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Whiskey - The Water Of Life - has its fundamental roots in Scotland and Ireland, however, the sequence of primary events which
culminates in this magnificent spirit is the same with all whiskeys. Water; barley, malted barley, corn, wheat, rye, malted
rye; oak barrel, yeast, time - these are the components of all whiskeys, the choice of grains being the most significant variable
here. The grains are all cooked in hot water to break down the cell walls so when the yeast is added it can easily digest
the starches, which have been converted into fermentable sugars and thus create the by-products alcohol and carbon dioxide.
This basically creates unhopped beer, which is then heated to just below the boiling point of water and gives off the pure
spirit as steam, which is then cooled and captured as pure grain spirit or white dog. The main variable in the distillation
process is the type of still - mainly a multiple plate column still or a single pot still. This white spirit is then put into
oak casks and put away to mature for any number of years - obviously the barrel type and age again offer variables. This is
basically the formation of all whiskeys - the rest of the variables exist based on each unique distillery, the country of
origin and the rules and regulations involved in each specific industry. Scotch Whisky. Scotland - the birthplace of the malt
spirit and the home to the most number of unique whiskies and whisky distilleries in the world - also the most complicated
set of variables. (In Scotland we spell it Whisky, in America, its Whiskey.)
All of the worlds whiskies use some
malted barley - for its enzyme action, malting is done by steeping the grain in water to awaken the embryo within the seed,
the grain is allowed to partially germinate and is then quickly dried in a kiln - giving it unique smoky qualities based on
where and how it is kilned. The drying is traditionally done over a fire made of peat - an organic substance which is dug
from the ground - that gives off very earthy, smoky fires. Single malt whisky uses only malted barley and must be produced
at a single distillery, however, different barrels are blended together - thus not a single barrel whiskey, and the age of
the whisky is that of the youngest barrels in the mixture - thus a 15 year old Scotch mixed with a 20 year old is labeled
15 year old.
Blended Scotch whisky employs the mixing of whisky from many distilleries and many ages as well as
the addition of straight grain whiskies which could be made from malted barley, unmalted barley or corn - malted barley always
being the most expensive of all the grains. Whether aged or not, the grain whisky is utilized to more or less lighten the
whisky. Vatted malts are produced by blending just a few malts without the addition of grain whisky. Location of the distillery
is also crucial, as a still in the highlands will have a much different water source and warehouse atmosphere than one which
kisses the sea on an island. The main locations of Scotch distilleries are: The Lowlands, Campbeltown, Islay and The Highlands
- though The Highlands are often disseminated into West, North, Speyside, East and Midlands and the Western Islands (excluding
Islay) are often grouped together. Where Scotch is concerned, barrel choice has a myriad of options. The most commonly used
barrels are new oak, used bourbon barrels and sherry butts, however, port casks, madeira casks and burgundy barrels have all
been used and the options are for the experimenting. Often the use of multiple barrels is employed, using a bourbon barrel
for ten years and switching to a sherry barrel for an addition five years for example. The law allows the Scotch whisky manufacturer
limitless options when choosing barrels.
There is much to learn about Scotch - much more than we can cover here,
but I would like to quickly mention the many Scotch options afforded to us by private bottlers. These firms purchase barrels
of single malt directly from the distillery and then age and release them as they see fit - these are then some of the most
unique and limited whiskies available anywhere.
Irish Whiskeys define their character from your very first nose and
sip. They are not noticeably smoky like scotch - the barley is malted over a coal fire as opposed to the peat which is employed
in Scotland. Also, some unmalted barley is utilized to offer a light, perfumy roundness to the final product, as well as a
bit of straight grain whiskey for some additional lightness. Irish whiskey must be at least three years old by law but can
often be found in much older bottling and the old bourbon and sherry barrels are used multiple times before being retired.
