All articles

Everything on Grain & Stave Notebook, organised by topic.

Tasting & Serving

• Adding Water to Whiskey: A Practical Test — Add water to whiskey gradually: taste it neat, add three to five drops of clean still water, wait briefly, and compare aroma, heat, texture, and finish.
• Best Whiskey Glass Shape for Tasting — A tulip-shaped glass with a rounded bowl and narrower opening is the best general shape for focused whiskey tasting because it concentrates aroma near the…
• How to Host a Whiskey Tasting at Home — Host a whiskey tasting around one clear theme with three or four samples, identical clean glasses, small pours, water, plain food, and note sheets.
• How to Read a Whiskey Label — Read a whiskey label in this order: formal class or type, alcohol by volume and optional proof, age statement, regulated modifiers such as straight or…
• How to Store Open Whiskey Bottles — Store open whiskey upright with the cap or cork fitted tightly, in a cool, dark place with stable temperature.
• How to Taste Whiskey Without Pretending — Taste whiskey in four passes: observe, nose, sip, and finish.
• Neat vs Rocks: How Serving Changes Whiskey — Neat whiskey is served without added water or ice, preserving the bottle's original proof and making it easier to evaluate consistently.
• What Is a Whiskey Finish? How to Describe It — A whiskey's finish is the sequence of flavor, aroma, texture, warmth, and dryness that remains after swallowing or spitting.
• Whiskey Proof vs ABV: Simple Conversion — In the United States, proof is twice the alcohol-by-volume percentage. Multiply ABV by two to get proof, or divide proof by two to get ABV.
• Whiskey Tasting Notes: Build a Useful Vocabulary — Write whiskey tasting notes in four parts: nose, palate, texture, and finish.

Whiskey Basics

• Bottled in Bond Whiskey: What the Label Means — Bottled-in-bond whiskey comes from one distiller at one distillery during one distilling season, uses the same kind of spirit and class of materials,…
• Bourbon vs Whiskey: The Difference Made Simple — Whiskey is the broad family; bourbon is a regulated American type within it.
• Cask Strength Whiskey: Proof Terms Explained — Cask-strength or barrel-proof whiskey is bottled at a proof no more than two degrees below its proof when dumped from the barrels.
• Corn Whiskey vs Bourbon: What Changes? — Corn whiskey uses a mash containing at least 80% corn and does not have to be aged. If it is stored under the U.S.
• Rye vs Bourbon: Grain Rules and Flavor Clues — Rye whiskey must use at least 51% rye in its mash, while bourbon must use at least 51% corn. Under U.S.
• Small Batch vs Single Barrel Whiskey — Single-barrel whiskey is presented as coming from one barrel, making barrel-to-barrel variation part of the experience.
• Straight Whiskey Meaning: What the Label Guarantees — For named U.S. types such as bourbon and rye, straight whiskey must meet the type's recipe and production rules, age at least two years in the required…
• What Is Bourbon? The Rules Behind the Name — Bourbon is American whiskey made from at least 51% corn, distilled at no more than 160 proof, entered into charred new oak barrels at no more than 125…
• Whiskey Age Statements: How to Read the Number — A whiskey age statement identifies the youngest whiskey represented by the statement, not the average age. U.S.
• Whiskey Mash Bills: How Grain Recipes Work — A whiskey mash bill is the percentage recipe of grains fermented before distillation.