It Just Rolls Off The Tongue

July 19, 2022

Let’s compare some differences between bourbons and scotches. We have covered taste, process, and a hundred other little things about these two great drinks, but one comparison we haven’t touched on is the names that are given to inspire or encourage you to buy a particular brand.

In America, we love to name our bourbons and whiskeys after the people that created them. Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, George Dickel, and Elijah Craig just to name a few. Some scotch is named that way as well. Johnnie Walker is the first that comes to mind. Chivas Regal is also named after the brothers that created it, James and John Chivas.

And even if scotch isn’t your thing, pronouncing the names of scotch whiskey is a blast. Take Lagavulin for example. It’s just fun to say. Its name means “hollow of the mill’. The “hollow of broad bay” translates to Laphroaig. There is also the “glen” Scotch like Glenlivet which means “smooth flowing one”. Glenmorangie which many believe translates to “glen of tranquility”. And of course, Glenfiddich which translates to “valley of the deer”. Others that are fun to pronounce are Auchentoshen (AUK-en-TOSH-en), Bunnahabhain, and Glenkinchie. But my favorite scotch to pronounce, although I have never tried it, is Bruichladdich. Its name means “stony shore bank”. And it’s everything great about the Gaelic language in one beautifully named scotch. It just goes to show, that you don’t need to pronounce it to enjoy it.