[9] The word whisky comes from the Gaelic uisge beatha or usquebaugh 'water of life' (a calque of Medieval Latin aqua vitae; compare aquavit).

[2][12] To Friar John Cor, by order of the King, to make aqua vitae, VIII bolls of malt.The Exchequer Rolls' record crown income and expenditure and the quote records eight bolls of malt given to Friar John Cor to make aqua vitae over the previous year.

[14] The first known reference to a still for making "aquavite" in Scotland appears in the Aberdeen council registers,[15] in a case heard in 1505 by the town's bailies concerning the inheritance of goods belonging to a chaplain named Sir Andrew Gray, who died in 1504.

[16] Aqua vitae (in the form of wine or spirits) was used when making gunpowder to moisten the slurry of saltpetre, charcoal and sulphur.

The Lowland distillers, who had no opportunity to avoid taxation, complained that untaxed Highland whisky made up more than half the market.

The heavy taxation during the Napoleonic Wars gave the illicit trade a large advantage, but their product was also considered better quality, commanding a higher price in the Lowlands.

[22] Some of the distilleries which started legal operations in the next few years included Bowmore, Strathisla, Balblair, and Glenmorangie; all remain in business today.

[24] Secondly, there was a shortage of wine and brandy in France, significant by 1880, due to phylloxera, a parasitic insect, destroying many vineyards, which led to a surge in demand for whisky.

[26] The industry was also affected by disputes about whether grain or blended whisky was worthy of the name, with an adverse decision in North London Police Court in 1905.

[28][29] The industry was further affected by World War I, Prohibition in the United States and later, by the Great Depression; many of the companies closed and never re-opened.

The SWR includes broader definitions and requirements for the crafting, bottling, labelling, branding, and selling of "Scotch Whisky".

[5] A Scotch whisky label comprises several elements that indicate aspects of production, age, bottling, and ownership.

A Scotch whisky labelled as "natural" or "non-chill-filtered" has not been through a filtration process during bottling that removes compounds that some consumers see as desirable.

Whisky is aged in various types of casks—and often in used port or sherry casks—during distinct portions of the maturation process, and will take on characteristics, flavour, and aromas from such casks.

[43] Scotland's identity and heritage are deeply intertwined with Scotch Whisky, a cornerstone of the country's economy exported to nearly 180 markets.

[48][49][50][51] In November 2019, the Association announced that the government of the UK had agreed to consider revising the alcohol taxation system, hopefully producing a new plan that was simplified and "fairer".

This was a boom year with a record high in exports, but the Scotch Whisky Association expressed concern for the future, particularly "the challenges posed by Brexit and by tensions in the global trading system".

"The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners like the Scotch Whisky Association to increase our tourism offer and encourage more people to visit our distilleries," the Secretary said.

[55][56] During the COVID-19 pandemic, exports of many food and drink products from the UK declined significantly,[57] and that included Scotch whisky.

[58] According to news reports in February 2021, the Scotch whisky sector had experienced £1.1 billion in lost sales.

Distilleries owned by Diageo, a London-based company, produce 40% of all Scotch whisky, with over 24 brands, such as Johnnie Walker, J&B and Vat 69.

Another 20% of the product is made by distillers owned by Pernod Ricard of France, including brands such as Ballantine's, Chivas Regal and Glenlivet .

Nonetheless, Scotch whisky is produced according to the current regulations, as to ageing, production, and so on, ensuring that it remains Scottish.

[18] Independents owned by Scots companies make a substantial amount of Scotch whisky, with the largest, William Grant & Sons, producing 8%, or about 7.6 million cases per year.

[69] To qualify for this category the Scotch whisky must be made in one distillery, in a pot still by batch distillation, using only water and malted barley.

Notable blended Scotch whisky brands include Ballantine's, Bell's, Chivas Regal, Cutty Sark, Dewar's, Grant's, J&B, Johnnie Walker, Teacher's Highland Cream, The Famous Grouse, Vat 69, Whyte and Mackay and William Lawson's.

[77] Due to the large number of distilleries found there, the Speyside area became the fifth, recognised by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) as a distinct region in 2014.

Dozens of compounds contribute to Scotch whisky flavour and aroma characteristics, including volatile alcohol congeners (also called higher oils) formed during fermentation, such as acetaldehyde, methanol, ethyl acetate, n-propanol and isobutanol.

[95] Deviation from normal concentrations of major constituents, such as alcohol congeners, provides a precise, quantitative method for determining authenticity of Scotch whiskies.

[95] Over 100 compounds can be detected during counterfeit analysis, including phenolics and terpenes which may vary in concentration by different geographic origins, the barley used in the fermentation mash, or the oak cask used during ageing.