Tax records from 1494 show the first whiskey production in Scotland. Friar John Cor received malt for distillation according to these documents. Scotch whisky began here and later became smoother and more complex. Distilling spread across Scotland by the 1600s with small producers making spirits. Local communities made these spirits part of their daily lives. Copper pot stills brought better quality control to the process. People recognised Scotch whisky as a unique product by the 1700s. The Excise Act of 1823 made distilling legal and opened commercial production. International trade started growing after this law passed.