Discovering Malt Whisky
(And Avoiding The Lynch Mob)
Unless you’ve been living in a cave somewhere, you know that there are different kinds of wine, and they all have their own characteristics. Knowing your Merlot from your Chardonnay can be an essential skill in some walks of life, at least if you don’t want to look like a mindless bum on a date or at a formal dinner with your co-workers.
Thing is, the same applies to whisky… or whiskey. There are many different whiskies, and they’re not just something you put in your cola to make it more manly. In fact, there are some places you can get lynched for polluting good whisky with a mixer. But before we go any further, let’s deal with that ‘e’, shall we?
Whiskey-with-an-e comes from Ireland and America. If it hasn’t got an e then it’s either from Scotland or somewhere that makes Scottish-style whisky. There are laws about what you can call ‘Scotch Whisky’ and what you can’t. That word ‘malt’ is also important. You can make what’s known as grain whisky from various grains such as wheat, but to be malt whisky it has to come from malted barley and no other grain.
Grain whisky is produced in industrial quantities in lowland Scotland. There are some pretty good grain whiskies out there, but most of it is… well, it’s got a high alcohol content. Grain whisky is often used as a base for blended whisky, which is mostly grain with a mix of single-malt whiskies to give it flavor. Blended whisky varies a lot – cheap stuff is best used with a mixer (don’t worry, that won’t get you lynched), though there are some good blends that deserve to be drunk neat. It’s also possible to blend various single-malt whiskies with no grain in there at all, to create something a bit special.
But let’s consider single-malt whisky for now. What is this stuff, and why is it so important?
Malt whisky is made by fermenting malt barley to make a fairly crappy beer-like liquid, then distilling it into a spirit that isn’t all that much better. This spirit isn’t whisky yet, not by a long chalk. In fact, it can’t be called whisky until it’s been matured in an oak cask (yes, it has to be oak) for at least three years. And you can’t call it ‘Scotch Whisky’ unless the casks were in Scotland for the whole of that time. Oh yeah, and it has to be more than 40% alcohol by volume. And there are rules about the type of still used.
But you know what? The end result is worth it.
Three years sounds like a long time to wait for a drink, but this is the good stuff. And three years is a minimum. Most malt whisky is matured for at least eight years. More commonly it’s ten, twelve or fifteen... or even more. During this time, the spirit becomes smoother and gains flavor from the wood of the cask. All casks have to be oak, but whisky distillers don’t use new casks. Instead they buy used ones from people who make bourbon and sometimes other wines or spirits. Bourbon distillers can only use their casks once (it’s law), so they sell them to Scotch distillers who might use them up to three times more.
That might sound a bit cheap, but in fact it’s all about the flavor. Whisky that matures in a bourbon cask will take on some of the flavor of the bourbon. If it was in a sherry cask, it would taste different. That’s important, since you can’t add flavorings to whisky. If you do, you can’t call it Scotch Whisky any more. And there’s the lynch mob to worry about, too.
So where do all these different flavors come from? They’re a product of the barley and the water used, plus the cask that the whisky matured in. A smoky flavor can be created by exposing the barley to peat smoke before it is used. Not everybody likes smoky whisky, and if your first experience of single-malt scotch is something that tastes like diesel fumes, you might be a bit put off. The thing to do is to experiment. There are many, many different whiskies to try and chances are you’ll find one you like. A useful (but not infallible) guide to what a whisky will taste like is the region where it was made.
Most of Scotland’s distilleries are in the Speyside region, which purists will tell you is part of the Highlands. Speyside whisky is generally light and sweet – but let’s not forget that it’s at least 40% alcohol, so don’t expect it to taste like a diet soda – with little or no smoke. Flavors are often complex, and worth investigating at length.
There are only three malt whisky distilleries operating in the Lowlands, though there are several big grain distilleries there. Lowland whisky is a good place to start. It tends not to be smoky, and usually has a light, dry fruity flavor. Yes, dry and fruity. You know how pretentious people go on about the character of wine? Whisky is the same, except that it’s much stronger and… well, it’s just plain better.
The Highlands region is large, and highland whiskies vary a lot. Those from coastal regions sometimes have a hint of saltiness about them. Some are smoky or ‘peaty’, some are sweet or spicy. Whisky made in the Western Isles is considered to be part of the highland region by purists, but it is different enough to qualify as an unofficial sub-region to most whisky lovers.
The Islay malts are all made on the not-all-that-big island of Isla. There are eight distilleries there, and three more in the Cambeltown region of the mainland, which are similar in character. These whiskies tend to be heavy, with a strong flavor and usually a lot of peat-smoke. There’s a lot to like about these malts, but they’re not a good place to start as the flavor can be overpowering.
Good whisky is best drunk neat, or with a little water. A little. As in, a few drops. Adding water helps release some of the flavor, believe it or not, and it won’t get you lynched. Whisky is also best served warmish – too cold and you miss some of the flavor. But what you shouldn’t do is take any notice of people who insist that only the heaviest peat-bog-on-fire type whisky is ‘authentic’.
