The World of Whisky: Taste, try and enjoy whiskies from around the world

Introduction

If you are reading this book you almost certainly have an interest in whisky, but where does that interest stem from? Formerly seen as the domain of aging, middle- and upper-class males, whisky is now enjoying greater popularity among younger consumers, and is becoming increasingly favoured by women. Just as their parents ‘rebelled’ against whisky as the drink of their fathers, so the latest generation of drinkers have rediscovered whisky.

There are also far fewer social constraints today on the way in which whisky is drunk. As whisky gains new aficionados around the world, so the manner of consumption sometimes changes; for example, many Chinese imbibers mix their whisky with green tea. When shown a little respect, whisky is one of the most eloquent and rewarding of all spirits. For centuries, it has settled scores; influenced the creation of some of the greatest music, art and film; reinforced friendships; instilled courage; and given pleasure to countless generations of drinkers.

From flavoursome and refreshing whisky-based cocktails at sundown to luxurious and warming single malts by the fireside, whisky has a time and a place in any social situation.

What was once seen as exclusively Scottish – and perhaps as traditional as the humble haggis and dear old ‘Nessie’ herself – is now successfully produced in over 27 countries: from newer producers such as New Zealand and Taiwan, to long-established ones such as Scotland, Ireland and Kentucky. With all this choice, from Bourbon to Japanese whiskies, Swedish malts to South African grain whisky, walking into a shop to choose a bottle may be a bewildering experience. This book will help you navigate through this fascinating subject.

Distillers all over the world are innovating in terms of production and maturation practices, and there is a greater choice of styles and brands across a wider range of price points than ever before. Scotch whisky alone now sells in more than 200 countries, with emerging markets in Asia offering glittering prizes for distillers.

One significant phenomenon of the last couple of decades has been the extraordinary growth of interest in single malt Scotch whisky, while aged Scotch whisky blends of real quality and provenance are being seen as the equal of good single malts in many countries. Meanwhile, in the United States the Bourbon industry has responded to the expansion of single malt Scotch with ‘small-batch’ and limited-edition bottlings, while Ireland is seeing a renaissance in pot-still Irish whiskey.

Your first discovery may have been a single malt whisky. Your next step might be to collect some diverse examples, so that you can introduce them to your friends. Later, you may seek out special expressions or finishes. When you are really enthusiastic, you will probably want to visit your favourite distilleries, meet the people who make the whiskies, and sample individual casks – you might buy them at cask strength, with natural colour, neither diluted nor chillfiltered.

It is now time to re-ignite the senses, tune up the taste buds and become acquainted with one of the most exciting and enduring of drinks.

Neil Ridley, Gavin D Smith and David Wishart

What is whisky?

As with any subject, the more you know about whisky, the more you can appreciate and enjoy it. In this book we aim to equip you with enough knowledge to be able to find your way around the whisky section of a specialist drinks retailer and to help you feel confident choosing a whisky in a bar or restaurant. At the same time, we don’t intend to blind you with too much science or bog you down in irrelevant facts. We aim to demystify whisky, without taking away the magic.

In this first section, ‘What is whisky?’, we cover a little bit of the story of whisky, where and how it began, and we debunk a few common myths about whisky and define it from a legal point of view. Then we move on to whisky-making today, and through simple illustrations explain how the three main types of whisky – single malt, grain whisky and American whiskey – are made.

Barrels at the Isle of Jura distillery. The cask has by far the greatest influence on the character of single malts.

The history of whisky

Like most things that have resolutely stood the test of time, the history of whisky is shrouded in mystery, intrigue, mythology, legends galore and, undoubtedly, a barrel-load of old wives’ tales! It has traversed continents, inspired songs and been the source of many heated debates about the exact origins of the spirit.

It isn’t possible to pin down precisely when whisky was first produced, but here, we look back on a few key moments that have had a profound influence on the development of whisky. The art of distillation has been practised for over two millennia by alchemists, men of science and those in search of refined medical elixirs. The ancient Greeks are said to have pioneered the use of an alembic still (which has a ‘swan neck’ head that is still used in most of today’s modern pot stills) as far back as the third century, but the techniques and reasons for the distillation have not been documented.

