How to read a whisky label: what every word on the bottle means
Age, ABV, distillery, bottler and all those other phrases: what each one tells you, and what is just marketing.
- Look first for the type, the age, the ABV and who made it.
- An age statement is the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle.
- No age statement (NAS) does not mean poor quality.
- Words like cask strength, single cask and non-chill filtered tell you how it was made.
- Many terms, such as small batch and premium, have no legal meaning.
What is on a whisky label
Some information is required by law. That usually includes the type of spirit, the ABV (alcohol by volume), the bottle size, the brand name and the country of origin. Everything else is optional: age, cask type, region, tasting notes and the story behind the bottle.
A whisky label is a mix of facts and marketing. The facts are the useful bit, and once you know where to look, they take a few seconds to read.
The type of whisky
The category tells you the rules the whisky follows and gives a clue to the style.
The age statement
If a label says 12 years, it means the youngest whisky in the bottle spent at least 12 years in the cask. The bottle may also contain older whisky, but the label always shows the youngest.
Age is time in a cask, not time in the bottle. Once whisky is bottled, it stops ageing.
Many whiskies carry no age statement at all. These are called NAS. Some NAS whiskies are young, but others use carefully chosen casks, so do not treat NAS as a warning. Some labels give a distillation year (a vintage) or a bottling year instead. For the full story, see age statements explained.
ABV and proof
ABV is alcohol by volume, shown as a percentage. 40% is the usual minimum for whisky, and many bottles sit between 40% and 46%. A higher ABV means a stronger whisky, and often a more intense one.
In the United States you will also see proof. Proof is simply double the ABV, so 80 proof is 40% ABV and 100 proof is 50%. Cask strength or barrel proof whisky is bottled without dilution, often between 50% and 65% ABV. See understanding ABV.
Distillery, brand and bottler
The big name on the label is usually the distillery or brand. Check the small print as well. Phrases such as "distilled by" and "bottled by" can mean different companies:
- Distillery bottling. The distillery makes it and bottles it under its own name.
- Independent bottling. A separate company buys casks from a distillery and bottles them under its own label. Gordon & MacPhail, Signatory and Cadenhead are well-known examples. These are often single cask or cask strength releases.
- Sourced whiskey. Some brands, especially in the United States, buy whiskey from another producer and bottle it under their own name.
None of these is automatically better or worse. It simply tells you where the whisky came from. Read more in independent bottlers.
Region
Scotch labels often name a region, such as Speyside, Islay or the Highlands. Regions give a rough idea of style, but they are not a guarantee. A Highland whisky can be light or rich, and not every Islay whisky is smoky. Explore the regions: Speyside, Islay, Highland, Lowland and Campbeltown.
Cask information
Many labels tell you what the whisky was aged in. This has a big effect on flavour.
- Bourbon cask. Usually brings vanilla, caramel and coconut.
- Sherry cask. Usually brings dried fruit, spice and richness.
- Finished in. The whisky spent extra time in a second type of cask, such as port or wine, to add a layer of flavour. See cask finishes.
- Single cask. Every bottle comes from one cask. Look for a cask or bottle number.
- Batch. Several casks were mixed, and the batch number identifies the mix.
More on this in cask types explained.
Filtration and colour
Two phrases appear often on bottles of malt whisky:
- Non-chill filtered (NCF). Whisky is often chilled and filtered to stop it going cloudy when cold or when water is added. Non-chill filtered whisky skips that step, which keeps more oils and texture. It can look slightly hazy when cold, which is harmless.
- Natural colour. The colour comes from the cask only, with no added caramel colouring. Caramel colouring is allowed in many types of whisky to keep the colour consistent.
American whiskey terms
American labels have their own vocabulary. Some words have legal meanings and some do not.
Words that mean very little
Some words sound impressive but have no fixed meaning. Treat them as marketing: premium, handcrafted, special reserve, master's selection, limited edition and rare. They are not always misleading, but they do not tell you how the whisky was made or what it will taste like.
A sample label, line by line
Here is a made-up label and what each line tells you.
How to read a whisky label: quick answers
What does NAS mean on a whisky label?
NAS stands for no age statement. The label does not say how old the whisky is. It is not necessarily lower quality, because many NAS whiskies are made from carefully chosen casks.
Does a higher ABV mean better whisky?
No. A higher ABV means a stronger whisky, and often a more intense one. Whether it is better depends on what you like.
What does proof mean?
Proof is a way of showing alcohol strength, mainly used in the United States. It is twice the ABV, so 100 proof is 50% ABV.
What does non-chill filtered mean?
It means the whisky was not chilled and filtered before bottling. Chill filtering removes some oils that can make whisky look hazy when it is cold. Non-chill filtered whisky keeps those oils, which many people feel gives a richer texture.
What is the difference between distilled by and bottled by?
Distilled by names the company that made the spirit. Bottled by names the company that bottled it, which may be a different company. If the two are different, it is usually an independent bottling or a sourced product.
Whisky glasses explained
Caskable is for adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.
