Whether one is a Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey or Bourbon fan, there is always a happy middle ground for the followers of the spirit whenever they gather under one roof - and that is the exciting common culture behind this age-old drink.

Yes, the Scots are renowned for having invented the luxury drink by double-distilling it and using the peating process to introduce the smoky aroma to the final spirit.

In contrast, the Irish have historically triple-distilled their spirit to create a softer and lighter whiskey, appreciated as much by those who like this kind of style of malt as the beginners, who found it more accessible.

Noteworthy too is that the Irish spell whiskey with an "e" and the Scots without the vowel.

Generally, all the Scotch and Irish whiskeys fall into four taste categories: fruity and spicy; fragrant and floral; rich and round; and smoky and peaty.

Meanwhile, the rich and mellow American whiskies strike a good chord with Bourbon fans who also like the mellow sweetness of this style of whiskey - as represented by the likes of Jack Daniel, Jim Bean, Slate and Bulleit.

Elsewhere, there is a great buzz about whiskey.

Whiskey distillers have reportedly sprung up in nearly 20 countries in the past decade - even in the unlikeliest of places like the North West, where Schoonspruit distillery produces a dram called Wild Reeds Blue.

The world's eyes are currently on exciting brands coming from SA that include Three Ships and Bain's, Japan's Nikka, Sweden's Mackmyra and Taiwan's Kavalan.

Last month, Three Ships surprised connoisseurs with the launch of the world's first whiskey finished in a cask previously used for the maturation of pinotage. Three Ships 15 Year Old Pinotage Cask Finish also made history for being the oldest whisky to be produced in SA - all crafted by master distiller Andy Watts, who also makes Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky. Only 3500 bottles of the 4000 bottles of the whisky are available to the public.

South Africa is ranked in the Top 10 of whiskey-drinking nations .

This year, more than 10000 whiskey aficionados and wannabe connoisseurs are expected to gather at the three-day Whisky Live Festival at the Sandton Convention Centre next Wednesday to Friday.

The show is stacked with highlights, including mingling with iconic malt masters billed to grace this year's show.

Meanwhile, South Africa's premier wine show Winex wowed thousands in its sheer grand scale of wineries and the line-up of 750 wines as well as carnival ambience at the Sandton Convention Centre.

The highlight was undoubtedly the grouping of wineries according to their common location, which made horizontal tasting of particular cultivars seamless and helped tasters to gain insight into how particular micro-climates and soils define wines.

A perfect example was the Walker Bay wine-making region, located in Hermanus, which is home to celebrated wineries such as Bouchard Finlayson, Creation, La Vierge, Hamilton Russell and Sumaridge - all top-class producers of chardonnay and pinot noir wines.