Single malt whisky (and sometimes a third) time. The final spirit, called "new make spirit", generally has an alcohol content of 60 to 70%. Most new-make malt whisky is diluted to about 62.5% a.b.v. before it is placed in casks to mature. The "new-make spirit", or unaged whisky, is then placed in oak casks to mature. By law, all Scotch whisky must be aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks, though many single malts are matured for much longer. The whisky continues to develop and change as it spends time in the wood, and maturation periods of twenty years or
Whisky long enough to have products sufficiently aged for sale, and only one of which was operating prior to 1975. Japan produces both single malt and blended whiskies. The base is a mash of malted barley, dried in kilns fired with a little peat (although less than what is used for some peated Scotch whiskies), and is distilled using the pot still method. Before 2000, Japanese whisky was primarily for the domestic market and exports were limited. Japanese whiskies such as Suntory and Nikka won many prestigious international awards between 2007 and 2014. Japanese whisky has earned a reputation for quality.