The Definition of Whisky

And on a wholly different (and more pleasing) note, I am sitting in a Lexis Nexis tutorial here at Oxford and one of the quiz questions involved finding the definition of Whisky in the Statutes of England and Wales. Here it is:

"whisky" means spirits --

(a) which have been produced by the distillation of a mash of cereals which has been -- (i) saccharified by the diastase of the malt contained therein, with or without other natural enzymes; and (ii) fermented by the action of yeast,to an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8 per cent by volume so that the distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used; and

(b) which have matured for at least three years in wooden casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 litres.

Sounds terribly appetising for a Thursday morning, non?