Whisky Fundamentals
Whisky maturation
Published 05/08/2021
The aging of whiskey in barrels is an essential step in the manufacture of whisky. During storage in oak casks, the new make spirit absorbs and creates the flavours and aromas that shape its later taste. In addition, the whisky gets its beautiful color from the wood. We have already devoted ourselves to the malting, mashing, fermentation and of course the distillation of whisky in our detailed articles on the production, history and science of whisky.
Whisky maturation
Scotland and Prohibition
Published 29/07/2021
The temperance movements of the last century took a heavy toll on global alcohol production, but outside the trendy speakeasy bars and clubs ostensibly modelled after America’s prohibition movements this is now largely forgotten. Few realise that Scotland had its own, in some cases surprisingly successful temperance and teetotalism movements as well. Prohibition in Scotland In Scotland under the 1913 Temperance Act local areas were given the option of voting on going ‘dry’, that is prohibiting the sale of alcohol.
Scotland and Prohibition
What are STR casks?
Published 16/07/2021
The lifespan of a barrel depends on what it is used for. Those used by the sherry industry in solera systems can often be decades old, while the bourbon producers, who until recently could only use new American oak casks, only use theirs for a few years before putting them on sell another industry. Virgin casks are sometimes used for whisky maturation in scotland, albiet very infrequently. The majority of the barrels used by Scottish distillers have already have been used to mature or store bourbon, rum, sherry, port or wine and other beverages.
What are STR casks?
Almost all whiskies are all blends (or vatted)
Published 14/07/2021
A standard distillery expression is actually the result of blending, or to use the proper term vatting. The industry legally recognises a blend as the mixing of liquid from more than one distillery. Vattings at a single distillery are still called single malt! Vatting is the process of combining multiple barrels of whisky together in order to achieve a consistent flavour. All whiskies unless these are explicitly single cask (and even then on occasion*) are the result of vatting.
Almost all whiskies are all blends (or vatted)
Peat & whisky
Published 14/07/2021
Peated whisky is a divisive area, and one of the most challenging concepts for many first time drinkers, but for a huge number of whisky fans peat is the stuff dreams are made of. Put simply peat is the top layer of a bog, which consists primarily of decaying plant fibers, the peat is harvested in fields and can be cut into blocks with a shovel. Peat is an ideal fuel and has therefore been used for centuries to heat and dry the barley for whisky production.
Peat & whisky