What is Hazmat Whiskey? Hazmat whiskey is not a specific category or type of whiskey but rather a colloquial term used to refer to whiskey with an exceptionally high alcohol content, typically 140 proof (70% ABV) or higher. This is significantly stronger than the standard 80 to 100 proof (40-50% ABV) that whiskey is typically […]
Category: Whiskey Knowledge
Whiskey Age: Is Older Always Better?
Step into any respectable whiskey bar, and you’ll find shelves lined with bottles bearing prestigious age statements, proudly boasting their years spent maturing in oak barrels. But let’s pause for a moment and challenge the conventional wisdom. Is older always better when it comes to whiskey age? The Allure of Age There’s no denying the […]
Selling The Sip: Whiskey Marketing Buzzwords And What They Really Mean
So you just arrived at your local whiskey shop (or at the website of one of our great partner stores!) and you are trying to select a new whiskey bottle to purchase. Have you ever really stopped and read everything printed on a whiskey? While there sometimes can be some factual data about where it […]
The Simplified Guide to the Whiskey Making Process
There is nothing better than finding a whiskey that you love; that is the entire mission of Abov. But have you ever stopped to wonder where your whiskey comes from? No, not what great whiskey shop it comes from, but how your whiskey is actually made. The whiskey making process can be somewhat scientifically complex, […]
All About Whiskey Barrels
If you had to choose one thing that separates whiskey from other spirits, most likely the first thing that comes to mind is the importance of barrel aging. While time in wooden barrels before bottling is part of the production of some wine, rum, and tequila, it is nearly ubiquitous today in all whiskey styles. […]
The Different Types of Whiskey Glasses
When it comes to transporting whiskey from the bottle to your mouth, a glass is just a glass, right? Think again. While there is definitely some marketing and personal preference involved, the size, shape and even type of glass can greatly influence the way flavors and scents are perceived. If you are going to spend […]
Scottish & Irish Whiskey Brand Names Explained
Traditional Scottish and Irish brand names may sound quite confusing to many whiskey drinkers around the world. With so many Glen’s and Ard’s and More’s, it can be hard to keep all the many distilleries and brands straight! Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a method to the madness. Although there are many exceptions, with brands named […]
Whiskey Cask Finishes
Although it’s technically a bit more complicated, you can roughly say that three major elements influence the taste and quality of a whiskey. The core of a whiskey is – of course – the distillate itself. The flavor intensity and depth is partially determined by the time it has aged in a wooden barrel or […]
Whiskey or Whisky? A Lesson in Spelling, History, & Geography
A question as old as the tasty beverage itself causing a debate that remains unsettled among some even today; is it spelled whiskey or whisky? More importantly, why are there different spellings, and does it even make a difference? The Water of Life To start, we need to hop in the Abov time machine and […]