His Majesty Scotch is directly from Scotland. Concept and features, production method, classification, drinking culture

Among the many alcoholic beverages consumed by people, this one occupies a special place. Many types of whiskey have their own characteristics, their own history, their own drinking culture. The term "whiskey" has become generic and includes all varieties of drinks with that name. Sometimes it is called tape. Whiskey lovers sometimes argue about which is better whiskey or scotch. The proposed article describes the differences and advantages of alcohol with such names.

What is whiskey

So it is customary to call a common alcoholic drink made from grains of wheat, rye, barley, corn and even buckwheat. During the preparation, malting, fermentation and distillation are used. The resulting alcohol is aged for a long time in oak barrels. Usually it contains 35-50 degrees of alcohol, sometimes the fortress rises to 60 degrees. The resulting drink has a peculiar aroma, there is practically no sugar in it. Its amber color differs in saturation.

To achieve excellent taste qualities of whiskey, masters of its production must take into account the many characteristics of grain and water, the subtleties of technology inherent in a particular brand of drink.

Among them:

• Copper distillation cube design
• Malting procedure
• Filtering features
• The quality and volume of the barrel
• Duration and exposure options, etc.

Particular attention in the formation of the taste bouquet of whiskey is given to containers for its storage. The oak from which they are made absorbs the aromas of the wines in which they were stored and gives them to the whisky. There are many subtleties inherent in each manufacturer.

At the same time, the main requirement for whiskey is exposure time. The malt drink cannot be aged for less than three years. Unless intended to be blended with other varieties, age for at least five years. At the same time, in ordinary varieties, this can last from ten to twelve years. For elite drinks, this can be 20, 30 or even 50 years. The drink can undergo aging procedures in different barrels with its subsequent mixing. Sometimes most of the exposure it is contained in one barrel, and in recent years - in another.

The word "whiskey" appeared in the 19th century. There are different versions of its English spelling, meaning the country where it was produced. The most common varieties of this drink are produced in Scotland, Ireland, USA, Canada and Japan. This geography defines the raw components of a drink produced in a particular country.

His homeland is Scotland

Whiskey produced here has a unique, geographically fixed name - scotch. It is believed that it has been known since the Middle Ages, when the ancient Celts established an industrial distillation of this "fire water". The pioneers were monks who drove alcohol first as a medicinal potion. They were treated for diseases of the abdomen, nervous and other diseases.

It is believed that around the same time, the modern word "whiskey" appeared, in the language of the Scottish aborigines meaning "water of life". When they realized that the medicine could become a profitable cheering drink, its production went beyond the walls of the monasteries. Its mass underground production unfolded. The drink was at first very strong and of very poor quality. However, over time, the technology improved, and by the 18th century the drink had become extremely popular.

The laws determined the categories of the drink, formulated the requirements that it must meet.

1. Whiskey must be produced in Scotland from water and barley malt.
2. You can add only whole grains of other cereals to it, which are processed in a distillery in a certain way into wort and fermented with yeast.
3. Whiskey must have a taste and aroma characteristic of primary raw materials, and the residual percentage of alcohol in a distilled drink must be at least 94.8%.
4. The final product contains at least 40% alcohol.
5. Whiskey maturation period was at least three years. It must be aged in 700-liter oak barrels in a special excise warehouse in Scotland.
6. Nothing other than spirit caramel and water can be added to the drink.

What is the difference

For the Scots, the question of the difference between scotch and whiskey is not worth it. Each of them is absolutely sure that scotch, as a variant of a strong drink, is an exemplary whiskey.

Scotch whiskey is distinguished from other types of whiskey by the following features:

• It is made from the specific taste of barley grown only in a few areas of Scotland.
• The technology of drying malt, where peat is used for this, which gives the drink a smoky taste.
• It is made only from barley without the use of other cereals.
• The original production process, where multiple distillation is not used.
• Compared to other types of whiskey, it has a sharper taste and characteristic aroma.
• Produced in accordance with British law exclusively in Scotland.

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Six main differences between whiskey and bourbon

1. Production region

   Whiskey is a broader concept than bourbon and is produced according to classical technology and recipes in Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Japan. Bourbon is made only in the USA according to a traditional proprietary recipe. Scotch is whiskey made in Scotland.

2. Raw material

   At the time of the birth of bourbon, it was a drink for the lower stratum of the population. Since the raw materials from which it was made were cheap. And at first it looked more like American moonshine. And only with the development and growth of this industry, bourbon became no less interesting drink than whiskey.

   For whiskey, the main raw materials are barley, rye and wheat, and for bourbon, corn. And according to legislative norms, whiskey should contain only 10% corn raw materials, and at least 51% in bourbon.

3. Taste features

   Bourbon has a sweetish rich taste due to the raw materials from which it is produced. But the palette of flavors is very poor compared to whiskey. In the process of tasting a product of European or Japanese production, you can feel the peat, citrus, chocolate or cinnamon notes that are revealed in each bottle in a completely new way. Scotch has a more tart taste.

4. Excerpt

   Bourbon is aged exclusively in new oak barrels, which are pre-fired from the inside. And whiskey - in old oak barrels from sherry, wine, Calvados, bourbon (whiskey aged in barrels from bourbon has a sweetish vanilla taste). The minimum aging period for an American-made drink is 2 years, for Scotch whiskey - 3 years, for Irish whiskey on average 5 years, and for a Canadian drink at least 6 years. Sherry casks are used to age the scotch.

5. Coloring technology

   At the legislative level, bourbon is forbidden to add dyes or sugar color, which is added during the production of whiskey to get a beautiful caramel shade. Bourbon gets its color from the charred barrels in which it is aged.

6. Production technology

   The process of making bourbon is very simplified when compared to the process of making classic whiskey. Whiskey requires the beans to be soaked, germinated, dried, and then hulled to release the enzymes that naturally break down starch into sugar. And for an American drink, cereals must be crushed, poured with water and boiled. Then saccharify the resulting wort with barley or other type of malt, start the fermentation process with yeast from the previous starter, and finally distill. At some distilleries, such as Jack Daniels, the drink is filtered through maple charcoal before aging. Scotch is prepared only on the basis of barley.

Summing up all of the above, I would like to say that when you come to the store, pay attention to the label, or rather to the country of origin, and then the question is: “Is this whiskey / bourbon / scotch?” will fall off by itself.

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Scotch history

If nations had the right to patent words, then the word "whiskey" would certainly be classified as a Scottish national treasure, since it came from the Gaelic word "usquebaugh", later transformed into the more understandable "uisge beatha". Both have the same translation - “water of life”, and it must be said that these are not just beautiful words: the way whiskey was called in ancient times speaks of the meaning that was attached to it. For a long time it was regarded as a good medicine, used to relieve the pain of colic, paralysis, and even smallpox, and its use was considered one of the secrets of longevity.

The production of scotch tape is based on the principle of distillation, which has come down to our days in an improved form. It is known that the Celts used it in the production of mash. And although exact information about the beginning of distillation, unfortunately, has not been preserved, but in the Scottish Treasury Tax Reports of 1494, one can find an order to issue a significant amount of barley malt for the production of whiskey, which is also called “the water of life”. In those days, scotch was produced in monasteries, and the volume of its production was very impressive, judging by the amount of malt we mentioned, and this is already an indirect indicator that it has been made for more than one century. True, for obvious reasons, the quality of medieval scotch tape remains very doubtful, but it has been improved from century to century, and in the end, having retained the basis and achieved the desired result, the Scots did not change anything either in the recipe or in the production technology.

Today, scotch is produced by more than a hundred distilleries located in five main areas:

1. Highlands (it is also Highland, or the North Scottish Highlands), the Hebrides and Orkney Islands.
2. Speyside is home to two of the world's most famous single malts, Glenlivet and Glenfiddich. Production is concentrated in four cities - Elgin (here, by the way, another famous whiskey variety is produced - Glen Elgin), Rotes, Dufftown and Whale.
3. Lowland, or the Plain, is the lowland part of Scotland, directly adjacent to the British border.
4. Campbeltown is a city in the southern part of the Kintyre peninsula (west coast of Scotland).
5. the island of Islay, or Isla, which has eight distilleries that produce scotch using smoke-cured barley (a traditional way of preparing raw materials).

