Tape (Scotch) refers only to the drink produced in Scotland (i.e. cannot be an American of Scotch)
Whiskey (according to the Scotch Whisky Act 1988) is a strong alcoholic beverage that is:
The word whisky is derived from uiskie – reduction usequebaugh Irish and Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha which translates as “water of life”. In Latin the term is used as the name of any alcohol obtained by distillation (lat. aqua vitae).
Variant spelling of whiskey with an additional letter “e” at the end of the – whiskey – a characteristic for Ireland and the United States. Adhesive tape (i.e. Scotch whisky) is always referred to as whisky.
In Russian – medium or men’s, if you want to emphasize its brutality. In English, sometimes even women, when you want to stand reverent attitude to the drink.
In modern English whisky atributiruetsya the pronoun “it” that does not specify the gender of the noun, and in the practice of English speaking is the norm the use of feminine pronouns with inanimate objects that cause the speaker the more delicate emotions, regardless of the gender of nouns, such as favorite car, collectible guns, wine, etc. So that disputes on this subject are of a purely ideological character.
Historically, the distillery. Because wine (not only in Russia) used to call any home brew and hard liquor, get a “Smoking” in the heat of feedstock (e.g. grain distillate called “bread wine”). I.e. “smoke wine” meant to drive any distillate.
In English, the product of one (first) distillation of Braga, which has small degree (about 20), also called “low wine” – “weak wine”.
Later the name “distillery” is also valid, because the basis – the same processes, just with the specification of the final product.
In English all these complications, it now uses the generic word distillery – literally “the place where the distillation”, which can be translated as “the distillery” and “distillery” (if we are talking about the production of whiskey) and as a “distillery” in a General sense. And more recently in the translated English texts can be found even simple tracing paper – “the distillery”.
Popular legend has it that St. Patrick was first produced whiskey in Ireland around the fifth century, and in Scotland, the drink came with the migration of tribes and the proliferation of tribal rituals. The legend may remain silent at the same time that Patrick himself likely learned about distilling, located in Central France, before to go as a missionary to Ireland.
Scottish purists insist that in their homeland of whiskey appeared without any participation of the Irish.
Whatever it was, but to the emergence of whiskey, as well as many other wonderful beverages, involved monks. They made whiskey from grain mash and at first used it for medical purposes.
“Eight balls of malt brother John Bark by order of the king for the preparation of the water of life,” reads the entry in the papers of the Scottish Treasury 1494 – the earliest written mention of Scotch, but the drink definitely existed centuries earlier.
Boll (boll) is a Scottish measure of volume, in the case of malt equal to about 212 liters. Of the 8 balls of malt would make about 1,300 bottles of whiskey, i.e., this is clearly not the first moonshine experiment brother Bark.
There is also a record dated 1506 year about buying whiskey from a Barber for king of Scotland James IV. The fact that in Europe at that time barbers were the first doctors, dentists and surgeons, and at the same time and distributors of alcohol: alcohol was attributed to the ability to heal almost anything from stomach cramps to tuberculosis and heart disease. But this does not mean that the king was sick: he just liked to overturn a portion of the other strong (“God, take for the cure”).
Although at the time, whiskey was the drink really strong and not always safe – not that exquisite nectar, as we know it today. In those days there were no requirements for hygiene of production, quality and composition of raw materials, the purity and might, so that the result of drinking whiskey, our ancestors were unpredictable. But as they say, “what does not kill makes them stronger.”
In the middle of 1530х in the United Kingdom has passed a series of religious transformations, as the result of a quarrel of king Henry VIII with Rome over his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Roman Catholic monasteries were dissolved and their property distributed among English and Scottish aristocracy. The monks were forced to cease production of ritual wines and many of them switched to distillation, bringing his knowledge to laymen.
By the end of the 17th century, the whisky became so popular that the Scottish Parliament broke down and imposed merciless malt taxes, which legal distillery just went to zero.
There followed a long period of smuggling and clandestine distillation. Distilleries and consumers of whiskey have joined forces to preserve their way of life without paying extortionate taxes.
The situation was similar to the prohibition era in the United States, but instead of dashing gunfire and chase black Ford in Europe in the course were swords and carts. It was already invented to transport whisky in coffins to hide in the pews and secret cellars, to drive in a well hidden forest shelters and even caves. Using special groups special alerts and signals for warning about the appearance of the authorities. Among the clandestine moonshiners happened bloody showdown for control of the territory as later among their Western “colleagues” bootleggers during prohibition.
In the end, after 150 years, the Duke of Gordon (he obviously owns an impressive share of shadow trade whiskey) pushed through the Parliament amendments to legislation that would legalize and facilitate the production of whiskey. In 1823 came the Excise Act establishing a small license fee and a fixed fee with a gallon of alcohol, much less the current earlier. The black market disappeared almost completely.
Today many well-known producers of whiskey – then come out of hiding, and “date of founding” on the modern label, it is most often the date of receipt of the first license – much later than the actual date of the Foundation.
In the mid-1800s whiskey was given a new impetus to the development due to two important circumstances.
In 1831 Aneas Coffey (Aeneas Coffey) presented his cube for continuous distillation, which received the same name (cube Coffey) used today for producing some Scottish whiskey, because it allows to obtain high quality and pure distillate without resorting to constant refilling stills.
