Whisky

My spirits marathon finishes with whisk(e)y, which I'm going to divide into two: Scotch (and similar whiskies) and Irish and American. Whisky is one of the greatest drinks in the world, whose reputation and commercial appeal grows and grows. Nowadays it's an extremely fashionable drink, but that hasn't always been the case.

The last twenty to thirty years have seen a transformation in the way whisky is made, perceived, and drunk. Single malts, which didn't really exist as a style until relatively recently, have replaced blended whiskies as the fashionable, expensive drink; American whiskey, forgotten and unloved, is now some of the best and most interesting stuff out there; and even Irish whiskey is beginning to get its act together. Then there's Japanese whisky, which is deservedly winning lots of awards. With the English, Welsh, Swedish, Dutch, Belgians, French, Spanish, Italians, South Africans, Australians, Taiwanese, and Indians also getting in on the act, these are exciting times...

 

why's it got two different spellings?

In Scotland, it's spelt whisky and in Ireland and the USA it's spelt whiskey. There are exceptions, but it doesn't get much more complicated than that.

malt whisky

The process of making malt whisky is complicated, but basically it involves converting the insoluble starches in barley into soluble starches (which is called "malting"), which are then converted into fermentable sugars by creating a sugar solution called the wort. Yeast is added to start fermentation, and, in essence, a beer is created, which will then be double-distilled in a pot still. The size and shape of the still influences the style and quality of the eventual whisky.

The spirit is then aged in oak barrels - to be called a whisky, the spirit must be at least three years old. These are mostly used bourbon barrels, but also common are barrels which have been filled for a time with a particular style of sherry.

The final whisky will be a blend of different barrels and spirits of different ages, and will be watered down to a lower level of alcohol. This has to be minimum 40%, but higher alcohol whiskies are also released, when it's advisable to add some water when drinking.

regions

the division of Scotland into different whisky areas has no legal foundation: a whisky can taste like anything the distiller wants it to. Although the Highlands and Speyside styles vary hugely, the regions do have some general characteristics.
Lowland a light style
Highland styles vary greatly; Highland Park is peated, Dalmore is rich and heavy, Glenmorangie is light and citrusy.
Speyside two styles: light (Glendiffidich) and rich and fruity (Balvenie, Macallan).
Islay a small island off the west coast of Scotland famous for its peaty whiskies, although there are unpeated examples (Bruichladdich have a very wide range of styles). Ardbeg, Laphroaig, and Lagavulin are the best-known producers.
Campbeltown south of Islay, wth just three distilleries (Springbank, Glengyle, Glen Scotia): rich and heavy.

taken from scotlandwhisky.com

single malt whisky

The important word is "single": this means that the whisky comes from just one distillery. A single malt should be expressive of that mysterious French word, terroir - the water (lakes, rivers, and seas), the land, the wildness of remote Scotland, the type of still, the atmosphere in the distillery and warehouse, as well as the skill of the distiller. A single malt from Islay will be like the island itself: salty seaweed flavours, as well as peat that's been formed over thousands of years. Then there's the ageing process: the years spent in cask and the type of oak. This is why single malts are so sought after - each whisky is a unique expression that couldn't be replicated anywhere else.

blended whisky

Malt whisky comes solely from barley; blended whisky has grain whisky in it too, which is a mix of malted barley and other grains. Unlike malt whisky, grain whisky is distilled in continuous stills. It was the continuous still, an Irish invention, which allowed makers of Scottish whisky to produce spirits much more efficiently and led to the commercial dominance of blended whisky. The Irish decided not to bother with the still. The most famous names date from the mid-nineteenth century, when the use of continuous stills became common, and each producer developed their own style of blend - Dewar's, Bell's, Grant's, Whyte & Mackay, Teacher's, Ballantine's, Johnnie Walker.

Blended whisky accounts for the vast majority of sales of Scotch (90% worldwide). At its best, it should be a complex yet balanced expression of the many different styles of Scottish whisky.

Diploma Tasting

Cameron Brig Single Grain Whisky
It was very interesting to taste a grain whisky, something generally only encountered as part of a blend. There are five grain distilleries in Scotland producing five times as much grain whisky as malt whisky, but only three grain whiskies are bottled. The grain mostly used is maize, giving an oily sweetness to the whisky. This was a decent example: heather, honey, and cinnamon giving the whisky a sweet spiciness.

