Where a whisky comes from changes everything
Climate, water, peat and tradition leave their mark on every dram. Pick a part of the world below and see what to expect in the glass, and where to start.
The heartland of single malt
Five protected regions and a scattering of island distilleries, each with a character shaped by water, peat, climate and centuries of craft.
Speyside
Honeyed, fruity and approachable — sherry casks reign here.
Islay
Peat, smoke and iodine — the most distinctive Scotch region.
Highland
Diverse and complex — heather, spice and coastal salt.
Lowland
Light, grassy and floral — Scotland's most delicate whiskies.
Campbeltown
Briny, oily and funky — a distinct character all its own.
The Islands
Maritime and often peated — Orkney, Skye, Mull and beyond.
Triple-distilled tradition, reimagined
Smooth, approachable and in the middle of a remarkable revival.
Ireland
Smooth, spicy and fruity, from creamy pot still to sherried single malt.
Irish whiskey must be aged for at least three years in wooden casks on the island of Ireland. Most is triple-distilled, which gives it a notably smooth character — though a growing number of distillers are challenging that convention.
Bourbon, rye and a frontier without borders
Kentucky built the legend and Tennessee refined it. New York's craft distillers are rewriting the rules, and Canada quietly does it all lighter.
Kentucky bourbon
Vanilla, caramel and oak — the definitive American spirit.
Tennessee whiskey
Charcoal-mellowed and smooth — bourbon's quieter neighbour.
New York
Young, grain-forward craft whiskey from the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Canadian whisky
Light, smooth and often rye-forward.
Precision, balance and relentless craft
Built on Scotch tradition but unmistakably Japanese — delicate, complex and endlessly considered.
Honshu and the main islands
Elegant, fruity and floral.
Hokkaido
Peated, maritime and robust.
Craft and new-wave Japan
Experimental, innovative and highly sought after.
Japanese distillers began by studying Scotch and ended up creating something entirely their own. The obsession with precision, the willingness to experiment with cask types and the belief that every detail matters have produced some of the most consistently excellent whisky in the world.
The new frontier of whisky making
From tropical-climate maturation in Taiwan to India's booming single malt scene, whisky's map keeps growing.
Taiwan
Tropical maturation — bold, rich and fast.
India
Rich, spiced and rapidly rising.
Australia
Small-batch, cool-climate and award-winning.
