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Is Scotch better than bourbon?

Scotch and bourbon are both popular types of whiskey, but they have some key differences. Scotch is made in Scotland, while bourbon originates from Kentucky in the United States. While personal taste plays a large role, there are some objective ways we can compare the two:

Flavor profiles

Scotch tends to have a smoky, peaty flavor because malted barley is dried over a peat fire. Bourbon gets notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak from the charred oak barrels it’s aged in. Bourbon also contains corn in the mash bill, giving it a sweeter taste.

Aging process

Scotch is aged in used oak barrels to allow the spirit to interact with the wood without getting overwhelmed. Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels which impart stronger wood characteristics. Scotch can be aged for decades, while bourbon is typically aged for a few years up to 12.

Alcohol content

Most Scotch whisky has an ABV between 40-46%, while bourbon clocks in higher at around 50-60% ABV. The lower alcohol content allows more subtle flavors to come through in Scotch.

Popularity

Both Scotch and bourbon are popular whiskies worldwide. Here are some statistics:

Whiskey Type Annual Sales (in millions of 9 liter cases)
Scotch 89.8
Bourbon 28.4

As this table shows, Scotch outsells bourbon by a significant margin globally. However, bourbon has been growing steadily in popularity over the last decade. Scotch is consumed in over 200 countries worldwide, while bourbon’s primary market is the United States.

Production processes

Scotch

Scotch whisky production involves these key steps:

  • The barley is malted by soaking it in water to start germination. This unlocks sugars in the grain.
  • The malted barley is dried over a peat fire, which imparts a smoky flavor.
  • The barley is mashed with hot water to extract the sugars.
  • The resulting “wort” is fermented with yeast into a “wash.”
  • The wash is distilled twice in copper pot stills.
  • The spirit is aged in used oak barrels for at least 3 years (often much longer).

Bourbon

Bourbon production follows these steps:

  • A mash bill of at least 51% corn is combined with malted barley and other grains.
  • The grains are mashed to extract fermentable sugars.
  • The wash is distilled to no more than 80% ABV.
  • The distillate is aged in new charred oak barrels for at least 2 years.
  • Bourbon can be bottled at no less than 40% ABV.

The use of new barrels gives bourbon stronger wood flavors than Scotch. Lower distillation proof means more congeners remain for flavor.

Awards and accolades

Scotch and bourbon are both recognized worldwide for excellence, winning prestigious awards. Here are some examples:

Scotch

  • The Glenlivet 18 Year Old won Best Scotch 12-20 Years at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
  • Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Glenury Royal won Best Blended Scotch at the 2022 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition.
  • Ardbeg Uigeadail won Double Gold for Best Islay Scotch at the 2022 SIP Awards.

Bourbon

  • Elijah Craig Barrel Proof won Best Straight Bourbon at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
  • Woodford Reserve Double Oaked won Best Bourbon at the 2022 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition.
  • Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style won Best Small Batch Bourbon at the 2022 SIP Awards.

These awards demonstrate excellence from distillers of both spirit types.

Price differences

There are affordable options for both Scotch and bourbon, but older and rarer expressions can get extremely expensive. Some typical price differences:

Whiskey Type Entry Level Bottle Premium Bottle High End Bottle
Scotch $30-50 $100-200 $1000+
Bourbon $20-40 $50-100 $200-500

As a general rule, age and rarity drive up the prices substantially in Scotch compared to bourbon. Old single malt Scotches can easily fetch four or five figures at high end auctions.

Conclusion

So which is better between Scotch and bourbon? There’s no definitive answer, as it comes down to personal taste. But here are a few key takeaways:

  • Scotch offers more diversity and nuance, with smoky Islay drams on one end to sweeter Speysides on the other.
  • Bourbon has a bolderwood and corn flavor profile with higher alcohol content.
  • Scotch outsells bourbon globally, but bourbon has been steadily growing in popularity.
  • Both can be found at affordable prices but extremely aged Scotches command exponentially higher prices than comparable bourbons.

For newcomers, it may be easier to appreciate the robust wood and vanilla flavors of bourbon initially. But Single malt Scotch has incredible depth and complexity that develops over decades in the barrel. There’s room for both in any well-rounded whiskey collection.