What Is Whisky?

This chapter presents a brief history of whisky, with a particular emphasis on the events that shaped its flavor and character. This includes technical innovations, but also regulatory policies and the occasional scandal. The historical perspective is relevant to the notion of authenticity: what is whisky today in relation to the past? It also helps to understand the politics behind the whisky science publishing boom around the start of the twentieth century: the birth of whisky science. The studies at the time were significantly tied to the legal disputes over the meaning of the word “whisky” that occurred globally. The scientists involved frequently testified, and wrote opinions seen to support one side, the other, or both.