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
It should come as no surprise to long time readers of the site that we enjoy a sturdy Dalmore. With an average grade over the last decade of an A-, the Highland distillery consistently delivers ...
Diageo’s Orphan Barrel Project is taking its second trip to Scotland, and this time it hasn’t come back with a single malt. Muckety-Muck is rather a 24 year old single grain whisky made at the ...
The movie The King’s Man may be eternally delayed due to Covid-19, but that doesn’t mean a whisky to honor it isn’t hitting the market from GlenDronach. (You may also remember a GlenDronach release for Kingsman: The ...
Keeping track of Aberfeldy’s single malt releases — “the golden dram” — can be tricky, as there are two separate ranges of whiskies, a core range comprising 12, 16, and 21 year old malts and ...
For the rapidly aging Generation X jet set clinging to inane pop from the ’80s, the phrase “Easy Lover” conjures up memories of a duet between Earth Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey and that one ...
The latest Octomore release is here, and our friends from Islay’s Bruichladdich, Head Distiller Adam Hannett and Production Director Allan Logan, recently took the time to walk us through the lineup — or, at least, ...
Laphroaig’s special-edition Cairdeas releases often fall back on wine casks — its 2013 Port cask release remains one of my favorite Islay whiskies ever — so this 2020 offering offers some familiar elements. It’s a ...
Located in central Scotland, the county of Perthshire was home to the original Stronachie distillery until its doors closed in 1928, after nearly a three-decade-long run of operations. Independent bottlers AD Rattray purchased an original ...
We’ve had the privilege of reviewing numerous special releases from Cragganmore in recent years. The humble and unassuming Speyside distillery was one of the original six in Diageo’s Classic Malts series, and has yet to ...
Everyone enjoys a good bargain, and Trader Joe’s has a reputation in the United States for selling tasty things at reasonable prices. Islay Storm could possibly be an exclusive to Trader Joe’s in the United ...
