Scotch Whisky
Whisky made in Scotland, referred to as Scotch, is one of the most popular types of whisky in the world. By law, it must be distilled to no more than 189.6 proof and produced from a mixture of water, cereal grains, and malt, with the only allowed additives being water and caramel coloring. Scotch must be aged in oak casks in Scotland at a licensed warehouse for a minimum of three years, but, unlike bourbon or rye, those casks can, and almost always are, used barrels instead of new ones. Scotch is separated into five categories, one of which is required to be displayed on the label: Single Malt (100% malt barley from a single distillery), Single Grain (all grain spirit from a single distillery), Blended Grain (grain whiskies from multiple distilleries), Blended Malt (a blend of single malts), and Blended Scotch (a blend of malt and grain whiskies). The malt used to make Scotch can be dried by fire from with compacted vegetation called peat, which imparts a unique flavor on the final product. (This type of Scotch is most common on island regions, particularly Islay.) There are five whisky-producing regions in Scotland, each with its own style and character: Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside, Islay, and Campbeltown.
Top Scotch Whisky Posts:
A Tour of Scotland: Understanding Scotch Whiskies
Touring Scotch Whisky Distilleries in Speyside, Scotland
Drinking Scotch with The Dalmore’s Richard Paterson
Whiskies of Glen Grant with Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm
The fourth iteration of the golf-themed Dewar’s 19 Year Old “Champions Edition” is another spin on the iconic blended Scotch, again turning to an unusual cask type. Similar to the 2022 expression, Dewar’s is again using rye whiskey casks for its secondary maturation — although in 2022 rye was just one of three types of…
Smell that whisky: Sherry, amirite? As a matter of fact, no: This exciting new release from Jura is a 14 year old that is aged in a combination of American bourbon and rye whiskey casks — the latter being a twist that is a rarity in Scotland. The nose immediately threw me for a loop:…
Bruichladdich is arguably the poster child for the renaissance in Islay single malt over the last two decades. It caught the whisky world’s attention in 2001 after a group of investors led by Mark Reynier resurrected the mothballed distillery and gave an eager Jim McEwan in the prime of his career free rein to push…
After 15 years of Octomore, it feels like they must have burned through all the peat in Scotland to produce this ultra-smoky whisky. Apparently that’s not the case, as the Octo-trio is back again with one question on its mind: How much peat are you ready to handle? As usual Octomore has plenty of surprises…
In late 2023, storied Speyside single malt producer The Glenrothes announced a new bottling of their oldest core expression: 25 Years Old. It’s aged a full quarter century across first-fill sherry (“a high proportion,” according to the brand), American oak, and European oak barrels. We’ve reviewed The Glenrothes 10, 12, and 18 year releases before.…
It’s greatest hits time for Laphroaig with its latest Càirdeas special edition, a whisky which celebrates 30 years of the Friends of Laphroaig program by revisiting two beloved Laphroaig releases from the past: 2019’s Triple Wood and 2021’s PX Cask. It is “married together by Master Blender, Calum Fraser, as an aged statement [10 years…
To mark Feis Ile — Islay’s annual whisky festival — many of the island’s top Scotch producers release commemorative expressions. It’s a time when local distilleries often pull out the stops for (or at least have quite a bit of fun with) super-premium bottlings. In 2024, Bunnahabhain — Islay’s northernmost distillery — bottled two new…
Nick Offerman — a rum guy? For his fourth collab with Lagavulin, Offerman turns to a different island for inspiration, the pop culture icon takes 11 year old standard-issue Lagavulin (aged in ex-bourbon and sherry casks) and finishes it for 8 more months in Caribbean rum casks. It’s an old trick but not one that’s…
We commonly crank through GlenDronach‘s special editions, but one of its permanent lineup has eluded us: Allardice, its 18 year old expression. The famed Highlands distillery’s 18 year old is named in honor of James Allardice, who founded the distillery in 1826. The whisky is completely aged in oloroso sherry casks. GlenDronach Allardice 18 Years…
Drinkhacker was just a baby blog in 2008 when Chris last tasted the entire range of age-stated Highland Park expressions. Even with the 25-year and the 40-year (!) on the table, he kept going back to this bottle, the comparatively pedestrian 18-year-old. Today, this elder teen sits right in the middle of the Orkney Islands…