ABV
Acronym for Alcohol by Volume.
Age
Refers to the number of years a Scotch Whisky has spent maturing or aging in an oak cask
Age Statement
Found on the Scotch Whisky bottle, this is the distiller’s declaration of a Scotch Whisky’s age.
A Scotch Whisky’s age statement is the same as its actual age if the Scotch Whisky is a Single Cask Edition.
If the Scotch Whisky in the bottle is a blend of two or more whiskies from different casks and of different ages, that Scotch Whisky’s age statement is equivalent to the age of the youngest whisky used in the blend. To illustrate, if a distillery combines its 12-year old malt Scotch Whisky to its 13-year old malt Scotch Whisky for a bottling, the resulting product is a 12-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The age statement on the bottle of such Scotch Whisky, therefore, will be something like “Twelve Years Old” or “Aged 12 Years.”
Aging
Refers to the maturation stage in Scotch Whisky production. At this stage, the final distillate (or the liquid spirit produced after spirit still distillation) is placed in an oak cask. There it is allowed to mature for a period of no less than 3 years. Only after aging can Scotch Whisky be bottled.
Alcohol by Volume
The measure of a Scotch Whisky’s alcoholic strength. This is the percentage of pure alcohol present in a Scotch Whisky. The higher a Scotch’s Whisky’s Alcohol by Volume, the more alcoholic it is. Scotch Whisky must have an alcoholic strength of at least 40% (i.e. 40% ABV).
As per the Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009, a Scotch Whisky’s alcohol by volume is determined at a temperature of 20 degree Celsius and is calculated by dividing the volume of pure alcohol by the whisky’s total volume then multiplying the quotient by 100, therefore expressing the ABV as a percentage.
Alembic Still
See Pot Still.
Angel's Share
Whisky that evaporates from the cask during the maturation period. Oak casks are not air-tight containers so, while whisky is maturing, it evaporates at an average rate of 1-2% per year. Most of the volume lost during maturation is water, especially when whisky is matured in dry cellars. The Angel’s Share, however, can also contain alcohol; thus, maturation can lead to a slight but gradual reduction in a Scotch Whisky’s alcoholic strength.
Aroma
The scent of a Scotch Whisky. A whisky’s aromas are attributable to its chemical makeup. As per the Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009, an authentic Scotch Whisky’s aromas must be determined by the raw materials and the method of production used.