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
We’ve tackled the lineup from Speyside single malt-maker Aberlour periodically over the last decade, but our very first taste of the distillery came way back in 2009 with an impressive travel retail bottling (long since discontinued) and Batch 26 of the distillery’s cask strength sherry bomb, A’bunadh. (We also visited in person!) The latter remains…
I had the chance to visit Glengoyne for the first time this spring. This smaller scale single malt distillery is famously the “slowest” in Scotland, reportedly producing spirit at a third the normal rate of most Scotch distilleries which allows for exceptionally long copper contact in the stills. The distillery campus also straddles the Highland/Lowland…
Ardbeg Day 2024 was just upon us, and with it has come a new Committee Release creation from the madmen of Islay: Ardbeg Spectacular, the first ever Ardbeg aged in Port wine casks. It’s not a mere finishing regimen: This expression is wholly aged in Port barrels, though there’s no age statement on offer. Ardbeg…
Glenmorangie already tweaked the Extra Matured Range portion of its portfolio five years ago with age statements becoming a little more prominent for The Lasanta and The Quinta Ruban (the latter jumping from 12 to 14 years old). The exotically named, Sauternes-finished Nectar D’Or, however, suspiciously went from being a 12-year-old single malt to a…
Our slow march through Bowmore’s travel retail, Aston Martin-inspired selections continues. As a reminder, these hit airport duty free shops in 2021 as 10-year, 15-year, and 18-year old bottlings under the Bowmore x Aston Martin label. They mirror the existing travel retail line in age but are drawn from special cask selections, each commemorating a…
Glen Deveron is a duty free standby with a rare, reasonable price tag, and I picked this 16 year old up on the way home from a recent trip to London. It’s a no-frills 16 year old Highlands single malt made at the Macduff distillery in the far northeast of the island, with aging in…
Bruichladdich has just launched a new series of whiskies dubbed Luxury Redefined — or Re/Define, per the label. The pair of high age statement whiskies are “taken from landmark moments in the distillery’s recent history, charting its renaissance since 2001.” They also highlight Bruichladdich’s commitment to sustainability, with “an industry-first, fully recyclable bespoke outer wrap”…
While Islay remains the primary region for peated whisky in Scotland, more and more mainland distilleries are adding smoky offerings to their portfolio. Billy Walker is no stranger to the concept of peated Speyside malts, as his two previous distilleries, Benriach and GlenDronach, both produced the style, albeit sparingly. It’s no surprise then that his…
While it’s largely regarded as Scotland’s oldest working distillery, Glenturret single malt is not widely seen on our shores for some reason. Maybe that’s set to change with the arrival of Glenturret Triple Wood Single Malt, a whisky aged in sherry-seasoned American and European oak as well as ex-bourbon casks, then blended together to create…
Just when we thought that we had covered every smoke-filled iteration of Smokehead single malt, we discover yet another unique spin on this heavy metal-inspired Scotch whisky. For this latest offering, Ian Macleod Distillers has taken their sourced Islay single malt (rumored to come from Lagavulin or Caol Ila) and finished a portion of it…