Each of the districts has its own peculiarities in the manufacture of adhesive tape, but basically the following requirements are imposed on it:

1. it must only be made in a distillery located in Scotland. If the same drink is made in another country, albeit with the preservation of all the subtleties and features of manufacture, it will no longer be considered and called scotch.
2. it is based on local water and malted barley, which is first processed into must, then converted into a substrate with the help of endogenous enzymes and fermented only by yeast cultures. It is allowed to add grains of other cereals (except corn) to barley, but they must be whole.
3. the drink is distilled with a residual alcohol content of less than 94.8% so that at the end of the distillation it has the aroma and taste inherent in the primary raw material.
4. the minimum alcohol content is 40%.
5. it is aged for at least three years in a regulated warehouse, which has an excise tax and is located in Scotland, in oak barrels from other alcoholic beverages (most often from sherry) with a volume of not more than 700 liters.
6. when it enters the sale, it must still retain the aroma and taste characteristic of the original raw material. It is forbidden to add any other substances to the adhesive tape, an exception is made only for alcohol caramel.

Finally, even the spelling of the word “whiskey” differs from the generally accepted one and differs by one letter: for scotch, the spelling “whisky” is accepted, and for other types of this drink, “whiskey”.

Already by these requirements, one can judge not only the attitude of the Scots to their national product, but also how carefully the technology of its production has been developed over the centuries. In principle, it will not be a big mistake to say that it has hardly changed over time - it has simply been improved to such an extent that the resulting adhesive tape was really such a product that an entire nation could be proud of. This is evidenced by at least the following fact: when a distillation cube fails at the distillery, it is replaced with a new one, fully consistent with the original, up to dents, bends and other irregularities that were on it.

How do they do it

The production of scotch tape is a fascinating and complex process that invariably arouses the interest of most tourists visiting Scotland. A rare excursion does without an invitation to visit some distillery, and few tourists refuse to see with their own eyes how the world-famous amber-yellow drink is born. And he is born like this:

1. to begin with, prepare the raw material - barley. It is sorted, then the arrival of spring is imitated, soaking for one to one and a half weeks and waiting until the grain begins to germinate. The difficulty at this stage is to stop malting in a timely manner, otherwise the formation of a new plant will begin, so at the very beginning it is stopped by drying.
2. barley is dried in special ovens in two ways: traditional, using smoke from bog peat (as they do on Islay), or modern, using hot dry air. The first method gives sprouted barley a characteristic smoky smell and shade, which was famous for scotch all over the world in its time. When drying, it is allowed to add beech shavings, dried algae and some other ingredients to the peat, which also bring their own aromas to the original bouquet.
3. then the malt prepared in this way is crushed and soaked in water for half a day, after which yeast is added to the wort. The mixture is left to ferment for two days at a temperature of +35-37.
4. two days later, the fermented wort is distilled twice in copper stills, then poured into barrels that meet the above requirements, not hermetically sealed and kept for the specified time. It is during aging that all the features of scotch are formed, the taste and smell of which, in addition to the method of drying, is also affected by local water, a drink previously stored in a barrel, and the location of the distillery.
5. after aging, the finished tape is filtered at a temperature of 2-10 degrees, poured into containers and sent for sale.

The age of scotch, like any other whiskey, is considered to be the aging time in the barrel. It is believed that in glassware it does not lose its properties and does not age, however, experts still do not advise storing whiskey in a bottle for more than 25-30 years, because, in their opinion, its organoleptic properties begin to degrade after this time.

Depending on the methods, features of production and the area where it is made, adhesive tape is divided into five categories:

1. single malt, considered the most valuable (and ancient) type, whose production technology we have given as an example. The requirements that it must meet include the mandatory production and bottling of the drink at one distillery and the use of only spring water.
2. grain. Like the first category whiskey, it must be made and bottled at the same enterprise, however, its production technology is fundamentally different from the manufacture of single malt scotch, and whole barley grain is added to the malt. It is also allowed to use other malted or unmalted grains, except for corn, but only as an additive to the main raw material - barley.
3. blended, first obtained in Edinburgh in 1853 in order to reduce the cost of the original product. Most modern Scotch whiskeys fall into this category. The essence of blending is in mixing grain varieties with single malts made at different distilleries in a ratio of 1:2. It is allowed to mix both one "representative" of these categories, and several, it is also permissible to mix whiskeys of different aging. In this case, the age indicated on the label is taken to be the age of the youngest variety that participated in the blend.
4. blended malt. This is the same as Grade 3 Scotch, but only blended with a few single malts from different distilleries.
5. grain blended. The essence is the same as that of the fourth category scotch, but, as the name implies, several grain varieties of Scotch whiskey are subject to mixing.

How to drink it

Scotch is considered a self-sufficient drink, which is usually consumed without any dilution with soda or Coca-Cola in order to fully enjoy its taste and smell. For the same purpose, it is tasted in small sips and is not advised to be swallowed immediately, as well as something to eat. The purpose and essence of the use of scotch is not to get drunk to the position of riza, but to get pleasure that is quite comparable to aesthetic. If, out of habit, it seems strong (which, in general, is true), it is permissible to use it with ice, but in this case it is best to use a toggle switch - a special wide glass with a thick bottom. Undiluted scotch is poured and served in tulip-shaped glasses, which also help to reveal the whole flavor bouquet of this drink, famous for centuries and countries.

Conclusion, or "Find ten differences ..."

However, it is a mistake to believe that all the whiskey in the world is limited to scotch alone. It can be called a "separate state" in the world of alcohol (if such terms are appropriate to apply to alcohol) and has a number of significant differences from both Irish and American whiskey. The differences are as follows:

1. First of all, it is a raw material. For scotch, for example, it is completely unacceptable to use corn grains as a starting material, while other varieties of whiskey, made even in Japan, can be made on its basis and on the basis of other cereals. Scotch is always based on barley, and other crops can only be added to it, and then only if a product of a certain category is made.
2. scotch has a sharper and more tart taste and pronounced aroma compared to other types of whiskey.
3. production features. For example, Irish whiskey is triple distilled, while scotch is rather an exception that only some producers are allowed to use.
4. finally, scotch is just a kind of whiskey, although, undoubtedly, the brightest and almost the “progenitor” of all its other varieties.

If the Scots knew that their Scotch is sometimes indistinguishable from other whiskeys and that they are generally perceived as identical, they would certainly be offended, although they would most likely not show it. But be that as it may, scotch always speaks for itself, and that is why it deservedly enjoys the worldwide fame of one of the best alcoholic drinks in the world.

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Scotch definition

Scotch is the national alcoholic drink of Scotland. It is one of the varieties of whiskey. But it is this alcoholic product that is produced only in Scotland, which is confirmed by the country's legislation. Spilling of finished products and sale is allowed outside the country, but that's all.

In the manufacture of this alcohol, barley is used. The alcoholic products themselves are stored in oak barrels, due to which the taste becomes characteristically hard. The process of distillation and aging of Scottish alcohol takes place on the territory of Scotland according to the established laws of the country. The quality and taste of scotch is very popular all over the world.

If we look at it superficially, then the tradition of making Scotch whiskey is as follows: barley grains are processed and dried in an oven that is heated with peat. This characteristic feature in production technology creates a tart, smoky taste. After drying, the alcohol is placed in oak barrels, where the drink is aged for a long time. The Scots believe that their alcohol is the most correct whiskey. In Scotland, a huge number of factories that are engaged in its production.

