Scotch Whiskey

Photo: flickr user dmuth

About

Fermented and distilled alcohol made from malted barley in Scotland. Often refferred to as "Scotch" there are many sub-types based on the process, e.g. single malt vs. blends and/or based on the region of Scotland where the liquor is produced, e.g. Islay, Speyside, Lowland, and Highland.

Information

Other names: Scotch

Translations: Skotu viskijs, Škotiško viskio, Scotch whisky, Škotski viski, Scotch Whisky, Schotse whisky, स्कॉच व्हिस्की, Scotch Whisky, Шотландский виски, Σκοτσέζικο ουίσκι, سكوتش ويسكي, 스카치 위스키, Skotská whisky, Scotch wiski, 苏格兰威士忌, Scotch Whisky, Škótska whisky, ויסקי, Skotsk whisky, Биљег Виски, スコッチウイスキー, Scotch Whisky, Шотландський віскі, Шотландско уиски

Physical Description

Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single malt Scotch whisky, blended malt (formerly called "vatted malt" or "pure malt"), blended Scotch whisky, blended grain Scotch whisky, and single grain Scotch whisky

Colors: light to dark amber hues

Tasting Notes

Substitutes: Irish whiskey

Selecting and Buying

Choosing: 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. Traditional practices define five types:[5]

Single malt whisky is a 100% malted barley whisky from one distillery, distilled in batches in pot stills
Single grain whisky is distilled at a single distillery from water and malted barley, with or without whole grains of other cereals; it must not meet the requirements of a single malt whisky
Blended malt (formerly called Vatted malt) whisky that is a blend of 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, distilled at more than one distillery

Buying: To be called Scotch whisky the spirit must conform to the standards of the Scotch Whisky Order of 1990 (UK),[3] which clarified the Scotch Whisky Act 1988,[4] and mandates that the spirit:

Must be distilled at a Scottish distillery from water and malted barley, to which only other whole grains may be added, have been processed at that distillery into a mash, converted to a fermentable substrate only by endogenous enzyme systems, and fermented only by the addition of yeast,
Must be distilled to an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8%[4] by volume so that it retains the flavour of the raw materials used in its production,
Must be matured in Scotland in oak casks for no less than three years and a day,
Must not contain any added substance other than water and caramel colouring, and
May not be bottled at less than 40% alcohol by volume.

Preparation and Use

n/a

Cleaning: n/a

Social/Political

Poet Robert Louis Stevenson is famous for giving Scotch Whiskey its name.Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland. In Britain, the term whisky is usually taken to mean Scotch unless otherwise specified. In other English-speaking countries, it is often referred to as "Scotch".

History: Whisky has been produced in Scotland for hundreds of years. The Gaelic "usquebaugh", meaning "Water of Life", phonetically became "usky" and then "whisky" in English

According to the Scotch Whisky Association, no one knows exactly when the art of distilling was first practised in Scotland; it is known that the Ancient Celts practised distilling[citation needed], and that the liquid they produced — known as uisge beatha ("water of life") — evolved into Scotch Whisky.[5]

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 bug destroyed wine and cognac production in France in 1880.