring everything, and it is always an incredible, versatile lineup. However, people see Finnish rye or Indian whisky and I am greeted with, “No, if it isn’t Scottish, I don’t want it.”
Well done. What an educated individual you are.
Drinkers of other spirits, especially bourbon, are often game to try anything that sounds remotely interesting.
What Scotch Can Borrow Without Losing Itself
This obviously does not apply to every distillery in Scotland. Some are incredible at what they make and how they show people around. They can be gateways into Scottish history and the character of the local area, and those places are treasured gems.
In America, though, this level of openness seems to be the standard. I dread the idea of any distillery tour in America even being considered “standard.”
Read the full article at 5 Things The Scotch Industry Could Learn From Bourbon In 2026