Auchentoshan Single Malt 12YO
Not far from Glasgow, Auchentoshan is the only distillery in Scotland to always use triple-distillation, strengthening the spirit but lightening the style. The 12YO was quite floral and leafy, with citrus fruits giving way to vanilla and spice on the palate, with an unusual flavour of malted bread coming out with water. A complex but delicate whisky.

Glenrothes Single Malt 1995
Hidden away in Speyside, Glenrothes historically sold most of its whiskies to blends, particularly Famous Grouse and Chivas. It's now owned by London wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd, who have steered the brand in a slightly unusual direction. Rather than labelling the whisky with an age statement, it's released as a vintage to mark each whisky out. It's always aged in ex-sherry casks, giving sweet dried fruit flavours. This 1995 was quite yeasty too, with flour and malt, and nice vanilla spices.

Glenfarclas Single Malt 15YO
Another Speyside distillery (although it classes itself as Highland), situated at the foot of Ben Rinnes, which gives Glenfarclas a terroir specific character: the local bitter wind, the low warehouses, and the use of sherry casks all contribute to the rich, powerful style. The whiskies oxidise slowly and absorb the power of the old oak. The 15YO was a big, edgy whisky, with cedar, toast, vanilla from the oak, and a sweet, nutty, spiciness.

Laphroaig Single Malt 10YO
Laphroaig was one of the first whiskies I ever truly loved, though on recent tastings I'd begun to find its earthy peatiness a bit too obvious. However, tasting it again, it was hard not to fall for all the smoky, earthy, peaty aromas, as well as the added complexity that comes from the seaweed and smoked fish. This is a whisky so characteristic of Islay: one has to use that word again, terroir.

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12YO
It was fascinating tasting this blended whisky after all the others, as it really showcased the art of blending - taking a vast array of styles to create a blanced, expressive drink. Put simply, this whisky tasted of the other five put together. I particuarly liked the heathery smoke that came through at the end.

always good to have some water when tasting

Japanese whisky

The development of Japanese whisky was directly inspired by Scottish whisky, but it is certainly not an imitation, with its own distinctive flavours and characteristics. Just as with Scotch, it reflects the environment and culture in which it has been grown. Aromatic Japanese wood is used for ageing, and the whiskies don't have as pronounced cereal aromas - Japanese whiskies aren't light, but still floral, fragrant, and fruity.

One of the oldest and still most important companies is Yamazaki who only make blended whisky, but extremely complex ones. There are six different stills at the distillery and five different types of wood are used for ageing (sherry - both American and European casks, bourbon, new oak, and Japanese). This gives the blending team an extraordinary range of possibilities. The other key consideration is that blending is done internally - whiskies aren't bought from elsewhere - meaning that the whiskies are a direct expression of the area and distillery's character. The 12YO is superb: floral with light dried fruits and a little smoke. A delicate yet mature and sophisticated whisky.

Another Japanese whisky worth trying is Nikka from the Barrel. This is a blended whisky for drinkers who like their powerful single malts.

 

English whisky

There's absolutely no reason why the English can't make whisky. The weather's not that different, there's lots of water, and there are plenty of areas where the terrain is as wild as Scotland. Barley is grown in England, particularly East Anglia, and it's used for the production of Scottish whisky. During the nineteenth century, there were large distilleries in London, Liverpool, and Bristol. Nevertheless, there was not one single English whisky made throughout the twentieth century.

With the surge in single malt's popularity, and the premium prices it can command, whisky is being made in lots of other places too, including England. The English Whisky Company was set up in 2006 in East Anglia, and has already gained a good reputation. Hopefully, it will be the first of many English whiskies. Chapter 6, the first whisky to be produced in England since the nineteenth century, is the one to start with.

Welsh whisky

Again, there's no reason Welsh whisky shouldn't exist. The Welsh Whisky Company's range of Penderyn whiskies distinguishes them from other whisky producers by the wood their spirits are aged in. The Madeira is aged first in Buffalo Trace barrels then another six months in old Madeira casks, while the Sherrywood is 70% bourbon, 30% sherry. The former has beautiful aromas of baked apples.