Canadian whisky a small amount of rye grain. Historically, in Canada, whisky that had some rye grain added to the mash bill to give it more flavour came to be called "rye". The regulations under Canada's "Food and Drugs Act" stipulate the minimum conditions that must be met in order to label a product as "Canadian whisky" or "Canadian Rye Whisky" (or "Rye Whisky") — these are also upheld internationally through geographical indication agreements. These regulations state that whisky must ""be mashed, distilled and aged in Canada"”, ""be aged in small wood for not less than three years"", ""contain not less than
Whisky in wood for a similar time. After a decade or two, additional aging in a barrel does not necessarily improve a whisky. While aging in wooden casks, especially American oak and French oak casks, whisky undergoes six processes that contribute to its final flavor: extraction, evaporation, oxidation, concentration, filtration, and colouration. Extraction in particular results in whisky acquiring a number of compounds, including aldehydes and acids such as vanillin, vanillic acid, and syringaldehyde. Distillers will sometimes age their whiskey in barrels previously used to age other spirits, such as rum or sherry, to impart particular flavours. Most whiskies are sold