Experiment. Find one you like. It’s a journey of discovery that’s well worth taking.
Thing is, the same applies to whisky… or whiskey. There are many different whiskies, and they’re not just something you put in your cola to make it more manly. In fact, there are some places you can get lynched for polluting good whisky with a mixer. But before we go any further, let’s deal with that ‘e’, shall we?
Whiskey-with-an-e comes from Ireland and America. If it hasn’t got an e then it’s either from Scotland or somewhere that makes Scottish-style whisky. There are laws about what you can call ‘Scotch Whisky’ and what you can’t. That word ‘malt’ is also important. You can make what’s known as grain whisky from various grains such as wheat, but to be malt whisky it has to come from malted barley and no other grain.
Grain whisky is produced in industrial quantities in lowland Scotland. There are some pretty good grain whiskies out there, but most of it is… well, it’s got a high alcohol content. Grain whisky is often used as a base for blended whisky, which is mostly grain with a mix of single-malt whiskies to give it flavor. Blended whisky varies a lot – cheap stuff is best used with a mixer (don’t worry, that won’t get you lynched), though there are some good blends that deserve to be drunk neat. It’s also possible to blend various single-malt whiskies with no grain in there at all, to create something a bit special.
But let’s consider single-malt whisky for now. What is this stuff, and why is it so important?
Malt whisky is made by fermenting malt barley to make a fairly crappy beer-like liquid, then distilling it into a spirit that isn’t all that much better. This spirit isn’t whisky yet, not by a long chalk. In fact, it can’t be called whisky until it’s been matured in an oak cask (yes, it has to be oak) for at least three years. And you can’t call it ‘Scotch Whisky’ unless the casks were in Scotland for the whole of that time. Oh yeah, and it has to be more than 40% alcohol by volume. And there are rules about the type of still used.
But you know what? The end result is worth it.
Three years sounds like a long time to wait for a drink, but this is the good stuff. And three years is a minimum. Most malt whisky is matured for at least eight years. More commonly it’s ten, twelve or fifteen... or even more. During this time, the spirit becomes smoother and gains flavor from the wood of the cask. All casks have to be oak, but whisky distillers don’t use new casks. Instead they buy used ones from people who make bourbon and sometimes other wines or spirits. Bourbon distillers can only use their casks once (it’s law), so they sell them to Scotch distillers who might use them up to three times more.
That might sound a bit cheap, but in fact it’s all about the flavor. Whisky that matures in a bourbon cask will take on some of the flavor of the bourbon. If it was in a sherry cask, it would taste different. That’s important, since you can’t add flavorings to whisky. If you do, you can’t call it Scotch Whisky any more. And there’s the lynch mob to worry about, too.
So where do all these different flavors come from? They’re a product of the barley and the water used, plus the cask that the whisky matured in. A smoky flavor can be created by exposing the barley to peat smoke before it is used. Not everybody likes smoky whisky, and if your first experience of single-malt scotch is something that tastes like diesel fumes, you might be a bit put off. The thing to do is to experiment. There are many, many different whiskies to try and chances are you’ll find one you like. A useful (but not infallible) guide to what a whisky will taste like is the region where it was made.
Most of Scotland’s distilleries are in the Speyside region, which purists will tell you is part of the Highlands. Speyside whisky is generally light and sweet – but let’s not forget that it’s at least 40% alcohol, so don’t expect it to taste like a diet soda – with little or no smoke. Flavors are often complex, and worth investigating at length.
There are only three malt whisky distilleries operating in the Lowlands, though there are several big grain distilleries there. Lowland whisky is a good place to start. It tends not to be smoky, and usually has a light, dry fruity flavor. Yes, dry and fruity. You know how pretentious people go on about the character of wine? Whisky is the same, except that it’s much stronger and… well, it’s just plain better.
The Highlands region is large, and highland whiskies vary a lot. Those from coastal regions sometimes have a hint of saltiness about them. Some are smoky or ‘peaty’, some are sweet or spicy. Whisky made in the Western Isles is considered to be part of the highland region by purists, but it is different enough to qualify as an unofficial sub-region to most whisky lovers.
The Islay malts are all made on the not-all-that-big island of Isla. There are eight distilleries there, and three more in the Cambeltown region of the mainland, which are similar in character. These whiskies tend to be heavy, with a strong flavor and usually a lot of peat-smoke. There’s a lot to like about these malts, but they’re not a good place to start as the flavor can be overpowering.
Good whisky is best drunk neat, or with a little water. A little. As in, a few drops. Adding water helps release some of the flavor, believe it or not, and it won’t get you lynched. Whisky is also best served warmish – too cold and you miss some of the flavor. But what you shouldn’t do is take any notice of people who insist that only the heaviest peat-bog-on-fire type whisky is ‘authentic’.
Experiment. Find one you like. It’s a journey of discovery that’s well worth taking.
