Whisky Fundamentals
Whisky Casks: The Hogshead
Published 24/07/2020
After barrels, hogsheads are the second-most common type of cask used in maturing Scotch whisky. A hogshead, or ‘hoggie’, is a unique type of reconstructed cask with extra staves and new ends. Considered the most popular aging mechanism, it allows for more whisky to be stored in the same amount of warehouse space, though with less wood contact than the common American Standard Barrel. What Is A Hogshead? A Hogshead is an approximately 250 liter oak barrel used for the maturation of Scotch whisky.
Whisky Casks: The Hogshead
Americans and Prohibition
Published 22/07/2020
United States At the beginning of the seventeenth century it’s fair to say Europe was not at its peak, famines, war and repressions led many of its citizens to emigrate to other countries and the New World was often seen as a place full of possibilities. Among the migrants there were also Scots and Irish, who in addition to their luggage, they also carried the secrets of distillation. The first settlers Initially Scots and Irish settled on the east coast of the New World, they founded the states of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Americans and ProhibitionBarley Varietals and Whisky Production
Published 22/07/2020
Barley, water and yeast are the only ingredient in Single malt Scotch (colourings aside) but few whisky drinkers seem to know or care much about it. Bruichladdich whisky distillery among others feels very differently about this, as shown by their recent terroir experiment, and few are keen to admit that more and more is being produced not in Scotland but in England. How much Malted Barley is used for Whisky Making?
Chill Filtration
Published 22/07/2020
‘Non chill-filtered’ the term sounds good on the label of a whisky bottle. And many whisky connoisseurs are firmly convinced that an unfiltered single malt is the way it should be. But what exactly happens with the chill-filtration of whisky? And do unfiltered whiskies really taste better? Are ‘non chill-filtered’ whiskies better than chill-filtered whiskies? The general consensus is that from a purely taste perspective the impact is so small as to be unnoticible in a blind tasting.
Chill Filtration
Floor Maltings
Published 22/07/2020
Only a few Scottish distilleries still malt their barley themselves, many malting floors have long been mothballed. All the more exciting, what actually happens there on the remaining malt floors and how the barley is prepared for firing. Why is barley malted before whisky distillation? Before malt whisky is made, the barley is almost always malted. This is because the barley contains the required sugars in an unprocessed starch form. For this sugar to be useable for fermentation it must first be converted into a simple maltose sugar that the yeast can then convert into alcohol.
Floor Maltings