Whisky Fundamentals
Whisky and Water
Published 22/07/2020
An interesting question and common debate on the topic of whisky is water. If you dilute your whisky with a few drops of water, you are not revealing yourself as a bar bully, but as a real expert. The water ensures that a flavor-imparting substance remains on the surface of the drink and thus conveys the smoky character of the whisky to the taste receptors of the drinker. Swedish researchers Björn Karlsson and Ran Friedman from the Linnaeus University Center for Biomaterials Chemistry report this in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
Whisky and Water
Why is Whisky Filled at 40% ABV?
Published 22/07/2020
The minimum ABV, like that of the minimum 3 year maturation was introduced as the result of political wrangling between the distilleries and the prohibitionists of the early 20th century. Despite this distilleries today will often attribute this towards quality control. Most Scottish whiskies are bottled with 40% ABV. This was not always the case: at the beginning of the 20th century, the alcohol content of whisky was usually between 44.
Why is Whisky Filled at 40% ABV?Grain Whisky
Published 17/07/2020
Grain whisky is the most common kind of whisky produced and yet the least heralded. Single malt may capture the imagination but 90% of all scotch whisky sales globaly are blends of single malt with grain whiskies. What is a Grain Whisky? A grain whisky is any whisky not made using 100% malted barley on a pot still. While a grain whisky is generally taken to be any whisky made without malted barley this is incorrect.
Types of Scotch Whisky
Published 14/07/2020
Scotch whisky like all whisky is made using either malted barley, grain or a combination of the two. Despite this naming conventions historically have often been confused, sometimes intentionally with spirit labeled as pure malt, vatted malt, single malt etc. What whisky types of Scotch are there? Scotch is either bottled as single malt, blended malt, single grain, or blended Scotch. Single Malt Scotch Whisky A Scotch Whisky distilled at a single distillery (i) from water and malted barley without the addition of any other cereals, and (ii) by batch distillation in pot stills.
What are Lost Distilleries?
Published 14/07/2020
Lost distilleries are those distilleries closed due to either economic factors, under political pressure or, on rarer occasion due to indurmountable technical problems such as water shortages. Over the past century, over half of all malt whiskey distilleries in Scotland have been either closed or completely demolished. The removal of a railway, change in shipping routes, and other consequences of globalization are responsible for the end of many distilleries. This often happens when distilleries are bought up by large spirits companies.
What are Lost Distilleries?