These days, reading a whiskey label can be confusing. Aside from obvious category indications  – bourbon, rye, Scotch – it can be difficult to determine exactly where the contents of the bottle came from, or how old they are. This is especially true with the increasing proliferation of non-age statement (NAS) whiskey, which often opts for florid names and a distracting story rather than any clear indication of the true age of the liquid inside. Then, there’s the question of distillery vs. brand, and independent bottler vs. distillery release.

There are, however, some regulations in place that, thankfully, the majority…