Before the Greeks, the Egyptians and Chinese were known to use distillation for extracting essential oils from organic material, but it is unlikely that the art of distilling alcohol for consumption was derived directly from this process. Instead, many historians have looked to the West, almost 800 years later, where strong evidence suggests that it was the Celts who first distilled a drinkable alcohol at a number of European monasteries, using techniques learned from the Moors. Old Celtic ruins near Cashel, in Tipperary, Ireland, include what might well be the remnants of bronze distillation equipment, and around the end of the 12th century, when the English army invaded Ireland, it is claimed that they discovered the inhabitants drinking uisge beatha – the ‘water of life’.

At this time the origins of whisky as we know it begin to take shape. Over time, uisge beatha became corrupted to a more anglicized ‘whiskybae’, eventually being shortened to ‘uishigi’ or ‘whiski’. It is likely (although somewhat contentious, especially for the Scots) that whisky production took place in monasteries on the north coast of Ireland, from whence the process travelled across the sea to the Hebridean islands off the west coast of Scotland. The first recorded documentation of Scotch whisky dates back to 1494, in the Rolls of the Exchequer, which document an order for ‘eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aquavitae’, also meaning the ‘water of life’. This elixir was noted for its apparent medicinal effects and used to treat many complaints at the time, including smallpox, but later its heady, intoxicating properties became popular in a much wider social capacity.

Whisky distillation grew at a huge pace, with arguably one of the first licensed distilleries being located in County Antrim, on the north coast of Ireland, in 1608, now home to the old Bushmills distillery. In Scotland, farmers, whose crops of barley were used predominantly to make bread, were also distilling, making beer first, which would then be distilled once, giving a spirit with a harsh character and a lower alcohol strength than the whisky we know today. The spirit was drunk without any maturation time and with little thought to the processes or consistency involved. But as the quality and volume of spirit developed, several laws were passed to enable the collection of tax on whisky, much to the irritation of the farmers and budding distillers. In 1660, the Scottish Parliament began to employ gaugers or excisemen to monitor how much whisky was being produced, pushing the world of whisky-making underground into the nooks, caves and hidden hollows across the Scottish Highlands. Notably, Scotland’s favourite son, the poet Robert Burns, was an exciseman during the latter years of his life, and there are references to this in his writing.

During the mid-18th century there were tougher constraints on the production of whisky, but also a greater understanding of the production of a higher-quality spirit, matured in a variety of wood types to give it complexity and balance. Pioneers sought out new territories in which to make whisky, and Welsh distiller Evan Williams emigrated to Kentucky alongside other founding fathers of American whiskey, such as Elijah Craig; these innovators were making whiskey from non-barley grains such as corn and rye. In the 19th century, enduring Scotch distillery names such The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Laphroaig and Talisker were established alongside highly successful blended whiskies and their blenders including Johnnie Walker, Dewar’s and Chivas Brothers.

Whisky advertising has been a global business for well over a century: clockwise from top left: US 1890s, China 1930s, US 1940s and UK 1930s.

Boom-and-bust periods have changed the equilibrium of the whisky industry, especially during the latter part of the 20th century, when the number of Scottish distilleries was dramatically scaled down, some being mothballed, deactivated or, sadly, demolished. A few distilleries such as Port Ellen and Rosebank have left behind liquid legacies which have matured exceptionally over the past few decades.

Outside of Scotland, the Japanese established their first distillery in 1923 and quickly began to perfect the art of whisky production, especially single malts. Since the late 20th century whisky distilleries have cropped up all over the world. In the US, despite the period of Prohibition (1920–33) which threatened to obliterate the country’s spirits and wine markets, many brand names have stood the test of time. New ways to present American whiskey to younger drinkers are developing at a swift pace, and whiskies infused with new flavourings, such as honey and cherry, are becoming hugely popular stateside.

Global whisky sales are today at an all-time high, with new markets such as China, Brazil, Russia and Taiwan beginning to enjoy whisky in many forms. In France, for example, more Scotch is sold in one month than cognac in one year. Such is the predicted growth of the spirit that today huge sums are being invested in Scotch, Irish, Japanese and American distilleries. High-tech distillery operations are opening up all over the world, taking an age-old production technique and bringing it firmly into the 21st century.

Whisky production is most definitely a global business in the early 21st century. In 2014 the vast Japanese giant Suntory bought the iconic Tennessee distillery of Jim Beam.

THE MOST COMMON MYTHS ABOUT WHISKY

1. The Scots make the best whisky

Not necessarily. Despite perhaps learning the craft of whisky distillation from the Irish (a hotly debated subject in its own right), there’s no doubt that Scotland has done wonders to promote whisky as a quintessentially Scottish drink. But over the last few decades. a thriving whisky scene now exists across the globe, with arguably some of the world’s greatest whiskies being produced in Japan, India and Europe, as well as in the US and Tasmania in Australia.