The Scots are very zealous about the secrets of its production. The process itself is automated to the smallest detail. For example, a malt scotch recipe goes through the following points:

1. it is necessary to prepare the barley for it to germinate. Barley grains are soaked in water for a week and a half, then sorted and dried.
2. Barley is dried over smoke from peat. There is a smoky aroma.
3. Wort production: after the malt has been smoked, it is soaked for half a day.
4. Yeast is added. Fermentation takes place for 2 days at a temperature not exceeding 37 degrees.
5. The next step is a double or less often triple distillation of alcohol.
6. Being in oak barrels, the drink acquires its own taste, smell and color.
7. The drink goes through the filtration and bottling process. Filtered at a temperature of 2 to 10 degrees.

Scotch happens:

• single malt. Produced in one place only from malt.
• grain. In the manufacture of whole grains are used.
• blended. Mixing different types of alcoholic products.

Types of whiskey and their production

Whiskey is a type of alcohol that has a strength of 40-50 degrees and a tart, expressive taste. In the process of making an alcoholic beverage, several types of grains are used, which undergo many important processes. For example, malting, distillation. At the same time, all processes take place in barrels made of oak material.

Significant manufacturing countries include:

1. Ireland. Whiskey produced in this country is considered one of the best in quality and taste in the world. Irish whiskey does not have its own name, but it has a number of production technology features: triple distillation, lack of smoky taste.
2. Scotland. Whiskey in this country is called scotch and is a national treasure. In ancient times, scotch was used as a medicine. It has a smoky taste, which is formed by drying with peat.
3. USA. Whiskey produced in America is called bourbon. The special production process gives bourbon a number of differences from other whiskeys. The production method itself was invented at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Bourbon is made from corn in oak barrels. It has a special taste and aroma.
4. Canada and Japan produce whiskey that is only popular in their own countries. Although the quality and taste is not inferior to other whiskey.

An interesting feature is the production of whiskey in Scotland. The Scottish alcoholic beverage market is characterized by the fact that the office work and management of scotch factories is passed down from generation to generation. Scotch, I think, is the most conservative alcoholic product.

The difference between scotch and whiskey

Not all real gourmets of high-quality alcohol can determine from the first time what they are eating, scotch or whiskey. There is a difference between these two drinks. There is a great phrase that accurately captures the essence of the definition of this alcohol: "all scotch is whiskey, but not all whiskey is scotch." So let's look at the differences:

• Scottish spirits have a distinct, distinct, distinct flavor compared to other types of whisky. Traditional whiskey tastes milder than Scottish spirits;
• The technology for making a Scottish drink is significantly different from whiskey. In addition, scotch is made only from barley grains, while whiskey is made from various grains;
• Traditional whiskey is produced in different countries. For example, in the USA, in Canada. Scotch is made exclusively in Scotland;
• Unlike Scottish spirits, some types of whiskey reach triple distillation.

How to use scotch tape

All over the world, scotch is considered an elite and expensive alcoholic product. As a result of this fact, gourmets and lovers of alcoholic beverages are strongly advised to use high-quality and tasty scotch without diluting it with other drinks. A common trend is to add soda or coca-cola to alcohol in order to eliminate unpleasant excess odors or unpleasant taste elements.

If the degree of alcohol is too high for you, then you can consider adding ice to alcohol. For such a case, a toggle switch is provided. This is such a specialized wide glass with a thick bottom. The tradition and culture of drinking classic whiskey provides for a temperature degree of alcohol of at least 20.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, the Scottish drink is a high-quality alcohol, a cult of Scotland, a real work of art. The secret of the success of this alcohol is simple - a unique technology that has no analogues and love for business. Scottish alcohol is a treasure, as well as the pride of the country, needless to say about its importance in Scotland. Among all whiskeys, scotch has ancient roots of traditions, due to which it enjoys worldwide popularity.

True connoisseurs and gourmets of strong drinks consider scotch alcoholic drink popular and significant in the market of strong drinks. Scotch is a drink of Scottish origin from the genus of whiskey, made from malt or barley. The taste of this drink is elegant, tart, slightly smoky. Scottish scotch is a symbol of the state heritage of the country, one of the brands of the state.

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There are several conditions for alcohol to have the right to bear the proud name "Scotch":

• by definition, it can only be called whiskey that is produced in Scotland. If the same drink, with the same recipe, is made abroad, then this is no longer scotch. This is fixed at the legislative level. Such stringent conditions do not apply to a spill;
• Scotch has a smell with a smoky tint. It appears due to the drying of malt over burning peat. Additional notes can be added to the taste and smell if beech chips, dried algae, and other ingredients are added to the peat;
• Scotch is distilled from barley malt or whole grains. But corn is never used for its production;
• the production of scotch involves a double distillation of the wort;
• the drink matures in barrels from another strong liquor. Usually used container after sherry. Thus, the drink acquires a peculiar flavor bouquet. Exposure should not be less than three years.

Outwardly, it is an amber-yellow alcoholic drink, with a strength of 40-50 degrees. Whiskey is written on the Pride of the Scots label, and other types of whiskey are called Whiskey.

The photo shows the labels of different types of whiskey. Thus, the producers of scotch once again emphasized the exclusivity of their drink.

How to produce

The Scots are very reverent in protecting the recipe and the very production of national alcohol. We can say that for many centuries this process has undergone a minimum of changes after it has reached perfection. That is, as soon as the producers have reached the desired quality of the drink, distillers do not change anything. Even when an alembic fails, the replacement is made completely identical to the original, including various dents, bends, and other irregularities. In fact, modern wort distillation devices are almost no different from the old ones shown in the photo.

Fine-tuned to the smallest detail, the process of producing Scotch whiskey is quite long and consists of several main stages.

Here's how the most valuable type of scotch, malt, is made:

1. Preparation of barley for germination: sorting, washing, drying. To germinate the grain, it must be soaked for 1-1.5 weeks.
2. The resulting malt is dried using smoke from burning peat. Sprouted grain at this stage receives a smoky smell, which then brings a characteristic distinctive note to the flavor bouquet.
3. Wort production. To do this, smoked malt is crushed and soaked for half a day.
4. To start the fermentation process, yeast is added to the wort. The mixture should ferment for at least two days. In this case, it is necessary to observe the temperature regime of 35-37 ° C.
5. Fermented raw materials are distilled at distilleries in distillation cubes. They do this twice. Only a few producers use triple distillation of whiskey.
6. At the stage of aging in wooden barrels, the scotch acquires a characteristic color and smell.
7. The final step is filtering the finished drink and bottling it. It is filtered at a temperature of 2-10°C.

Types of Scotch whiskey are distinguished by the source of raw materials and composition.

Scotch can be:

1. Single Malt Scotch Whiskey. It is made in one place, only from malt and spring water. After aging and filtering, whiskey is bottled and sent to the distribution network.
2. Grain (Single Grain Scotch Whiskey). During its production, whole grains are added to the malt.
3. Blended (Single Grain Scotch Whiskey). It is obtained by mixing different types of alcohol. Usually, more expensive and high-quality malt scotch is mixed with grain, which makes it possible to reduce the cost of the original product. At the same time, blended scotch can be malt (Blended Malt Scotch Whiskey), when malt types of the drink obtained at different distilleries are combined, and grain (Blended Grain Scotch Whiskey), made according to the same principle of mixing products from different manufacturers.

