Is there a difference? Well, yes and no (mostly no).
The Scots, who invented the spirit known as Scotch whisky, chose no E. The Irish, who also claim to have invented whiskey, use an E. The word whisky/whiskey comes from the Gaelic “uisce beatha” which translates to “water of life.” No arguments there!
When Americans began grain-based distilling, they followed the Irish tradition both in process and spelling. The exception to this is the popular brand Maker’s Mark which eschews the E in honor of their family’s Scottish roots.
The Japanese were acolytes of the Scottish process, so their single malts and blends follow the Scottish spelling – no E. Same with the Canadians, rest of the former British colonies, just about all of Scandinavia, Germany, Israel, and Taiwan.
But then there is Jokichi Takamine, educated in Japan and Scotland, who emigrated to America and founded his whiskey company in Illinois.
Even though he created a fermentation process with koji, the “national mold of Japan,” Takamine chose whiskey with an E to honor his new homeland.
So, whiskey and whisky are both distilled, fermented grain-based spirits aged in oak barrels and Winebow has an excellent selection from around the world for you to explore, whatever your E preference.
