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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

American Single Malt Whiskey: Read the Label — American single malt whiskey is a U.S. whiskey made from a fermented mash of 100 percent malted barley, distilled at no more than 160 proof at one U.S.
Blended Whiskey vs Blended Straight Whiskey — Blended whiskey contains at least 20 percent straight whiskey on a proof-gallon basis; the rest may be whiskey, neutral spirits, or both, with neutral…
Bottled in Bond Whiskey: What the Label Means — Bottled-in-bond whiskey must be the same kind of spirit from the same class of materials, made by one distiller at one distillery in one distilling…
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 requires at least 80% corn and need not be stored. If age is claimed, it uses used oak or uncharred new oak.
Light Whiskey Meaning: A Label Reader's Guide — Light whiskey is a regulated U.S. whiskey type distilled from a fermented grain mash at more than 160 proof but less than 190 proof, then stored in used…
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 U.S. whiskey age statement is a minimum: when the product contains no neutral spirits, one stated age identifies the youngest whiskey, not the average.
Whiskey Mash Bills: How Grain Recipes Work — A whiskey mash bill is the percentage recipe of grains fermented before distillation.