2. Whisky is a man’s drink

Not necessarily. Until the 1970s whisky was the fiery, powerful preserve of the alpha male. You only need to trawl through the outdated and embarrassingly sexist whisky advertisements depicting masculine pursuits and scantily clad women to realize just how far the spirit has come since then. Today, gender is no longer a barrier to discovering whisky, especially in emerging markets such as China and Russia, where whisky is hugely popular with female drinkers.

3. Blended whisky is an ‘inferior quality’ spirit

Nonsense. Blended whiskies are one of the most important and artisanal elements of the entire whisky business. No doubt there are cheaper, lower-budget blends, but the large majority of reputable blended whiskies are based on recipes dating back to the early 19th century and draw upon a palate of different-aged single malt and grain whiskies. As a result, the whisky blender’s role is one of the most respected jobs in the entire industry.

4. Whisky should always be drunk neat

Nonsense. The golden rule is that there are no rules – it is a hugely versatile and refreshing drink, to be enjoyed on its own or mixed in a variety of styles. Ice, cola, ginger, fruit or green tea are some of the ways to enhance your drink.

5. Older and more expensive is most definitely better

One part of this myth is correct: older usually means more expensive. But when it comes to age as an indicator of quality, you’re on a different playing field altogether. In recent years, some dazzlingly good (and youthful) whiskies have set the market on fire, but there are some pretty substandard old ones, too.

Suntory’s Master Blender, Shinji Fukuyo at work. Nosing and tasting hundreds of samples of whisky and assessing their quality is a truly dedicated art.

Legal definitions of whisky

Essentially, making whisky is the same the world over, with distillers all using the ‘holy trinity’ of grain, water and yeast. But there are significant variations concerning grain varieties, methods of distillation and minimum legal maturation periods. Here are essential definitions of some of the main types of whisky being made today.

SCOTLAND

There are five legally defined categories of Scotch whisky. Scotch whisky must be matured in Scotland in oak casks for a minimum period of three years.

Single malt is distilled at a single distillery from water and malted barley without the addition of any other cereals, and by batch distillation in pot stills. Single malt Scotch whisky must be bottled in Scotland. There is no such thing as a ‘double malt’, but there are single malts that have been matured in two types of cask.

Single grain is distilled at a single distillery from water and malted barley, with or without whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals.

Blended Scotch whisky is a blend of one or more single malt Scotch whiskies with one or more single grain Scotch whiskies. Most blends are age-old recipes, expertly balanced by a master blender for the perfect consistency.

Blended malt Scotch whisky is a blend of single malt Scotch whiskies that have been distilled at more than one distillery.

Blended grain Scotch whisky is a blend of single grain Scotch whiskies that have been distilled at more than one distillery.

IRELAND

The legal definition of Irish whiskey states that the spirit must be distilled in Ireland from a ‘mash of cereals’, and then matured for a minimum of three years in Ireland. Although triple distillation is often regarded as one of the traditional characteristics of the style, there is no legal requirement for this.

Most Irish whiskey is a blend of patent still and pot still spirit, made using a mix of malted and unmalted barley. ‘Pot still’ Irish whiskey is triple-distilled in pot stills from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, and Irish distillers now use the term ‘single pot still’ for such whiskeys. Just to confuse matters even more, single malt Irish whiskey is also produced by Cooley Distillery, using the Scotch whisky method of a pair of stills and malted barley.

THE US AND CANADA

Bourbon whiskey production must take place within the US, but Bourbon can be made in any state, not just Kentucky, as is sometimes thought. By law it must be made from a mash of not less than 51% corn grain and matured in new, white oak barrels that have previously been charred, or thermally degraded. No minimum maturation period is specified, but Bourbon has to be aged for more than two years before it can be labelled as ‘straight Bourbon’.

Rye whiskey is produced in the US and Canada. In the US, rye whiskey by definition has to be produced from a grain mash of not less than 51% rye grain. In Canada, there is no such stipulation. The Canadian regulations merely state that Canadian whisky (Canadian rye whisky or rye whisky) should be distilled in Canada, and should possess the aroma, taste and character generally attributed to Canadian whisky.