Distiller Coffey
Besides, in the second half of the 18th century in continental Europe there was an epidemic of phylloxera that destroyed most of the vineyards, including grapes for the production of brandy (grape distillate). To search for a solution for this trouble (in the form of grafting of vines on American roots) took decades. During this time, the market place brandy formed a huge hole, which readily filled whiskey.
Today made thousands of brands of Scotch, but they all fit into one of the main categories.
Geography and climate affect the styles of Scotch whisky, as in the case of wine, but to a lesser degree and differently. A significant contribution of air and water surrounding the distillery. Widely used local spring water. Their mineralization and the “softness” is an important component of the quality of the whisky.
Coastal distilleries, enjoy the ocean winds, which often produce whisky with a salty character and notes of sea breeze. While more fresh and transparent air of the Highlands, as well as giving Heather the air peat wastes Orkney Islands, adding their character to the local spirits.
One of the key characteristics of whisky “smoke” – due to the use of peat. The smoke from it gives saladasamba grain recognizable flavor, with the success of rolling in the finished distillate. The most clear parallel with wine – the use of new barrels, is clearly distinguishable in the final bouquet.
Smoky character more usual whiskey Western part of Scotland, where peat bogs dominate.
Still, modern technology of production of whiskey significantly influence his style, reducing the environmental factors. In the end, the regional style of the whisky is determined by tradition rather than terroir.
The southern part of the Peninsula, formerly a major centre of whisky production. Now here there are only three plants, as most simply have not experienced since the great Depression.
Whiskey – hence the example of the balance of saltiness, honey-floral sweetness and earthy-bitter notes.
Representatives: Springbank, Glen Scotia, Glengyle
The South-West. It’s pretty rich whiskey, but often with a sweet smoky undertone, more like pipe tobacco or the smoke from a barbecue than on the moor. Here, too, can find a pleasant nutty, a little bitter connotation – as in dark chocolate, and espresso.
At the same time, several different micro-climatic zones and the difference in the water composition lead to the fact that the highland Scotch can vary in the degree of smokiness, bitterness and sweetness.
Representatives from: Aberlour, Benriach, Glen Garioch, Glenmorangie, Glen Grant, Edradour, Dalmore, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Dalwhinnie, Clynelish, etc.
Central North of Scotland. The majority of plants.
The region is in highland (highlands), but because of his size and style of the production of a separate area.
Whiskey from Speyside are typically more saturated, more full-bodied, with honey and “idiscoveri” notes. There is a smoky samples, but mostly not as peaty as the Islay.
Representatives: Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Glenfarclas, Macallan, Balvenie, Glenrothes, Benriach, Ardmore and many, many others.
The plains and southern regions. Whiskies from here are usually not smoky, fruity, floral, easy drinking.
Representatives: Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie, Bladnoch.
The “island” is not to be confused with the island of Islay in the South, that stands out. Of the island region located to the North.
The island, which produce the most smoke samples of Scotch whisky: Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Bowmore and others.
As mentioned above, in this region there is much less smoky options. For example, Bruichladdich produces “smoked” and “not smoked” style. Bunnahabhain – absolutely not Zolotitsa not peat.
But the basic rule is : Ayla = smoke
There are numerous independent companies (merchants) involved in the manufacture of whiskey distillate is purchased from various distilleries. Such producers are blending the purchase of the material, its aging and bottling from further sale under the brand.
Such producers often experiment with the types of drums (e.g., soaking whiskey in barrels of rum, port wine, natural sweet wines), periods of exposure and are generally inclined to experimentation and innovative production elements.
What features can you learn from the labels whiskey:
Cask strength – cask strength.
Usually whisky before bottling it is diluted with water to the traditional strongholds 40-43 %. Fortress whiskey are in a barrel by the end of the minimum aging (3 years) can exceed 60 degrees. So whisky, bottled straight from the barrel without alignment degree (whiskey cask strength) may have the alcohol content in the range of 50 to 70 vol. %
Single barrel / Single cask (odnobochkovy) – the inscription on the label indicates that the whiskey is not blended from different barrels and bottled from a single specific. The value of such whiskey from the point of view of aroma and taste is subjective: the individual barrels of whisky you might like more or less traditional blend of the manufacturer. But the important thing is that the amount of this whisky is very limited, the size of the barrel (see also cask strength)
Non-chill filtered – not the past cold filtered
Most often, before bottling, the whiskey is the so-called “cold filtered”, the meaning of which is to filter out compounds, forming a turbid suspension upon cooling whiskey. The fact is that consumers are often confused by the sediment that appears at the whiskey in the cold (for example, by the addition of ice), although no harm in it.
Moreover, the composition of suspended matter is filtered out and a portion of aromatic compounds. Therefore, some manufacturers prefer a bouquet appearance and do a preliminary cold filtered his whiskey, and according to the inscription on the label.
Interesting theme for connoisseurs of whiskey are the so-called “distillery Ghost”, i.e. plants that have ceased operation, but whose spirits were bought by the above mentioned independent producers and are now used to release limited edition whiskey or resold. Often this is a great opportunity for the fan or collector to buy whisky interesting age at a price lower than similar samples of existing plants.
The world of whisky is constantly changing. Experience the modern manufacturers and the level of technical equipment allows to generate the widest palette of flavours and styles of whisky, is striking richness and variety, from the stable and accurate lines big brands to incredible experiments in versions of the limited edition small producers.
Drink, learn, enjoy! Enjoy your tastings.
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