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2 stages of making tape

The Scots have been developing their own unique technology for making fine whiskey for a very long time. But today it is already possible to distinguish a clear step-by-step scheme for making whiskey:

1. First of all, malt is prepared: barley is taken, it must be sorted out very carefully, washed. It is important to rinse the barley with very clean water, because the main rule for making a good drink is sterility. After that, we dry it, soak it again in clean water and monitor its growth for 6-10 days.
2. The next step is to dry the malt. The Scots dry it with hot smoke from the combustion of peat, charcoal and beech shavings. The resulting product is called “smoked grain”, which gives the scotch a special taste.
3. Next, you need to crush the malt to sand, then pour hot water, add it there and let stand for about 12 hours. It should be a sweet liquid.
4. After you need to cool the wort and add yeast, follow the fermentation process for 2 days. By the way, the temperature during fermentation should be 35-37 ° C.
5. The next step is distillation. Scotch is distilled 2, and sometimes 3 times. There are special copper apparatus for distillation. The first run (Low wines) gives 30°, the second run (Spirits still) gives 70°. During the distillation, something in the middle is chosen for further use, i.e. what comes out at the very beginning and at the very end is sent again to the first distillation, and the middle goes to the next step.
6. The aging stage is probably the most important, since it is at this stage that the tape develops its own color and unusual aroma. Exposure takes place in special wooden barrels. Barrels of Spanish origin are much higher quality than American ones.
7. When it comes to blending, it's the blending of malts and grains. There are 2 types of blending. The first type is the blending of 2 varieties, after which they are aged for 24 hours, then placed in barrels for a week and bottling. This whiskey is considered low quality. Higher quality and more expensive scotch is produced by careful selection of malt varieties and grains in special vessels, followed by aging in barrels for 6-10 months.
8. The last and no less important stage is bottling. Whiskey is bottled in special bottles, but before that it is filtered at a temperature of 2-10 ° C and must be diluted with spring water.

nalivali.ru

Scotland is an amazingly beautiful place on Earth, where mountain rivers with crystal clear water flow down the green slopes. It is here that the world-famous drink - Scotch whiskey (Scotch) is produced.

This is a drink with a rich aroma and a long aftertaste, which is made from yeast, water and barley malt. The drink gets a special aroma and aftertaste during aging - whiskey is aged in barrels in which other drinks were previously stored. Real scotch is aged for at least three years - with each subsequent year the drink acquires new aromas and flavors.

With the peculiarity of Scotch whiskey, its history, production technology, types, brands and regions of production can be found in this article.

A little about tape

As you know from the previous post, Scotland is considered the birthplace of whiskey, which is called scotch there (that is, not only there, but everywhere) and every bottle of drink produced in this country of the Kingdom is labeled Whiskey Scotch.

There are several significant differences between original Scotch and whiskey produced elsewhere, which can only be called Whiskey or Bourbon.

There are several types of Scotch whiskey:

• Malt is 100% barley malt scotch.
• Single Malt is a single malt whiskey made at one distillery and bottled there.
• Single Cask Malt is a blend of multi-malts aged in one barrel.
• Pure Malt is a blend of several single malt whiskeys from different distilleries aged in a single cask.
• Blend - blended whiskey, a combination of different varieties of malt and grain alcohols in various proportions.
• Grain is a whiskey made from pure wheat alcohol of very high quality. This is the most expensive brand of non-malt scotch.
• Single Grain - also a pure grain whiskey, lower in category.
• Grain Single Barrel - scotch only from a mixture of grain alcohols, aged in one barrel for at least 6 months.
• Pure Grain is a combination of several grain drinks produced by different distilleries.

We rarely find pure grain whisky. Most often - blend or single malt varieties. In total, 148 brands of Scottish scotch are now on the market.

vinodela.ru

History of Scotch Whiskey

It is not known exactly when the ability of the Scots to distill liquid was born, there is no mention of the first production of an alcoholic drink in the country. However, there is accurate evidence that the possibility and properties of distillation were known to the ancient Celts who inhabited the territory of modern Scotland.

The distillation process has changed, improved and reached the level that is used today in the production of Scotch whiskey, known throughout the world. Today, this drink has become a symbol of Scotland and one of the most popular spirits around the world.

The history of Scotch whiskey is rooted in the distant past.

1. The first mention of the preparation of this type of alcohol is found in the tax reports of the Scottish Treasury from 1494.
2. The report contains a record that a certain monk named John Kor was to be given about 200 kg. barley malt to make whisky.

According to approximate calculations, it turns out that out of 200 kg. of barley malt you can get about 24,000 bottles of distillate.

This huge amount of monastic distillate production shows that at that time the monasteries had already practically put on stream the distillation of malt for the production of whiskey.

alkoinfo.net

Legislative regulation

Being enshrined in clear British legislative acts "The Scotch Whiskey Act 1988", "The Scotch Whiskey Order 1 990 No. 998" and "The Scotch Whiskey Regulations 2009 No. 2890", only the product can be called Scotch whiskey:

• which has been produced in distilleries in Scotland from water and malted barley (to which only whole grains of other cereals may be added), which have been: processed in distilleries into must; converted into a fermentable substrate only with the help of endogenous enzymes; fermented only with the use of yeast cultures;

• which has been distilled with a residual percentage of alcohol of less than 94.8% so that the final distillation product has the aroma and taste characteristic of the primary raw material used in the production;
• in which the minimum percentage of alcohol content of the final product is 40%;
• which has been aged (matured) in a regulated excise warehouse in Scotland, in oak barrels with a volume not exceeding 700 liters and a maturation period of at least three years;
• retaining color, aroma and taste, obtained from the primary raw materials used in production, and in which no other substance has been added except water and spirit caramel.

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Production technology

We emphasize once again: the main thing is loyalty to Scotland. If the drink leaves the country before the bottling stage, it can no longer be called scotch. Everything else is simple:

1. Selected barley is dried and soaked for 1-2 weeks so that the grains begin to germinate. After that, the cereal becomes malted and ready for further processing.
2. Sprouted grains are taken out of the water and dried with hot smoke from burning peat, charcoal and beech shavings. This is the most important stage of production, because it is on it that Scotch whiskey acquires its unique "smoked" taste. For drying, local peat is used, and in each region of Scotland it has its own characteristics. Peat from the islands smells of algae and iodine, from the plains and mountain heights - heather and honey. All these nuances affect the aroma of whiskey.
3. The finished malt is thoroughly crushed and poured with boiling water for 12 hours.
4. The wort is poured into special vats, yeast is added and the mixture is left to ferment. The result is a light mash or malted milk with a strength of about 5%.
5. Braga is subjected to two or three distillations in distillation cubes. After the first round, a “weak wine” with a strength of 20% is obtained, after the second - almost real whiskey with an alcohol content of 70%. The drink is diluted with water to 50-63.5% and sent to the last stage.
6. The finished scotch is aged in oak barrels for at least three years. Ideally, if other alcoholic drinks have already been stored in these containers: they enrich the taste of Scotch whiskey. Separately, filtration and bottling can be mentioned, but nothing fundamentally new happens with whiskey at these stages.

Of course, during distillation, the masters separate the “heads” and “tails” (that is, the first and last portions of the distillate, which have a noticeable “fusel” spirit and contain a lot of harmful compounds).

About barrels and the last stage of production

Whiskey production in Scotland is serious business. By law, distilleries can only store whiskey in oak barrels. This is due to the fact that new barrels can give the drink too much woody flavor - so manufacturers reuse old ones. These old barrels may have previously held bourbon, sherry, or other whiskey. Therefore, they not only prevent the appearance of a strong woody aftertaste, but also give the drink the elusive features of its predecessor.

• First of all, the team of coopers fastens them again. First, the old iron rings are removed from the barrel. Then knock out the bottom. The top layer is removed from the tree.
• After that, the master puts the rings in place and pulls them together.
• Next, the barrels are tested for strength by fire.
• After this procedure, a thin layer of charcoal is formed on the walls inside the barrel, thanks to which the whiskey will acquire its taste and color during aging.
• After completion of the work, the barrel is boarded up with boards and sent to be filled.

Each barrel holds over 250 liters. After the cask is filled, a cork is driven into the filling hole and the whiskey is stored there for many years. It is stored among hundreds of other barrels in a dark warehouse.

Whiskey can only be called Scotch if it has been aged for at least three years. Single malt whiskey has a much longer shelf life of over 10 years. During this time, the alcohol will gradually evaporate through the oak barrel, reducing its content from over 60% to approximately 40%.

After aging, an experienced taster checks the sample for readiness and, after his approval, the whiskey is sent to be bottled. Whiskey enters the bottle conveyor, where it goes through the last stage of production before reaching the store shelves.

