Straight whiskey prior to its bottling. American straight whiskey must be aged in charred new oak barrels and must be put into the barrels for aging at a concentration not exceeding 62.5% abv. When bottled, only water to reduce proof may be added. This is the definition established for production of American whiskey for consumption within the United States as per the U.S federal "Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits". (The regulations do not necessarily apply to American whiskey made for export.) Alternatively, straight can also refer to a way of requesting and/or serving a drink of whiskey—pouring the spirit without any
Irish whiskey John Powers and George Roe (all family run, and collectively known as the "Big Four") came to dominate the Irish distilling landscape. The chief output of these distilleries, known as single or "pure pot still" whiskey, was made from a mix of malted and unmalted barley, and solely distilled in pot stills. The style, having initially emerged as a means of avoiding a 1785 tax on malt, endured although the tax had been later repealed. In fact, even by the late 1880s, only two of Ireland's then 28 existing distilleries were producing single malt whiskey, the rest steadfast in their