Corn whiskey is a generic term for a rural, unsophisticated form of US whiskey, which has strong associations with ‘moonshine’ and is considered to improve very little with any aging. Legally, it must contain a minimum of 80% corn grain.

Tennessee whiskey is a Bourbon-style whiskey only produced within the state of Tennessee and subjected to a process of charcoal filtration – commonly known as ‘the Lincoln County Process’.

REST OF THE WORLD

The rules governing whisky production around the world are not as strict as those of Scotland, Ireland and the US. Different grains, cask sizes and wood types are used to great effect in numerous countries, from as far afield as Austria to South Africa.

Whisky-making today

A look around any modern whisky distillery will tell you two key things. First, very little has changed in the way of the actual production methods and the tools required to make whisky, from the mash tuns to the gleaming copper stills. Take a snapshot from 1900 and chances are the picture will look reasonably similar to any photo taken today. But if you take a closer look, you’ll see a number of differences – signs that production in the 21st century has embraced the digital age.

Except for the smallest artisanal operations, practically every distillery now uses some element of computer control. Stillmen sit at a computer console, monitoring temperatures and timings of spirit cut points and looking for any potential faults or changes to the production process. Use of the computer in the distillery has destroyed any romantic notion that whisky is still a totally handcrafted spirit, but it has led to a greater consistency with every production run. Gone, too, are the coal fires that once heated nearly every copper pot still, replaced by a more regulated steam coil or pan heating system, which makes it easier to maintain the correct temperature of a still – and is also less of a drain on natural resources.

In some of the largest distilleries, for example Diageo’s impressive new Roseisle operation in Speyside, distillery operatives use wireless tablets, which means that any problems in production can be sourced quickly and repaired on the spot, rather than the operator having to leave the distillery floor to return to his office computer. The world’s most high-tech distilleries are certainly a far cry from their 19th-century counterparts, but one thing will never change: the human element will always remain the most important factor in determining a whisky’s quality. As Dennis Malcolm, the former Master Distiller at the Glen Grant Distillery, used to observe, ‘I can always tell if something is wrong just by using my nose. When I walk into the still room, if something smells different, I immediately know that all is not well.’

So it seems that the human nose always knows!

INSIDE THE DISTILLERY

George Grant, owner of Glenfarclas Distillery in Speyside, recently noted, ‘When I was a child I used to play hide and seek around the distillery and learned so much about the place just by doing that. The distillery was my playground.’

As playgrounds go, the modern distillery can conjure up all manner of delights – especially for the grown-ups. Visiting a distillery will not only give you a first-hand insight into how whisky is made, but it will also highlight that each one has its own slightly different take on making whisky, which then imparts a distinct set of flavours and aromas into the spirit when it is ready to be bottled.

Basically, whisky production in its (very) rawest state is a little like making a strong beer: boiling up the liquid a couple of times, collecting and condensing the vapours back into a liquid, then transferring it into wooden casks to age. But if it were that simple, everyone would be doing it! The production of whisky is a highly skilled process that requires not only an understanding of the chemical processes involved, but also a keen eye for detail and a well-developed nose and palate. You could say that the secret to making a great whisky is getting the right balance between science and art – and without either, the magic just wouldn’t happen.

Today’s distilleries, no matter where they are located in the world, usually comprise four key production areas, which we will look at in greater detail in the following pages: malting, mashing, fermentation and distillation.

Although a broad church with many international variants, whisky can be broken down into the following simple component parts, sometimes described as a ‘holy trinity’:

- Water

- Malted grain (of which there are many types)

- Yeast

THE WATER OF LIFE

Without a pure water source, no distillery could ever operate efficiently, so most have historically been built next to or near a plentiful supply – a river, borehole or loch. Scottish water tends to be soft in character, with a low calcium and mineral content, which is believed to be the ideal type for producing whisky. Water from the islands on the west coast of Scotland tends to have a high peat content because the rivers and streams run through peat bogs, giving the water a brown tinge. Whether or not this has any direct effect on the overall flavour of the whisky is debatable, but there’s no doubt that every distillery treats its water with the highest-possible regard. In Japan, for instance, the link between the purity of water and the ancient Japanese tea ceremony had a profound influence on the location of the country’s very first whisky distillery, Yamazaki.

So when it’s pouring with rain, raise a dram to the greying skies and think to yourself that today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky!

GRAIN: THE REAL BRAINS BEHIND THE SPIRIT

For thousands of years, grain has been the building block of some of our most basic foodstuffs, and when fermented and turned into rich, malty ale it has also been responsible for much merriment.

