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
One of the staff asked me what the biggest surprise was at this year’s Whiskies of the World San Francisco. “That it was actually happening” was my response. WotW marked the first time in nearly ...
WhiskyEDU is a Whiskies of the World spinoff — a nonprofit, actually — that is focused on, you guessed it, whisky education. Its latest trick is an ambitious tasting series whose goal is singular: To ...
Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte brand recently dropped a new edition in its “cask exploration” series, and like many the cask in question involves red Bordeaux wine. Specifically, PAC:01 spends time in barrels from the Pauillac region. ...
The latest Glenfiddich arrived quietly and took me a bit by surprise, the brand dropping a 26 year old whisky aged in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks which was finished for up to ...
Dewar’s latest bottling is a 19 year old blend aged in American bourbon casks — which is fitting, since it’s bottled in honor of the 121st edition of the U.S. Open. I’m not sure this ...
The Glenlivet’s latest single malt is a 12 year old expression called Illicit Still, in honor of founder George Smith, who illegally distilled his whisky in handmade copper stills secreted away in the Glenlivet valley ...
Today we’re in for a fun treat, tasting Port Askaig Islay whisky at 12 years of age, but with two very different barrel treatments. (As a reminder, the Port Askaig brand is made up of ...
Folks, there’s a new independent spirits bottler in town… sort of. ImpEx has been importing whisky for as long as I’ve been writing about it, but for the first time it is starting an indie ...
Independent whisky bottler Murray McDavid began sourcing and bottling Scotch in 1994, earning a reputation for using unique casks to age and finish their whiskies. In the 2000s, the company famously resurrected the Bruichladdich Distillery ...
The marriage of sherry and peat can prove to be a challenging equation to balance. Some distilleries manage to figure it out with elegance and style. Others have birthed mutations best forgotten, relegated to the ...
