Cognac is made from grapes and undergoes double distillation, while whiskey is made from grains and is distilled once. Cognac must be made in the Cognac region of France, while whiskey can be made in many countries. Both are aged in oak barrels and judged by their age.
One of the most obvious differences between cognac and whiskey is that cognac makers use grapes and whiskey makers use grains. While both processes use fermentation to create spirits, cognac makers use a double distillation process. Government regulations require cognac producers to create the liqueur exclusively in the Cognac region of France, using only certain grape species. Whiskey producers are free to produce whiskey in many countries, and some countries, such as Ireland and the United States, are famous for their whisky.
As with many foods, cognacs and whiskeys have a long history of development and refinement. Cognac differs from other fruit-based liqueurs because winemakers distill it twice and age it in oak barrels. Double distillation, called charentaise distillation, creates a less harsh drink. Cognac shipped in oak casks, or casks, is tastier and smoother due to the time it sits in the casks on ships and in storage.
Similarly, Irish and Scottish people had to improvise when making spirits and creating whisky. The scarcity of grapes on the islands prompted the creation of the grain-based liqueur. They used the grains available and over time the process was refined to include aging in barrels. Aging of the fermented liquid in oak barrels is common to cognac and whiskey. In some areas, including Ireland, people use the word whisky; in the United States and other areas, the drink is called whiskey.
Cognac makers ferment the grape juice for about five days before the first distillation. After the second distillation, the producers seal the cognac in barrels. Usually, they list the cognac’s age as Very Special (VS), which means a minimum of two years in the barrel; Very Special Old Pale (VSOP), which is four years or older; or Extra Old (XO), which is stored in the barrel for more than six years. Some cognac producers age their products for over 20 years.
In contrast, whiskey makers distill the grain mash only once and list the age in years. For example, a label may indicate 12-year-old whisky. Some of the common ages are five, 10 and 15 years old. A similarity between cognac and whiskey is that connoisseurs judge the age of each by the amount of time spent in the barrel, not a bottle.
Another difference between cognac and whiskey is that cognac makers use juice only from selected grapes, but not from other fruits. Typically, whiskey makers use barley as a base, but other grains may be used as well. These grains include rye and malt, wheat and corn. Whiskey makers often combine grains, as in bourbon whiskey, which contains corn as more than half the grain.
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