Malt whisky production across most of Europe and Asia relies on barley as its base grain, and this little gem of flavour comes in a variety of strains. The most common varieties used by the whisky industry are Oxbridge, Optic and Chariot, and other rarer strains are used, too. The distiller is looking for the maximum yield of alcohol from the grain used and barley is an ideal choice, given that it is particularly high in starch. This starch is turned into fermentable sugars by the process of malting – the first step in creating a wonderful malt whisky. Across North America and in Europe craft distillers are also experimenting with a number of more unusual grains, including varieties of corn, spelt and buckwheat.

STEP 1 MARVELLOUS MALTING

A large proportion of the barley used in the production of whisky, from Scotland to Japan, is grown on Scottish soil. Many distilleries now purchase their barley ready-malted. To malt the barley the grains are soaked in water. This encourages the first stages of germination in the grain, where the starchy insides are slowly converted into a type of sugar, known as maltose, to feed the germination process.

This process, whereby little shoots begin to emerge from the grain, takes up to six days. The maltster knows when to start the drying process (using peat smoke or hot air), which then stops any further growth and stops the grain from becoming rotten. Historically, most distilleries contained malting floors and a handful, such as Highland Park, Kilchoman and Balvenie, still malt a small proportion of their barley in this traditional fashion. Turning the slowly germinating barley by hand is a very laborious process, and in the past distillery workers often succumbed to a painful condition known as ‘Monkey Shoulder’ – a moniker adopted today by a popular blended malt whisky!

STEP 2 THE MONSTER MASH

Once the perfectly malted barley is dried, it is ground to form a mixture of coarse flour and grist (the husks of the grain). This mixture is then steeped in gallons of hot water in a huge vessel called a mash tun. Mashing separates the solids from the sweet sugars and the process is repeated twice more. The end liquid is sweet and hot and is called the wort. The wort is now ready for the third and hugely important stage of fermentation, where the third ingredient, yeast, comes into play.

YEAST

In order to create alcohol, yeast is combined with the wort in large fermentation vessels, called either fermenters or washbacks. Most distilleries in Scotland still have wooden washbacks, while newer ones and older expanding ones prefer to use stainless steel, which is much easier to keep clean. However, some distillers insist that the very fact that wooden vessels are less sterile contributes to the character of the spirit that is ultimately produced.

The wort is pumped into the vessels and yeast is added to start the fermentation process. Most distilleries now use dried yeast. The yeast multiplies at a rapid rate, and in doing so uses up oxygen and creates carbon dioxide. It then begins to consume the sugar in the wort, producing alcohol as a result.

The maltings at Highland Park on the island of Orkney. Historically most distilleries had their own malting floors to dry the barley grains, but most now obtain their malted barley from commercial maltings where it is prepared to order.

Over time, yeast varieties have been developed especially for use in distillation, and they tend to be higher-yielding and more stable and predictable than the brewer’s yeast that was used in days gone by. The fermenters or washbacks are usually fitted with revolving blades, or switchers, which cut down the foaming head of the fermenting wort as the yeast works its magic.

The crucial stages of fermentation take place in the first 48 hours, by which time all the sugar has been used up. Many distilleries allow the process to continue for much longer – up to 70 hours – as different chemical reactions occur in the liquid, which is now called wash rather than wort, and which is essentially a kind of beer. Longer fermentation times tend to lead to fruitier notes in the spirit created at the next stage, when the wash undergoes distillation.

More recently, some distilleries such as Glenmorangie have begun to explore the wild yeast strains that exist in the local surroundings of the distillery and the differing effects they have on the fermentation time and flavour of wash. In the US, maintaining historical strains of yeast has long since been an important aspect of keeping a consistency of flavour in American whiskey.

THE COPPER

Distillation occurs in the stillhouse, and one of the most memorable parts of any distillery visit comes when you enter the building and get your first impression of the pot stills: gleaming, curvaceous copper, hissing, hot to the touch and almost alive. This is the true heart of the whisky-making process.

But why are pot stills always made of copper? Why not stainless steel or any other heatproof, non-porous material? For a start, copper is relatively easy to work, mould and shape into the sort of designs you see in the stillhouse, and it is also a good conductor of heat. Better still, contact between the liquid in the stills and the copper they’re made from dramatically reduces undesirable sulphur compounds in the spirit ultimately produced. Whenever people have tried making pot still whisky without the use of expensive copper, the results have never been good!

