Before we tell you why they’re different, we’re going to start off by telling you how they’re the same. First of all, brandy and whisky are both fermented, they convert sugar to ethanol, and they’re most commonly aged in wooden barrels. Also, the longer they age, the smoother their taste!
Whisky
This is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from any form of fermented grain mash. Depending on the geographical region or type of whisky that is being made, whisky can be made from barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn. The alcohol and mash content varies depending on the regulations of the geographic region. Whiskies must be strengthened and aged in a charred oak barrel, to which this beverage also owes to its golden brown, amber colour. They do not mature in the bottle, hence if a person keeps the whiskey bottle over a long time, it would not become any stronger in flavour or alcohol content.
Brandy
which is short for brandywine, is a sprit that is distilled from wine, grapes and other fruit that can produce a sugary juice. However, if the brandy is made from any other fruit instead of grapes, many countries require it to be labeled as “fruit brandy”, “fruit spirit”, or the name of the fruit should be mentioned on the bottle. Brandies are more commonly considered as an after-dinner drink and can contain alcohol by volume between 35% and 60%.
The aging process determines the colour of the brandy; if it is not aged the brandy is colourless or clear and the longer it is aged the stronger the colour of the brandy. Caramel may also be added to some brandies to adjust the colour and the flavour of the beverage. Brandy is labeled in a certain way that shows the quality of the brandy.