Scotch whisky (Scottish Gaelic: uisge-beatha; Scots: Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distilleries began introducing whisky made from wheat and rye in the late 18th century.As of 2022, there were 141 whisky distilleries operating in Scotland. The first known written mention of Scotch whisky is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland of 1494. Many Scotch whisky drinkers refer to a unit for drinking as a dram.