Pot still whisky-making involves two consecutive distillations, the first of which takes place in what is known as the wash still, while the second happens in the spirit still. Essentially, each still is a copper kettle, nowadays usually heated by an internal steam coil. Because alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water, the alcohol vapours rise from the still before the water vapours. The alcohol vapours are then condensed into liquid when they pass through coiled copper pipes or ‘worms’, immersed in vast, water-cooled wooden vats or, more usually now, modern ‘shell and tube’ condensers, which function in much the same way.

After initial distillation in the wash still, alcohol with a strength of around 28% alcohol by volume (abv) is re-distilled in the spirit still in order to raise its strength. Throughout the distillation process the stillman uses the spirit safe to obtain the most pure ‘cut’ of spirit that will mature into whisky. The product of the spirit still is usually in the region of 70% abv.

In Ireland, and traditionally in the Scottish Lowlands, triple distillation is practised using three stills rather than two, and the result is a spirit that is lighter and more subtle in character.

The product of the spirit stills is referred to as ‘new make’ or ‘clearic’, a clear liquid that is reduced with water from its natural strength to around 63% or 64% abv, as this is usually considered the optimum maturation strength. The clear new spirit is pumped to the filling store to be cooled and filled into oak casks, ready for the next stage, maturation, which takes place in wooden casks (see here).

Due to the rise in interest of craft distillation, companies like Scotland’s Forsyths, which has traditionally provided new stills to expanding distilleries and repaired existing ones, are becoming increasingly busy. It takes a great deal of time to design and manufacture a bespoke copper still by hand, so a number of smaller companies such as Germany’s CARL are now offering more turnkey solutions for new distillers, looking for smaller vessels to distill with.

COPPER POT STILLS

Pot stills vary greatly in size, shape and technical design, and this diversity is one of the variables that contribute to the style of spirit made. As a general rule, small, squat stills will produce a bigger, more robust style of spirit, while tall, elegant stills will deliver a lighter, finer spirit. When stills are renewed they are usually copied faithfully from the originals to maintain the distillery character of the spirit.

Onion still This gets its name from its onion shape and is the most common.

Boil ball still This has a bulb fitted between the pot and the neck.

Lantern still This has a narrow waist between the pot and the neck.

A hybrid still at the East London Liquor Company, which has both a column element (often used in gin and grain whisky production) and a pot still.

Single malt whisky

By law, single malt whisky must be produced in one distillery, using malted barley as its only grain. The genre is principally associated with Scotland, but single malts are now distilled in many countries around the world, due to their popularity with consumers.

1. Malting and drying Malt whisky is made using barley, steeped in water to make it germinate. The malted barley is then dried, either using hot air or, in the case of peated whisky, the smoke from a peat-fired kiln, giving the malt a smoky flavour and aroma.

2. Milling and mashing The malted barley is ground down to form a mixture of coarse flour and grist (the husks of the grain). It is then transferred to a mash tun, where it is combined with hot water. This process creates a hot, sweet liquid called wort.

3. Fermentation The wort is cooled and piped into huge fermenters or washbacks. Yeast is then added. The mixture starts the fermentation cycle (where the sugars in the wort are consumed by the yeast and turned into alcohol). The resulting liquid is called wash (or beer), with an alcohol strength of around 7–8% by volume.

4. Distillation The wash makes its way into the first of a two-stage distillation process, using a pair of copper pot stills (wash and spirit stills). When heated, the wash evaporates and the alcohol vapour rises and condenses back into a liquid. The process is repeated in the second still, the spirit increasing to around 70% abv. It is then slightly diluted, ready for filling into wooden casks.

5. Maturation The new-make spirit is filled into used oak casks, which are most likely to have previously held American Bourbon or Spanish sherry. Distillers also use casks that have previously contained rum, port or a range of red wine styles, sometimes for full-term maturation, and in other cases for a period of ‘finishing’, which usually lasts for several months. The spirit matures slowly, developing a range of flavours and aromas from the wood. Most countries stipulate a minimum maturation period for single malts, which in Scotland and Ireland, for example, is three years.

Grain whisky

Grain whisky is usually combined with a number of single malts to produce blended whisky, but an increasing number of ‘single grain’ whiskies have been marketed in recent years. They tend to be lighter in character than single malts, and are ideal as the spirit base in cocktails.

The mash bill for grain whisky usually comprises a high