Definition
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland. In the United States, it is often referred to as "Scotch". In Britain, the term whisky is usually taken to mean Scotch unless otherwise specified.
Scotch whisky is divided into four distinct categories: single malt, vatted malt (also called "pure malt"), blended and single grain.
History
Whisky has been produced in Scotland for hundreds of years. It is generally agreed that monks brought distillation with them along with Christianity in the fourth and fifth centuries. The first taxes on whisky production were imposed in 1644, causing a rise in illicit whisky distilling in the country. Around 1780, there were about 8 legal distilleries and 400 illegal ones. In 1823, Parliament eased restrictions on licensed distilleries with the "Excise Act", while at the same time making it harder for the illegal stills to operate, thereby ushering in the modern era of Scotch production. Two events helped the increase of whisky's popularity: first, a new production process was introduced in 1831 called Coffey or Patent Still (see in section below); the whisky produced with this process was less intense and smoother. Second, the Phylloxera beetle destroyed wine and cognac production in France in 1880.
The Scotch whiskymanufacturing process
In the production of Malt Scotch Whisky the basic raw materials are limited and consist of barley, water and yeast.
The process comprises five distinct stages.
MALTING which converts barley to malt.
MASHING which produces wort (sugar solution) from ground or crushed malt.
FERMENTATION that produces wash (a weak, crude, impure spirit) consequent upon the introduction of yeast in the wort.
DISTILLATION that strengthens and purifies the spirit contained in the wash and also separates the solids contained in the spirituous liquor.
MATURATION that transforms the raw spirit into whisky.
In two of the above stages the distiller is concerned with the behaviour of living organisms.
In malting the involvement is the controlled germination of the barley corn and in fermentation the action of the yeast when placed in a solution rich in fermentable sugars and growth factors. All living organisms are susceptible to conditions of their environment and many of the distiller's problems arise there from.
Types of Scotch whisky
There are two major categories, single and blended. Single means that all of the product is from a single distillery, while Blended means that the product is composed of whiskies from two or more distilleries.
Single malt whisky is a 100% malted barley whisky from one distillery.
Single grain whisky is a grain whisky from one distillery (it does not have to be made from a single type of grain).
Vatted, Pure or Blended malt whisky is a malt whisky created by mixing single malt whiskies from more than one distillery.
Blended grain whisky is a whisky created by mixing grain whiskies from more than one distillery.
Blended Scotch whisky is a mixture of single malt whisky and grain whisky, usually from multiple distilleries.
The art of drinking whisky
The glass:
The shape and the colour of the glass are essential in the tasting of whisky. The glass must be transparent if we want to be able to evaluate the quality of the drink. The glass contributes to the circulation of the fragrances. So if we don’t want to lose any fragrances the glass must be narrow in the upper part of it.
The ice:
Ice is to be avoided in any case. Ice neutralizes and kills almost all the aromas in the whisky, and anaesthetizes the papillas.
Mixtures:
A good whisky does not need any mixture to be appreciated. Additions of coke or any other kind of soda is to be avoided. The only liquid whisky can stand is water. Preferably fresh mineral water. Ideal would be to add the same water that was used during the distilling process. But it’s practically impossible.
Water:
Whisky is by definition a strong alcohol (between 40% and 60%). This high alcohol rate is difficult to appreciate by people who are not used to it. This can be considered as an aggression to the papillas. Adding some fresh water softens the aggressive character of a strong alcohol.
But, even for people who are used to drink strong alcohols, adding a drop of fresh water will open up new horizons. Adding a drop of water will provoke a chemical reaction, freeing the fragrances. The whisky will "open" itself.
The drinker is entitled to determine the best alcohol rate for himself. When he decides it has reached the ideal alcohol rate, he just can stop adding water.
1. Observe the colour.
Put the whisky in a glass, and examine the colour by looking at it in a perfectly clean glass in front of a light source. The colour tells something about the type of maturing casks and the age of whisky.
2. Observe the legs on the glass.
After having looked at the colour, just gently swirl the whisky in the glass .After a while, you'll see some traces in it. The viscosity of the whisky provokes these traces, which are called "legs". The distance between the legs helps to determine the age of the whisky and the nature of the cask used for the maturation.
3. Taste whisky.
For this important step, just take a small quantity of whisky in your mouth, and hold it for 10 seconds at least. Swirl it gently in the mouth, and be sure it has "travelled" on the various parts of the tongue.
4. Smell the aromas.
Swirl the whisky in the glass again, and "nose" it by moving the glass under the nose, and breath normally. This operation reveals the most unexpected fragrances.
5. Free the bouquet.
To free the bouquet you can add some water in your glass. There are different opinions about how much water should be added. But first you can try with one drop of water. This "opens" the whisky. After having done this, repeat steps 3 and 4 and reconsider the characteristics of the whisky after the addition of water.
6. Consider the finish.
The length of the "finish" (the time the taste of whisky remains in your mouth) gives precious indications about the age of the whisky.
So now you are able drink some whisky and to appreciate it.
Also good tasting!
Bibliography:
en.wikipedia.org