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
In 14 years of Drinkhacking, we’ve enjoyed plenty of drams of Dewar’s, but somehow have never put pen to paper when it comes to reviewing the most essential whiskies in the lineup. If you don’t ...
Owned by Chivas/Pernod Ricard, Glentauchers isn’t generally the first single malt on the tips of tongues when surveying the landscape of Speyside. Its primary function serves as a cornerstone of Pernod’s global juggernaut Ballantine’s. Occasionally ...
The third installment in the Dewar’s “Smooth” lineup is here, following Caribbean Smooth Rum Cask Finish and Ilegal Smooth Mezcal Cask Finish. This time up we’re turning to the world of Port, taking 8 year old ...
Bruichladdich has a famous devotion to transparency when it comes to what’s in its whiskies, with one exception: Black Art, a single malt that’s vatted from any number of types of casks, differing (wildly) with ...
It has been close to a decade since we last visited Lagavulin’s Distillers Edition, an annual fixture on Diageo’s extensive release calendar. Special editions within Lagavulin’s portfolio are nothing new: the 12-year old Special Release, ...
Anyone passing even the quickest of glimpses over the latest lifestyle listicle or award competition winners would be aware Barrell has the hot hand coming out of Kentucky at the moment. With a prolific series ...
We’ve always been impressed with the incredible value to be found in one of perhaps the most underrated Speyside distilleries, Glenfarclas. Throughout our years exploring the brand, this impressive single malt has shown it can ...
While their flagship single malt, Courage & Conviction, has understandably taken priority for Virginia Distillery Co., the distillery did manage another, very small release last fall in their Journey Cask Collection, dubbed Caledonia. Caledonia is ...
For a recent Robert Burns night, our friends at Bruichladdich sent a selection of Port Charlotte releases, plus a number of delightful Scottish snacks, to celebrate the Bard of Ayrshire. New amongst the bottlings we ...
Previously known for its practice of releasing vintage-dated rather than age-stated whiskies, Highlands whisky distillery Balblair has revamped its portfolio and fallen in line with just about everyone else, refocusing on traditional (and more easily ...
