Difference between revisions of "Scotch Whisky"

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The Macallan was an instant favourite. I sampled both the 10 year old fine oak version and the standard 10 year old and must say that both are excellent. In truth, testing them back to back, the difference in taste was subtle and I don't believe I could chose one from the other in blind tasteing. Those more sensitive than I may well think otherwise but my recommendation would be to pick the one most readily available or least expensive and to enjoy it safe in the knowledge that you are not missing out on much when compared to the other offering. In my view this is probably the ideal dram for a winter night by the fire and for me it represents what Speyside whisky should be like. I am told that Macallan is one distillery where more money buys you better rather than just different but as yet I haven't had the chance to test this and in view of the absolutely crazy priced commanded by some Macallan offerings it seems highly unlikely that it will be something I will be investigating in any great detail. [PB]
 
The Macallan was an instant favourite. I sampled both the 10 year old fine oak version and the standard 10 year old and must say that both are excellent. In truth, testing them back to back, the difference in taste was subtle and I don't believe I could chose one from the other in blind tasteing. Those more sensitive than I may well think otherwise but my recommendation would be to pick the one most readily available or least expensive and to enjoy it safe in the knowledge that you are not missing out on much when compared to the other offering. In my view this is probably the ideal dram for a winter night by the fire and for me it represents what Speyside whisky should be like. I am told that Macallan is one distillery where more money buys you better rather than just different but as yet I haven't had the chance to test this and in view of the absolutely crazy priced commanded by some Macallan offerings it seems highly unlikely that it will be something I will be investigating in any great detail. [PB]
  
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*'''[http://www.tomintouldistillery.co.uk/ Tomintoul]'''
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Tomintoul is famous across the UK in the traffic reports as it usually has the first fall of snow in October and there is often lying snow in the region into May and so the road to Tomintoul is often closed by snow. With this in mind it should come as no surprise to find that it has as it's unique selling point the claim that it is the "highest distillery" in Scotland, I've no idea how that is supposed to infulence someone wanting some whisky but can only assume the marketing people think it important. I have only sampled one offering from Tomintoul, the 27 year old, and must say that it is among my favourites. I have, to hand, examples of all the offerings now and so am going to revisit the 27 year old along with its younger siblings and so further reports may follow. However, in my opinion it is worth hunting down a bottle of this fine whisky and giving it a try. At worst you will not be disappointed and perhaps you might even agree with me that it is one of the best. [PB]
  
 
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Revision as of 11:40, 29 July 2007

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Scotch whisky, or just Scotch, has gained a considerable reputation across the globe and of late there has been a surge in interest in the single malts produced by the various distillers located across Scotland.

In theory Scotch should be a simple drink as the production process is largely a simple matter of distilling spirit and pouring it into a barrel where it is kept for some time. The mystery, however, lies in the wide variation of tastes which result from the storage in a second hand barrel which may have previously held sherry or burbon. How Laphroaig manages to mature to such a strange and amazing taste merely as a result of the simple process I have outlined is beyond me to comprehend, and how it manages to be so totally different from, say, Glenfiddich in terms of taste just highlights the mystery that is Scotch whisky.

As an Irishman I feel that I should also mention that us Irish produce great whiskey with Black Bush being a favourite worldwide. I would (of course) argue that no Scotch can match the smooth taste of Black Bush though its production methods differ little from that of Scotch.

When it comes to tasting I am of the view that more expensive is not always better, it just buys you something different and even less common. Of course it is possible, likely even, that some of the more expensive bottlings will taste better than some of the less expensive offerings to any given person but it is also entirely possible that such a person will find their favourite whisky among the less expensive expressions. With this in mind the only solution is to make every effort to sample as wide a range of whisky as possible and as miniatures are now available representing a very many of the whiskys on the market it is possible to taste and experience a very many whiskys without the expense of purchasing a large number of full sized bottles.

Scotch whiskys have been broken down into a number of (sort of) geographical categories with the whisky of Islay having, perhaps, the most distinctive taste.

I have recently been testing a range of whiskies and will append some notes with my initials (PB) so these can be identified as a personal opinion which may bear no relation to your own views. Please feel free to offer an alternative view where your thoughts differ as that allows for a broad range of opinions. I'm not attempting to produce detailed tasting notes but rather just express what I found most enjoyable.

History.