Irish is distilled three times as opposed to the normal two times in the rest of the industry, and this factor definitely
influences the flavor of the final product - in Ireland the stress is put on the distiller not the blender, they consider
the final product to be a vatted one not blended. This leads us directly to perhaps the most interesting aspect of Irish whiskey,
there are only two distillery facilities in Ireland and they are both owned by one group known as Irish Distillers. The Old
Bushmills Distillery produces the full line of Bushmills products as well as the lighter Coleraine Whiskey, The Midleton facility
produces every other Irish whiskey available including Jameson, Redbreast, John Power, Paddy, Midleton Very Rare, Tullamore
Dew as well as a few others. Thus the difference among them lies in the art of distilling each product in a unique way. These
distilleries also produce a plethora of whiskey liqueurs, including both Irish Mist and Baileys.
American Whiskey
has seen a remarkable resurgence in the past decade. After years of sliding sales and the elimination of the biggest, most
flavorful whiskeys for a lighter style, American whiskey is experiencing an unbelievable comeback. It is not uncommon to see
bars that ten years ago had three American whiskeys, now stocking dozens. The three most recognizable styles of American Whiskey
are Bourbon, Tennessee and Straight Rye. The production of Bourbon whiskey affects the entire world of whiskey production,
as the barrels can only be used one time. These barrels which are charred to different degrees by open fires are then sold
off to hold Scotch, Irish and Canadian whiskeys. This is a crucial difference defining all off the primary whiskeys of the
United States, if the barrel is used again in this country it is for a blended whiskey with lighter grain spirit added. Also
unique is the grain make ups of these products: Bourbon and Tennessee must be at least fifty-one percent corn, have some malted
barley and employ a flavor grain - either rye or occasionally wheat; conversely rye must be at least fifty-one percent rye.
The only real difference between Tennessee and Bourbon is that in Tennessee the whiskey is filtered through charcoal after
distillation and before being put into barrels - obviously the two Tennessee whiskeys are made in that state but Bourbon,
though made primarily in Kentucky, can be made anywhere in the United States.
Another much discussed aspect of
American whiskey is the process of sour mash. Though commonly employed throughout the whiskey industry, the use of some of
the previous batch being saved and added to the next batch is practiced to both maintain the yeast and preserve the consistency
- all American whiskeys utilize the sour mash process. If you like the recognizable style of American whiskey then you will
like them all, I highly recommend trying every possible American whiskey you have access to.
Canadian Whiskey exhibits
probably the smallest degree of pedigree of the major whiskey producing nations, but it definitely produces a staggering amount
of whiskey as well as having an enormous impact on the history of the American whiskey industry. Though Canadian whiskey is
difficult to specifically define, its origins led it to always have a high concentration of rye - a sturdy plant for such
a chilly environment. Most Canadians are blends of rye, corn, usually a little malted barley and a more or less neutral grain
spirit and most are very light, however, the use of malted rye is used almost exclusively in Canada. The barrels are primarily
used bourbon casks, often employing excellent wood management within a large global concern - the same company using the barrels
at their bourbon facility in Kentucky and then shipping the barrels directly to Canada for a second or more use. The Canadian
industry had a large impact on the American whiskey industry, as a considerable amount of Canadian whiskey was consumed during
prohibition and was quickly available immediately after. This made it that much more difficult for many American distilleries
to get up and running, as they then had to wait many years for their products to mature while the American taste began to
appreciate the lighter Canadian style. Though commonly disregarded by whiskey experts, there are now many excellent Canadian
whiskeys in the marketplace, look out for these unique bottlings of Bush Pilot, Canadian Club Sherry Cask and Hirsch Canadian
Private Stock.
Whiskey is also made in many other parts of the world. Japan, Indian, Spain and the Australian whiskey
industries are thriving in their home markets. Though these whiskeys are not that common in our marketplace, I highly recommend
searching them out and giving them a try. If you would like to know more about whiskey, definitely consult Michael Jacksons
World Guide To Whiskey - I did.
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