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Types of scotch whiskey

By law in the UK, there are five different types of Scotch whiskey:

1. Single Malt Scotch Whiskey is a drink that is necessarily produced within a single distillery and contains only malt and water. It is distilled twice according to a strict and time-honored procedure. The occasional single malt whiskey has been distilled three times, but this is generally rare. No other grains are added to this whiskey. This whiskey is produced only in Scotland.
2. Grain whiskey (Single Grain Scotch Whiskey) - is made within the same production and bottled in the same place. Such a drink is prepared from malt, water, and various grains. The nuances and technological principles of the production of grain whiskey differ from the production features of single malt whiskey.
3. Blended Scotch Whiskey - a drink made by mixing different single malt whiskeys, or single malt with grain. Blending different whiskeys for a unique, special taste.
4. Malt blended whiskey (Blended Malt Scotch Whiskey) - this whiskey is obtained by blending several single malt whiskeys that were made in different industries.
5. Grain blended whiskey (Blended Grain Scotch Whiskey) - this type of whiskey is obtained by mixing several grain types of whiskey that were produced at different distilleries.

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The most famous brands

Johnnie Walker

If you ask someone who knows a little about whiskey which brand is the most famous, he will no doubt name Johnnie Walker. In Russian, the name sounds like Johnny Walker - this is the name of the founder of the distillery. The event happened in 1820. Now it is the best-selling brand in the world. There are 5 Johnnie Walker labels:

• The cheapest is Red Label. Its manufacturer positions it as an adhesive tape "for every day". It consists of 35 barley varieties, the basis is the Cardu brand, aged in sherry casks from 3 to 5 years.
  The cost of a bottle with us ranges from 1.8-2.0 thousand rubles per bottle of 0.7 liters. Further I will indicate just such a spill - for convenience. The first price - in online stores and wholesalers, the second - in retail trade. This is the number 1 whiskey in the world. 7.5 million 9 liter boxes are sold annually worldwide!
• Black Label is a great blend, aged over 12 years. It contains almost 40 single malt spirits. It has the softest, honey taste and a light smoky note in the aroma. The cost is 3.0-4.2 thousand rubles.
• Gold Label, or it is also called the Golden Label, has an exposure of at least 18 years and is made up of 15 of the most valuable barley and grain alcohols. The recipe was developed for the centenary of Johnny Walker & Sons. It is considered the most "honey and smoky" brand. Price - within 5-5.5 thousand rubles.

Among the luxury whiskey varieties, the Chivas Regal brand, the production of the Chivas Brothers distillery (founded in 1801), has been holding the championship for decades.

The blend is 39-41% malt whiskey. Three types are available: Chivas Regal 12 Y.O. with 12 years of aging (price is about 3 thousand rubles per 0.7 l), with 18 years - Chivas Regal Gold Signature 18 Y.O. (6.5 thousand rubles) and Chivas Regal Royal Salute 50 Y.O., created for the half-century anniversary of the Queen's coronation in 2003.

A special feature is colored bottles that imitate the play of precious stones on the royal crown. The price of an exclusive bottle is from 15 thousand rubles.

Whiskey Scotch Glenlivet

Whiskey Scotch Glenlivet, read as Glenlivet, is one of the best brands of Single Malt single malt whiskey. Date of birth - 1824. Aged from 12 to 25 years. Drying of malt is carried out with peat smoke, which is practically fresh in composition, extracted only in one place.

1. It has a fairly light golden color, honey flavor and a delicate smoky floral flair.
2. It is aged in ex-bourbon barrels (one type is ex-sherry), and water has been taken from only one source for almost 200 years.
3. Cost - from 4 thousand rubles. for a bottle of 12 years old up to 30-35 thousand - for 25 years of age.

The Famous Grouse is the national pride of Scotland. Only there is wild partridge grouse, which is depicted on the label. Drink strength 43% alc. Consists of malt spirits from two distilleries. The best selling stamp in Scotland itself.

And at the same time, many houses have their own recipes for how to make Famewes Grouse. Connoisseurs note spices and orange in the taste, caramel in the aftertaste, and fruit (orange and cherry) and peat smoke in the aroma. The price is in the region of 2-2.5 thousand rubles.

The most popular brand among compatriots is the White Horse - White Horse. Also, this whiskey is the first in Japan, the second in Brazil and the third in the US in popularity.

Interestingly, at home, this drink is not even included in the top 20. But on the other hand, the manufacturer is White Horse Distillers Limited, the only one to have the Queen's Award for Achievement in the Development of International Trade.

The distilleries were recently taken over by Diageo, which now owns almost half of the listed brands. The White Horse blend contains more than 20 types of malt and grain alcohols, the taste is sweet, with fruits, the aroma is smoky, with vanilla notes.

Other famous brands

Among the very famous and valuable brands, you should definitely mention:

• Ballantine's is the third largest selling brand in the world. It has the title of "Impeccable Taste". Price from 1000 rubles. for 3 years of age and up to 35 thousand for aging for 30 years.
• Cutty Sark is the lightest and most original variety in taste. And the cheapest original adhesive tape - from 800 rubles. per bottle
• Dewar's White label is the most complex blend. He has a Royal Patent and more than 400 international awards. Exposure from 3 to 25 years, price 4-25 thousand rubles.
• Glenfiddich or Scotch with deer antlers. Every 4th bottle sold in the world has them on the label. This is a single malt whiskey of the elite class. A bottle of a 40-year-old drink costs 210,000 rubles. The cheapest is about 4 thousand.

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The most popular in Russia

Not all types of whiskey are widely used in Russia. The most popular of them are shown in the table.

Scotch whiskey is a world famous alcohol that has become the national pride of the people. Similar drinks are produced in many countries, but whiskey from Scotland is of the greatest interest to consumers.

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How to drink

Since the main generally accepted rules and rituals associated with the use of whiskey were formed in Scotland, we will start with the whiskey culture of the inhabitants of this region.

First of all, the Scots never mix their national treasure with any other alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink, with the exception of water (but more on that below). The optimum whiskey temperature should be 18-20°C. At a higher temperature, the drink begins to give off alcohol, at a lower temperature, it loses its inherent aroma.

After reaching the required temperature, the whiskey is poured into the containers intended for it. In this case, the Scots prefer either roks - wide glasses with a thick bottom, or kveiches - local pewter mugs with two handles.

However, today, even in somewhat patriarchal Scotland, tulip-shaped (Armagnac) glasses, elongated and narrowed to the top, have begun to gain popularity, since, according to some connoisseurs, they better convey the aroma of the drink. But, no matter what container the whiskey is poured into, it should be filled no more than a third.

Kilt wearers enjoy whiskey in 5 stages:

1. Admire the color of the drink.
2. Breathe in its fragrance.
3. Meditatively savor the first sip.
4. In small, leisurely sips, they drink half the contents of the glass.
5. For a full disclosure of the flavor bouquet and greater brightness of the impressions from the aroma of the drink, a little of the purest non-carbonated water, which Scotland is so famous for, is added to the remaining whiskey, and slowly drink the second half of the glass.

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Main regions of production

Scotland is divided into five main regions, each of which leaves its own unique imprint on the product created there. These areas, defined by legally defined geographical boundaries, can be seen as terroir regions in France where a wine, say Burgundy, can be produced exclusively in Burgundy, because the local soil and microclimate are so unique that a recognizable " stigma."

Lowland

The area was once teeming with distilleries (the 18th century register lists 215 distilleries) and no one knows exactly why Scottish whiskey production has fallen so dramatically. Many point to the successive acts of the British Parliament, which contributed to the increase in the production of English gin, which deprived local producers of their largest market. Other reasons cited are a change in consumer preferences - they prefer stronger Highland flavors.

The low-lying regions are located south of the invisible border, which stretches from Greenock on the west coast to Dundee in the east. There are currently three main whiskey producers active here:

• Auchentoshan,
• Bladnoch
• glenkinchie,
• and two more start operating at Daftmill and Aisla Bay.

The region is famous for its light and soft scotch tape with no aftertaste of smoke.

Writer Charles McLean spoke of the local whiskey as the perfect aperitif. It's a great option for those who are just getting started with this drink, as well as for experienced connoisseurs - triple distillation is more common in the lowlands than in any other region of whiskey production.

