Wine and whiskey are the most popular and classic alcoholic beverages. However, you might be wondering what the differences are between the two.

 

Wine and whiskey are two different alcoholic beverages. It differs in alcohol content, taste, smell, and production. Wine compliments food, bringing out the flavor of the food. Whiskey, on the other hand, is better as a standalone drink. It is also made of different ingredients.

 

Wine and whiskey are classic alcoholic drinks. However, there is a considerable difference between the two. Let us look at the differences between wine and whiskey, specifically their taste, smell, production, and alcohol content.

 

Differences Between Wine And Whiskey

Wine generally complements meals, while whiskey does not. Wine has a good balance of sourness, sweetness, and bitterness. Each type of wine has a signature taste that distinguishes it from other brands. In addition, the wine’s aroma and color indicate what ingredients it contains.

 

The Taste Of Wine

It is tough to generalize the taste of wine since each is different. For example, white wine is crisper than red wine and has sharper flavors, such as citrus, freshly cut grass, stone fruits, and floral hints. Light-bodied red wine has hints of berries such as strawberries, raspberries, or cherries. Richer-bodied red wine can have traces of blackberries, blueberries, or blackcurrants. Other red wines can have a leathery or other savory taste.

 

The Taste Of Whiskey

On the other hand, whiskey is smoky, salty, and malty. Rye whiskey tastes spicy with black pepper and cinnamon hints, while corn whiskey usually tastes sweet and fruity. In addition, rye usually has an extra kick. Irish whiskey is the best way to go if you want something smooth. Its smooth taste is thanks to this whiskey being distilled three times instead of two.

 

The Smell Of Whiskey and Wine

When you can pick up on whiskey flavors by smelling them, the whiskey has aged well. Well-aged whiskey almost smells like leather or wood. They have layers of flavor that you can smell. The smell is vital if you want the best whiskey experience. You can categorize the smell of whiskey as follows:

 

• Grainy. You can get hints of cereal or malt.
• Grassy. The whiskey can have a fresh smell like cut grass, green vegetables, green sticks, tomato, leafy, mint. But, on the other hand, whiskey can have a dried grassy smell like hay, straw, chaff, dried tea, stewed tea, tobacco, dried herbs.
• Fragrant. You will get floral, solvent, or honey notes from certain whiskeys. Floral notes include perfumed, rose, lavender, geranium, carnation, artificial floral. Solvent includes bubble gum, pear drops, fresh paint, acetone, pine essence. Honey includes clover flowers, heather pollen, heather honey, mead beeswax.
• Fruity. Whiskey can smell like fresh, citrus, or dried fruit. Fresh fruity notes like apple, pear, peach, melon, fig, cherry, green banana or redcurrant may be present. You might also get a hint of citruses like lemon, lime, orange mandarin, grapefruit, or pineapple.
• Peaty. Whiskey can give off medicinal, maritime, or smoky smells.
• Woody. Vanilla, spicy, and new wood are some of the notes you might pick up when smelling whiskey.
• Winey. It may smell nutty like coconut, walnut, or hazelnut. Whiskey might also smell oily or vinous.
• Off notes. This includes a metallic, musty, Sulphur, vegetal, meaty, or cheesy smell.

A wine’s aroma usually has hints of:

• Floral
• Citrus
• Fruita
• Vegetables
• Earthy notes

The aroma depends on the grape used; the process followed when making the wine, and how it has been stored. The first primary aroma is fruit, herbs, and floral. The secondary aroma is derived from the wine-making process and will usually smell like cheese rind or nuts. The tertiary aromas come from how the wine was stored. Finally, it will come from aging, and these aromas are usually savory like roasted nuts, baking spices, vanilla, autumn leaves, tobacco, leather, cedar, or coconut.

 

Wine Has A Lower Alcohol Content Than Whiskey

Wine has a considerably lower alcohol content than whiskey. Wine can range from 5% to 25% alcohol by volume.

Unfortified wine has an average of 11% alcohol by volume, while fortified wine has an average of 18%. The alcohol by volume for whiskey usually ranges from 40% to 50%.

 

Production Differences Between Wine And Whiskey

While wine is made from grapes, whiskey is made from barley, malted barley, rye, wheat, buckwheat, and corn. Thus, all whiskey is made of grain. Different ingredients are used for different styles. For example, bourbon whiskey must contain at least 51% corn, while Scotch whiskey must contain barley wheat. These other grains give different flavors.

 

Whiskey Is Distilled And Aged In White Oak Barrels

The production process includes distillation and aging the whiskey in white oak barrels for three to four years. Also added to whiskey is caramel mix.

 

First, the grain is prepared and mixed with water. Second, the cooked grain is mixed with malted barley and transferred to a fermentation vessel. And lastly, yeast is added to begin the fermentation process. The whiskey is then distilled, aged, and blended.

 

Wine Is Un-distilled

Unlike whiskey, wine is an un-distilled alcoholic beverage. The making of red and white wine also differs from each other. The red wine-making process roughly includes:

 

• Harvesting grapes
• Preparing the grapes for fermentation
• Alcohol fermentation
• Pressing the wine
• Settling the wine in tanks for the second fermentation
• Aging
• Blending and clarifying the wine

The white wine-making process is a bit different and includes:

• Harvesting grapes
• Pressing the grapes
• Letting the juice settle
• Adding yeast to start the wine fermentation
• Alcoholic fermentation
• Malolactic fermentation
• Stirring the “lees”
• Blending and clarifying the wine

Conclusion

As you can see, the smell, taste, and alcohol content of both whiskey and wine depends on the production process. Whiskey has more alcohol than wine and has a smokier taste to it. White wine has a hint of citrus, while red wine tastes more like berries.

 

You can pick up the flavors of whiskey and wine by just its aroma. Both whiskey and wine have layers that you can pick up by smelling and tasting them. While both wine and whiskey are alcoholic beverages, they differ a lot.