What the label must mean.
Eight families of spirits, their essential rules and what really changes when you choose a bottle.
These cards help you read a label, but do not replace legal texts. Regulations may change and geographical indications add specific requirements.
Scotch Whisky
Production and maturation must comply with the specifications in Scotland.
Water and cereals; the single malt uses only malted barley and is distilled in pot still in the same distillery.
At least three years in oak barrels with a capacity of no more than 700 litres, in Scotland.
Single Malt, Single Grain, Blended Malt, Blended Grain and Blended Scotch Whisky.
Reading “Single Malt” means a single distillery, not a single barrel. The declared age belongs to the youngest whiskey in the blend. Water and simple caramel for the color are the interventions allowed by the reference framework.
Irish Whiskey
Must be manufactured on the island of Ireland, including Northern Ireland.
Malted grains, with or without unmalted grains, fermented with yeast.
At least three years in wooden containers within the limits set by the technical file.
Malt, Pot Still, Grain and Blended Irish Whiskey.
Triple distillation is frequent but not mandatory for all Irish Whiskey. “Single Pot Still” combines malted and unmalted barley in a single distillery and is a specific style, not a synonym for single malt.
Bourbon
At least 51% corn.
Not more than 80% vol. and entry into the barrel no more than 62.5% vol.
New charred oak.
At least two years; under four years old must declare age according to US rules.
Bourbon does not mean Kentucky by law: it can be produced in any state in the USA. There is no minimum aging for the word Bourbon, while "Straight" adds the two-year requirement and stricter limits on interventions.
Rum and Rhum Agricole
Sugarcane: Molasses, syrups or juice, depending on style and denomination.
Rum cannot be flavoured; the EU framework also defines distillation and alcoholic strength limits.
Jamaica, Barbados, Martinique, Cuba and other origins may have their own rules.
The term is linked to specific areas and disciplines; it is not enough to use fresh cane juice.
“Rum” is a much larger family than Scotch or Cognac. To understand the bottle you need to look for origin, raw material, still, any declared additions and rules of the geographical denomination.
Cognac and Armagnac
Wine from the defined area, distillation according to the specifications and maturation in oak; it cannot be sold for two years.
VS at least 2 years, VSOP at least 4, XO at least 10: the youngest member counts.
Gascony wine brandy, often distilled with a continuous armagnacais still and matured in oak.
In Armagnac the vintages play an important role, but they must respect traceability and specific rules.
They are two great French brandies, not two levels of the same scale. Distillation, territory and maturation style produce different identities. On the label, the age abbreviations must always be interpreted according to the denomination.
Tequila and Mezcal
Only Agave tequilana Weber azul variety in authorized areas.
Tequila and Tequila 100% agave: in the first at least 51% of the fermentable sugars must come from blue agave.
Blanco, Joven, Reposado, Añejo and Extra Añejo.
Distinct name, with agave species and production methods authorized by its specification.
Tequila is not a kind of Mezcal from the point of view of modern labeling: they are names with autonomous rules. Smoking alone does not define Mezcal and color does not automatically prove age.
Gin
Spirit drink flavored with juniper, which must remain the dominant character.
Flavors are built through redistillation with juniper berries and other botanicals according to EU conditions.
More restrictive subcategory, with limits on sugar, coloring and subsequent additions.
“Craft,” “premium,” and “small batch” are not universal legal categories.
In gin the list of botanicals can be poetic, but the category is read starting from the method: gin, distilled gin or London gin. The place called in the name does not always guarantee a geographical denomination.
Grappa
Fermented or semi-fermented pomace from winemaking.
Grappa is a protected geographical indication linked to Italian production and the related technical files.
The raw material and the method must retain recognizable characteristics of the pomace.
Grape variety, area and aging require conditions and traceability, they are not simple narrative decorations.
Grappa is not a generic grape distillate: it comes from pomace. “Soft”, “barricaded” or “reserve” can orient you, but to really understand you need raw material, origin and real time in wood.
Verifiable, not definitive.
The guides were written from scratch by consulting regulatory and institutional sources. The links allow you to check the data and learn more.
- Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009
- Irish Whiskey Technical File
- US eCFR, standards of identity for whisky
- EU Regulation 2019/787
- Tequila Regulatory Council
- Cognac protected origin
- Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l'Armagnac
- European eAmbrosia registry
Last revised: July 21, 2026.
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