Scotland is divided into the Highlands and the Lowlands by the producers of scotch tape, as the border between them was determined by a law of 1784, according to which different duties were established for the north and south.

The purpose of the act was to encourage legal distillation in mountain regions and to reduce illegal distillation. Smaller industries north of the dividing line were subject to lower tax rates.

1. Lowland's typical Scotch style is light, floral and fruity.
2. The main active whiskey producers are Auchentoshan, Bladnoch and Glenkinchie.
3. Closed or mothballed distilleries: Inverleven, Littlemill, Rosenbank and St Magdalene.

Auchentoshan

The distillery was organized in 1823. Since that time, six owners have changed, who carefully kept the unique production technology. The taste and aroma of whiskey is revealed here in the process of triple, and not double distillation, as is usually done in Scotland.

Produced single malt Auchentoshan 10-year-old has a golden color, soft freshness with hints of oak. A clear, fruity taste ends with a delicate sweet aftertaste.

Bladnoch

The distillery was founded in 1917 by the McClelland family and has since changed hands several times, closing from time to time until it opened in 2000 to produce limited quantities of outstanding single malts.

• Bladnoch 15 Year Old has a deep yellow hue with soft buttery, herbal, lemony and fruity aromas with floral undertones.
• Long licorice aftertaste.
• There are tones of melon, raspberry, strawberry and citrus.

Speyside

The largest number of whiskey manufacturers and two-thirds of all malt production is located in the most densely populated region of the country - in the Spey River Valley, or Speyside.

Charles McLean described the scotch here as "sweet, with strong notes of esters, fragrant with pear drops, cloves, Parma violets, roses, apples, bananas, cream soda and lemonade."

In recent times, the region has grown to produce many different varieties of classic malt whiskeys, and it's not uncommon to see highly peaty drinks side by side with traditional ones. Speyside Scotch has an incredible range of flavors, from sherry-aged Aberlour and Mortlach to smoky Benriach and Benromach.

1. The typical style of Speyside Scotch is rich and fruity, although the use of peat is becoming more common.
2. The main active distilleries are: Benromach, Balvenie, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Macallan, Glenfarclas and Mortlach.
3. Closed or mothballed enterprises: Dallas Dhu, Caperdonich, Coleburn, Banff, Convalmore.

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Glenlivet

Glenlivet is perhaps the region's most famous single malt scotch whiskey, and its name has been so popular that many other distilleries have begun to appropriate it.

• When J. G. Smith, the owner of the distillery, tried to claim ownership of the name, he was only partially successful. The court's decision to give him the right to the name also allowed other manufacturers to use the name "Glenlivet" next to the name of their plant. It can still be seen on some old bottles from this region.
• The founder of the enterprise, encouraged by the Duke of Gordon, first applied for a license in 1824.
• He went against the public sentiment of the time.
• Illegal producers, not happy with this act of Smith, threatened him with death, and Duke Gordon even gave him 2 pistols for protection, which can still be seen in the visitor center at the distillery.
• Legalization gave Smith an edge that propelled the brand into the lead.
• Today the company is owned by the Chivas and Glenlivet group, acquired by Pernod Ricard in 2001.
• The factory closed only during the Second World War due to a shortage of barley. Glenlivet is used in top blends such as Chivas Regal and Royal Salute.

12-year-old single malt whiskey with a light golden hue has a floral aroma and notes of sherry, spices and vanilla. The palate is slightly smoky, delicate, slightly sweet and fruity, clean and well balanced. The finish is long, but soft and warm, with traces of peat at the end.

Campbeltown

Campbeltown is located towards the end of the Mull of Kintyre on the west coast of Scotland. There were once more than 30 whiskey distilleries here, of which only three are currently in operation:

1. glen scotia,
2. Glengyle
3. Springbank.

Springbank Campbeltown Malt Scotch is rich, complex, full of flavor with hints of sea salt and soft peat. Hazelburn from Glen Scotia and Springbank is triple distilled and is an easy alternative for those who prefer more freshness.

When beverage historian Alfred Barnard visited the area in 1885, he named Campbeltown "Whiskey City". At the time, there were 21 businesses operating there, and it took him two weeks to inspect them.

Demand at the beginning of the 20th century increased production at Campbeltown so much that impurities began to penetrate the final product, which inevitably led to a decrease in product quality. Because of this, the whiskey had a fishy smell, and buyers accused the manufacturers of using herring barrels to mature the drink.

• The typical style is strong, rich and marine.
• Major active businesses: Springbank, Glen Scotia and Kilkerran.
• Closed and mothballed distilleries: Ballegerggan, Dalaruan and Glen Nevis.

Glen Scotia

The distillery was founded in 1832. In 1979–82. almost £1 million was spent on its modernization, but in 1984 it was closed. Having opened in 1989, the enterprise was mothballed again in 1994.

But recently trial batches of whiskey have been distilled. The quality of the alcohol was so good that regular production is planned. So far, Glen Scotia is open 3 months a year thanks to the employees of the nearby Springbank distillery.

A 12 year old amber golden scotch has a very spicy, peppery aroma with hints of sherry. The taste is spicy, with chocolate and plum hints and a warm pleasant finish.

Springbank

Founded in 1828 by Archibald Mitchell, it is the oldest independent whiskey distillery in Scotland and remains under the control of the founder's descendants to this day. They make 3 different brands here -

1. springbank,
2. Long row
3. Hazelburn.

Springbank is distilled 2.5 times. Germinated barley is dried over burning peat for only 6 hours, and then for 24 hours with warm air. The result is a less smoky whiskey than typically made in Campbeltown.

Springbank is one of two distilleries that bottle whiskey at the source, using the original water to reduce the strength of the drink. Another such manufacturer is Glenfiddich.

All whiskey made in Springbank is sold as single malt. The 10-year-old drink has a light golden hue, aromas of citrus, pear and peat. Taste of smoke, vanilla, nutmeg, slightly salty. The finish is full, rich, long, warm, slightly salty.

highland and islands

This region, which also covers the islands, probably has the widest range of flavors, from light Glengoyne and Deanston to brackish coastal varieties like Old Pulteney and Oban.

Island malt whiskey also has its own styles, ranging from the lightness of Arran to the sweetness of Jura and Tobermory, the rich, complex flavors of Highland Park Whiskey.

• The typical style is varied.
• The main active distilleries are Highland Park, Glenmorangie, Dalmore, Jura, Tobermory and Oban.
• Closed or mothballed plants: Brora, Glen Mhor, Millburn and Glenugie.

Founded in 1798 on the island of Orkney, the distillery is the northernmost distillery in Scotland.

1. The enterprise is independently engaged in the extraction of peat for drying malting barley.
2. The result of the production process is a malt whiskey with a heather aroma and a delicate smoke that allows it to remain a favorite drink of enthusiasts.
3. Approximately 60% of the production of the enterprise is single malt scotch, and the remaining 40% goes to the production of single-barrel and mixed drinks. Highland Park no longer sells its products to independent bottlers.

There are very few other brands of single malt scotch that have been so consistently praised by connoisseurs and pundits for their 12, 15, 18, 25, 30, and 40 year versions.

Highland Park 30 Year Old Whiskey has a copper-amber hue, spicy, nutmeg aroma with hints of dark chocolate. Taste of toffee, dark chocolate, orange and peat. The finish is long, rich, smoky and surprisingly sweet.

Whiskey connoisseur, columnist and pundit Michael Jackson once called Highland Park "the biggest all-rounder in the whiskey world."

Dalmore

The distillery was founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson. Located on the banks of the Cromaty Firth opposite Black Island. The scotch produced here has full flavor and body. The long, generous finish makes it a classic Highland whisky.

Today, 62-year-old Dalmore is the most expensive scotch in the world. In May 2005, a bottle of whiskey was purchased for £32,000. 12 year old Dalmore has a deep golden mahogany undertone.

• The aroma is intense and persistent, well structured with smooth malt tones - oloroso sherry, orange, marmalade and spices.
• Elegant taste of aged sherry with a generous aftertaste.