Origin of Name

Uisge Beatha: Scots Gaelic for aqua vitae, 'water of life', from the first part of which the word 'whisky' derives. Uisge Beatha [Gaelic] That's whisk - beeth or as we now call it; whisky. 1618 - Early reference to 'uisge', being drunk at Highland chief's funeral. First reference was 1494, where a graindealers ledger stated the sale of barley towards the production of whisky.

Lowland.

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Highland.

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Speyside.

Active Distilleries

Each distillery has their own unique selling point and, more often than not, it is usually something trivial and fairly unimportant but in the case of Balvenie their USP is that almost the whole process takes place at the distillery. Most distilleries buy in their malted grain from large suppliers and this process can be very finely tuned by these suppliers to deliver the precise amound of peat in the grain for example. However, Balvenie do all this themselves and for this alone I really wanted to like their whisky. Unfortunately, however, I was somewhat unimpressed by the final result. There was nothing in particular wrong with this whisky (The 10 year old Founders Reserve was the one I tested) and it would be a reasonable dram with which to sit by the fire on a winter evening but when compared with the other offerings available it was unremarkable. So unfortunately I couldn't really mark the Balvenie down as something worth seeking out when so many other fine offerings are generally more readily available. [PB]

Glenfiddich is perhaps one of the best known and most widly available single malts and this inclined me to want to like it less than the more obscure or rare whiskies on offer. However I can't hide from the truth and there is no question that Glenfiddich produces some great whisky. The standard offerings are a 12, 15 and 18 year old and each has its own character and none is a bad dram however I personally preferred the 15 year old. There is also now a peated Glenfiddich (called caoran which is Gaelic for the small peats used to get a fire going) which I haven't tried. At the top end of the range there are a number of more obscure and pricy offerings and one, the 21 year old Gran Reserva, is certainly worth a mention. This must rate as one of the smoothest and most tasty whiskies I have had the pleasure to test and I would recommend all lovers of the single malt to give it a try. Here in the UK it costs about twice what you'd pay for a bottle of the 15 year old and I believe that the premium is worth it for the occasional special treat. All told the Glenfiddich offerings are hard to beat no matter how much it pains me to say that. [PB]

The Macallan was an instant favourite. I sampled both the 10 year old fine oak version and the standard 10 year old and must say that both are excellent. In truth, testing them back to back, the difference in taste was subtle and I don't believe I could chose one from the other in blind tasteing. Those more sensitive than I may well think otherwise but my recommendation would be to pick the one most readily available or least expensive and to enjoy it safe in the knowledge that you are not missing out on much when compared to the other offering. In my view this is probably the ideal dram for a winter night by the fire and for me it represents what Speyside whisky should be like. I am told that Macallan is one distillery where more money buys you better rather than just different but as yet I haven't had the chance to test this and in view of the absolutely crazy priced commanded by some Macallan offerings it seems highly unlikely that it will be something I will be investigating in any great detail. [PB]

Tomintoul is famous across the UK in the traffic reports as it usually has the first fall of snow in October and there is often lying snow in the region into May and so the road to Tomintoul is often closed by snow. With this in mind it should come as no surprise to find that it has as it's unique selling point the claim that it is the "highest distillery" in Scotland, I've no idea how that is supposed to infulence someone wanting some whisky but can only assume the marketing people think it important. I have only sampled one offering from Tomintoul, the 27 year old, and must say that it is among my favourites. I have, to hand, examples of all the offerings now and so am going to revisit the 27 year old along with its younger siblings and so further reports may follow. However, in my opinion it is worth hunting down a bottle of this fine whisky and giving it a try. At worst you will not be disappointed and perhaps you might even agree with me that it is one of the best. [PB]

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Islay.

Active distilleries:

  • Ardbeg.
  • Bowmore.
  • Bruichladdich
  • Bunnahabhain.
  • Caol Ila.
  • Lagavulin:
    • Official whisky of the Northeast Conclave
    • Tasting notes
      • I'm sitting in my easy chair grading midterms this chilly, breezy St. Patrick's day afternoon (2007). Poured a wee dram of Lagavulin 16 for the benefit of the students ;-). It's a wonderfully rich & smoky whiskey. Not for those who want a delicate taste. Distinctive flavor, yet so smooth on the aftertaste. Highly recommended! --Jdunn 14:29, 17 March 2007 (EDT)
  • Laphroaig.

Islands.

Campbelltown.

Resources

The Whisky Trail, This is one of the most complete and interesting tellings of the History of Scotch Whisky and the famous, past and current distilleries of Scotland. A real must read for those with an interest in the water of life.