In practice, most pisco is made by blending spirits distilled from two or more of these types of grapes. These two regions lay between the parallels 27 and 32, some 600 kilometres north of Santiago, and are characterised by a very dry and sunny climate. According to the regulations in force, the four different types of pisco are distinguished solely in terms of their alcohol strength. As already indicated by its name, pisco tradicional or corriente used to be the largest selling type of pisco. Over the last few years, however, it has been overtaken by pisco especial , which is now the best selling pisco category.
Bold type represents the sum, where possible, of the rows below.
Finally, the merger of the two largest producers of pisco, Control and Capel, was authorised by Chile's competition authority as of 30 October 1998. Between 1954 and 1974, pisco was taxed at a rate that was half of the rate applied to all the other liquors. Following this change, the ILA rates have remained unmodified until the amendment approved in November 1997. The table below summarises the evolution of the applicable rates between 1974 and the entry into force of Law 19,534 on 1 December 1997. 10 Ibid., Article 1.2.