Islay currently has eight whiskey distilleries. Scotland is famous for the world-famous varieties produced here. It's fair to say that Islay lives on scotch, as most of the local population is involved in its production in one way or another, either growing barley, or distilling whiskey, or distributing it.

It is even believed that the island was one of the first places where monks started smoking Uisge Beatha in the early 14th century. This was due to an almost perfect combination of several factors: excellent soil for growing barley, peat for fuel, and a constant source of clean water.

The island itself has a great influence on the flavor of the drink produced here. The soil here is mostly peat, and most of the water is brown due to its excess, while winter storms often carry sea salt far inland, adding a brackish note to the smoky flavor. However, not all local whiskey is massively smoked. For example, in the production of varieties such as Bunnahabhain and Bruchladdich, peat is used very little or not at all.

1. Islay's typical scotch style is smoky (with the exception of Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich).
2. The main active distilleries are Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin and Laphroaig.
3. Closed or mothballed distilleries: Port Ellen.

Laphroaig

The distillery was founded in 1815 by Donald and Alex Johnston. About 10% of production is single malt whisky, with the rest being sold to make famous blends such as Long John, Black Bottle and Islay Mist. Laphroaig can either be loved or hated.

Its distinctive character may seem redundant to some. For beginners, it is better to try easier options, such as Bowmore. But if whiskey is to your taste, then you definitely won’t find another like it.

• 15 year old Laphroaig has a rich bright golden hue, a mild smoky aroma and a pleasant sweetness of fresh hay.
• Tastes of oak, peat smoke, nutmeg, roasted almonds, salty.
• The finish is long, resonant, juicy and expressive.

Bowmore

The distillery was founded on the Isle of Islay in 1779 and is one of the oldest in Scotland. It is located on the seafront, which is essential for defining the character of a single malt whiskey, as it adheres to traditional technology. It is one of only five distilleries that still makes their current barley malt.

The production uses water from the Laggan River, which has absorbed the aromas of local peat, which is also used in the drying of barley. Whiskey matures in damp cellars located below sea level in Spanish and American oak barrels.

1. Peat, barley, water, wood, people and tradition combine to create the robust, warm and smoky character of Bowmore Islay single malt.
2. Bowmore Dusk has the color of polished teak wood, aromas of apricot, honey melon and lychee.
3. The taste of claret, the peaty warmth of the island are replaced by tones of dark chocolate and liquorice.
4. There are notes of tangerine, Caribbean cane sugar.
5. The finish is long, juicy, smoky and sweet.

The distillery was founded in 1816 by local farmer John Johnston. It was the first local legal whiskey distillery. The drink created here has received many prizes, including 9 gold medals at the IWSC International Competition.

The 16-year-old Lagavulin is considered the best single malt whiskey on the island due to its balanced taste - a little iodine, a little smoke, moderate earthy notes and a long, smooth, elegant finish full of peaty, salty tones with hints of seaweed.

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Five myths about whiskey

Only for gourmets

Malt whiskey is made from sprouted (“malted”) barley. Grain whiskey is made from dry grains of various cereals, including barley. From the point of view of a chemist, the difference between them is the same as between fermented jam and potato moonshine.

This is followed by distillation, aging in barrels and, finally, blending - blending grain and malt whiskeys from different regions to get a balanced final product.

• Until the 1980s, the technological chain certainly included blending.
• Single malt, and especially single grain whiskeys were blatantly exotic.
• For an elderly Scot, drinking single malt is as strange as serving flour, eggs, sugar and butter with tea instead of ready-made cookies - all separately, so that connoisseurs appreciate the nuances of taste. Nuances are important, but cookies taste better.

The difference between single malt and blended whiskey is obvious.

1. Of course, there is a bouquet in single malt whiskey, and its connoisseurs have a lot in their souls, except for show-offs.
2. But often an attempt to enjoy a precious drink, smelling little different from charred peat, is obviously doomed to failure.
3. Blending it with the grassy lightness of a grain whisky, a good blender will achieve a product of such depth and smoothness that no single malt can compete with it.

The habit of diluting whiskey with water is evidence of the doom of American civilization

If the word “water” means Pepsi-Cola, one cannot but agree with the thesis. But when you first get acquainted with a new variety, it is recommended to add a little pure non-carbonated water to it - the drink will show its aroma better.

It's like the first smile of a girl - after that you can do everything with her. However, like women, whiskeys are different: varieties with a high strength (56 ° and above) are specially designed for dilution.

There are real whiskey and bourbon

• Only Scotch whiskey can be considered real whiskey: in English, even the word “whiskey” is spelled differently - whiskey - if you mean scotch.
• However, the rest of the whiskey - Irish (a precious drink made from a mixture of raw and fermented barley), bourbon, Tennessee, rye (including Straight Rye) and Canadian - have equal and unquestioned rights to exist.

The only whiskeys worth leaving alone are Turkish and Egyptian whiskeys, the ones that are “all included”.

To add ice is to sign one's own plebeianism

The Scots usually do not add ice, but if you ask the bartender to cool or even warm up the elixir, no one will be surprised. Perhaps you are a stranger from the distant lands of another clan and you have your own traditions there. Whether because there was never an aristocracy in this country, or for other reasons, but the word "loch" in Scottish means "lake", and what it means here is not translated into Scottish.

So drinking whiskey means signing your own democracy.

It's a prohibitively expensive drink.

Whiskeys with an aging period of more than twenty years are remarkable primarily for the price and only secondly for all other qualities. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they are made in small batches, and it is almost impossible to reproduce the taste obtained by mixing several dozen unimaginably expensive ingredients.

Connoisseurs can limit themselves to the age range from twelve to eighteen years, where the price more or less reflects the expected enjoyment.

And to talk with friends and solder intellectuals, banal blended whiskeys of three or five years old are quite suitable. They are simple, but do not offend the taste.

Among the many alcoholic beverages consumed by people, this one occupies a special place. Many types of whiskey have their own characteristics, their own history, their own drinking culture. The term "whiskey" has become generic and includes all varieties of drinks with that name. Sometimes it is called tape. Whiskey lovers sometimes argue about which is better whiskey or scotch. The proposed article describes the differences and advantages of alcohol with such names.

What is whiskey

So it is customary to call a common alcoholic drink made from grains of wheat, rye, barley, corn and even buckwheat. During the preparation, malting, fermentation and distillation are used. The resulting alcohol is aged for a long time in oak barrels. Usually it contains 35-50 degrees of alcohol, sometimes the fortress rises to 60 degrees. The resulting drink has a peculiar aroma, there is practically no sugar in it. Its amber color differs in saturation.

To achieve excellent taste qualities of whiskey, masters of its production must take into account the many characteristics of grain and water, the subtleties of technology inherent in a particular brand of drink.

Among them:

• Copper distillation cube design
• Malting procedure
• Filtering features
• The quality and volume of the barrel
• Duration and exposure options, etc.

Particular attention in the formation of the taste bouquet of whiskey is given to containers for its storage. The oak from which they are made absorbs the aromas of the wines in which they were stored and gives them to the whisky. There are many subtleties inherent in each manufacturer.

At the same time, the main requirement for whiskey is exposure time. The malt drink cannot be aged for less than three years. Unless intended to be blended with other varieties, age for at least five years. At the same time, in ordinary varieties, this can last from ten to twelve years. For elite drinks, this can be 20, 30 or even 50 years. The drink can undergo aging procedures in different barrels with its subsequent mixing. Sometimes most of the exposure it is contained in one barrel, and in recent years - in another.

The word "whiskey" appeared in the 19th century. There are different versions of its English spelling, meaning the country where it was produced. The most common varieties of this drink are produced in Scotland, Ireland, USA, Canada and Japan. This geography defines the raw components of a drink produced in a particular country.

In Ireland it is rye with barley malt, in Scotland it is barley and barley malt. On the North American continent, for the production of whiskey with the local name "bourbon", grains of rye, corn, and wheat are used. Among the Japanese, this is millet and corn, to which other grains, most often rice, can be added in small quantities. Whiskey can be malt, grain and blended, as well as bourbon in the American version.

His homeland is Scotland

Whiskey produced here has a unique, geographically fixed name - scotch. It is believed that it has been known since the Middle Ages, when the ancient Celts established an industrial distillation of this "fire water". The pioneers were monks who drove alcohol first as a medicinal potion. They were treated for diseases of the abdomen, nervous and other diseases.

It is believed that around the same time, the modern word "whiskey" appeared, in the language of the Scottish aborigines meaning "water of life". When they realized that the medicine could become a profitable cheering drink, its production went beyond the walls of the monasteries. Its mass underground production unfolded. The drink was at first very strong and of very poor quality. However, over time, the technology improved, and by the 18th century the drink had become extremely popular.

The name "Scotch" in translation means the name of this region of Great Britain. This name can only be worn by a product produced in Scotland. Most of its varieties are distinguished by a subtle smoky echo. It is the result of drying grain with peat as fuel.

The laws determined the categories of the drink, formulated the requirements that it must meet.

1. Whiskey must be produced in Scotland from water and barley malt.
2. You can add only whole grains of other cereals to it, which are processed in a distillery in a certain way into wort and fermented with yeast.
3. Whiskey must have a taste and aroma characteristic of primary raw materials, and the residual percentage of alcohol in a distilled drink must be at least 94.8%.
4. The final product contains at least 40% alcohol.
5. Whiskey maturation period was at least three years. It must be aged in 700-liter oak barrels in a special excise warehouse in Scotland.
6. Nothing other than spirit caramel and water can be added to the drink.

What is the difference

For the Scots, the question of the difference between scotch and whiskey is not worth it. Each of them is absolutely sure that scotch, as a variant of a strong drink, is an exemplary whiskey.

Scotch whiskey is distinguished from other types of whiskey by the following features:

• It is made from the specific taste of barley grown only in a few areas of Scotland.
• The technology of drying malt, where peat is used for this, which gives the drink a smoky taste.
• It is made only from barley without the use of other cereals.
• The original production process, where multiple distillation is not used.
• Compared to other types of whiskey, it has a sharper taste and characteristic aroma.
• Produced in accordance with British law exclusively in Scotland.

Scotch is nothing but Scotch whiskey. The Scots themselves consider it special (well, still!) And the only real, even correct, whiskey, and everything else is just a parody. After all, only in Scotch whiskey there are such subtle smoky notes and a special taste. By the way, this drink was driven by the ancient Celts and called it "the water of life."

If you do not see the difference between scotch and whiskey, then it is enough to remember one simple phrase: "All scotch is whiskey, but not all whiskey is scotch." This means that there are still differences between scotch and whiskey, although they are related drinks.

So, scotch is considered to be a type of whiskey. The main difference lies in the taste and aroma: Scotch has a sharper taste and, as already mentioned, a smoky aroma. Perhaps the reason for this is the fact that scotch is made exclusively from barley, while whiskey uses a variety of grains. Yes, and the technology for preparing these drinks is somewhat different. It is believed that the technology for the production of adhesive tape is very special.

Well, the most important difference between scotch and whiskey is that scotch is produced only in Scotland. If we really, really find fault, then only the one that is produced in Scotland is aged in oak barrels for at least three years. Well, and, accordingly, only from germinated barley, water and yeast - all components must be natural.

But whiskey is made in different countries: USA, England, Canada, Ireland. By the way, the Scots also revere Irish whiskey, considering it also not bad. Others don't really acknowledge it. We believe that the “island brotherhood” had an effect here.

Scotch can be either single (Single) or mixed, that is, blended (Blended). It is difficult to say which one is better: it is already a matter of taste.

Now about the taste. We have already said that it is sharper than whiskey, while being so dry, but there are more than enough shades in it. And that makes scotch a more interesting drink. At the same time, the more scotch is aged, the more flavor and aroma variety you will get. Usually chocolate-vanilla and smoky notes are definitely felt, but if you try, you can hear much more aromas.

The taste and aroma of scotch is strongly influenced not only by raw materials, but also by the area in which this drink is produced. For example, if the distillery is located in the highlands, then heather aromas await you, muffled by smoke, honey and unripe pear. If you want to appreciate the taste of scotch, we advise you to dilute the drink with mineral water. Well, remember the golden rule for choosing scotch tape: the longer the exposure, the softer the taste of the drink will be.

Scotland. Some even claim that whiskey has absorbed the rebellious spirit of this northern country. Historically, the Scots have long resisted English dominance. The local lands managed to see everything: big bloody battles and partisan clashes, the courage of the defenders and the deceit of the subjects of the English king. Returning, the Scottish warriors celebrated another victory with a sip of good whiskey.

This strong drink has been produced here for over 500 years. The earliest recorded mention of whiskey in Scotland dates back to 1494. According to the surviving record, a certain monk named John Kor was given 8 boxes of barley so that Kor could produce the "water of life" from them. “Water of life” (“uisge beatha” in Gaelic) was then called whiskey. Subsequently, this name was transformed into the modern "whiskey".

Connoisseurs of the English language have already noticed the difference in spelling. Indeed, a drink made in Scotland is called whiskey, and whiskey from other countries is called whiskey. This is an established tradition that allows you to distinguish scotch whiskey from the products of other countries.

A distinctive feature of whiskey from Scotland is a slight smack of smoke. It is associated with the technology of making a drink: in order to dry barley grains, it is traditionally customary to use burning peat. Most Scottish producers do not limit themselves to one distillation, distilling the drink twice. All this gives the local whiskey a characteristic, easily recognizable taste and aroma.

The main regions for the production of Scotch whiskey are Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Islay, Campbeltown. Each of these areas has its own striking features. Let's talk about them in more detail.

The lowlands of the Lowlands are famous for their single malts. Local brands of this drink: Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, Glenkinchie. There are also two fairly new factories in Lowland, Daftmill and Annandale, but you won't be able to find their products for sale yet. This is due to the duration of whiskey aging: these enterprises are just finishing the preparation of the first batch of the drink and are going to enter the market with it. One of the traditions of the region is the triple distillation of whiskey. It is believed that it gives the drink a milder taste.

The highland Highlands, the ancestral home of the Scottish highlanders, also gave the world many excellent whiskeys. The Highlands cover approximately two-thirds of Scotland. It should be borne in mind that the nearby island of Islay is not included in this area. Highland produces whiskey brands such as Aberfeldy, Ben Nevis, Deanston, Glen Garioch, Glenmorangie, Tomatin, as well as a number of other popular brands.

But the true center of whiskey production in Scotland is Speyside. Here, in the valley of the Spey River, a huge number of distilleries are concentrated. Most brands of Scotch whiskey are produced in Speyside. Connoisseurs recognize drinks from this region by their characteristic taste: usually it is either soft, with natural vegetal tones, or very rich and sweet. Speyside produces Aberlour, Glenfarclas, Glenlivet, Macallan, Tamdhu whiskeys.

Islay is a place of so-called "whiskey tourism". Guests from around the world visit the annual May festival, accompanied by a drink tasting. Some island distilleries are characterized by a traditional whiskey with a hint of smoke. Others, on the contrary, produce a lighter and more well-balanced drink. The first category includes whiskey Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and the second - Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain.

If we talk about the scale of production, then today in Scotland there are more than 100 distilleries. The scope of work of enterprises can vary greatly: from the smallest Edrador distillery, which produces only 12 barrels of drink per week, to the giants from Speyside, which produce 90,000 liters of whiskey in the same time. Whiskey exports from Scotland are steadily growing, reaching record levels. So, according to the results of 2011, the supply of this drink abroad amounted to $6.7 billion.

Scotch whiskey - price in WineStyle

Excellent Scotch whiskey in WineStyle stores can be bought at a price of 119 rubles. - so much, for example, is a miniature bottle of Ballantines Finest 50 ml. The cost of one liter of adhesive tape starts from 1214 rubles. and can reach 10,000 rubles. The most expensive are single-barrel varieties and limited versions of long exposure.