Know About Whiskey

Despite whiskey’s incredible surge in popularity lo these past 10-15 years, most people honestly can’t tell their whisky from their whiskey or their blends from their single-malts. If you’re going to buy into the hype that dad needs a bottle of the brown stuff for his special day, he (and you) should at least understand what it is you’re drinking. Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about whiskey (or is it whisky?).

What’s with that pesky “E?”

Historically, the prime whisky-making territories of Scotland and Canada spelled the word “whisky” and the Irish rebels added an “E” because the word translates differently from Irish Gaelic than from Scottish, though why Americans adopted the Irish form despite both Scots and Irishmen flooding the young nation in the 18th century is unclear. For a long time, these comprised the only four nations that mattered to the whiskey-consuming world, though the rare foreign producer did follow the Scottish naming convention. While the rule still holds true, whiskey nomenclature has grown more complicated with production thriving in new-world countries like Japan, India and Australia, which all eschew the E.

Personally, I follow the protocol of my brown liquor mentor, Lew Bryson, author of ‘Tasting Whiskey,’ by identifying the liquid according to its country of origin or using the E when referencing it generally because, well, I’m American. Fun fact: The plural of whiskey is “whiskeys” while the plural of whisky is ‘whiskies.’ Now you know.

Barrels are seen outside the Auchentoshan Distillery, a Single Malt whisky distillery, on the outskirts of Glasgow on December 12, 2016. While most of Scotland voted against leaving the European Union, whisky makers have quietly been raising a wee dram to a side-effect of the Brexit vote -- a plunge in the value of the pound. The currency devaluation has made exports cheaper, generating a bump since 90 percent of Scotch whisky is sold outside Britain, although the industry warns the longer-term outlook is far more cloudy. 

You don’t spell it, Son, you drink it. So why don’t you just tell me what I need to know?

There are two main types of whiskey: malt and grain. Malt whisky comes primarily from Scotland, is made exclusively from fermented malted barley and gets distilled in pot stills. A single malt designation occurs when the product uses malt whisky from just one distillery.

Grain whiskey can combine base ingredients, from barley to corn to wheat to rye, and can be distilled in a pot or column still. These grains may or may not be malted. Again, a blended whiskey is the name given to liquid that mixes these grains rather than sticking with a single one.

However, “Blended Malt Scotch is a marriage of only single malts from different Scottish distilleries, creating an orchestra flavour, quite different from Blended Scotch,” explains Ewan Henderson, global brand ambassador for The Lost Distillery in Scotland.

Pot vs. column?

Allow me to steal borrow quote liberally from the venerable Whiskey Wash website here, as its explanation is as clear as they come.

A pot still at its simplest consists of a large kettle or pot which is heated from the bottom, boiling off the alcohol and allowing the vapors to be sent to a condenser and separated. With column distillation, the mash enters near the top of the still and begins flowing downward. This brings it closer to the heating source, and once it’s heated enough to evaporate, the vapor rises up through a series of partitions known as plates or stripping plates. … The most important point of difference between pot stills and column stills is that pot stills operate on a batch by batch basis, while column stills may be operated continuously.

What are the main whiskey producing regions, AKA where’s Islay and how the do I pronounce it?

Okay, here’s where the confusion really sets in. As I said, whiskey traditionally originates in Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the U.S., with Japan and India very recently surging ahead at full speed. But many varieties exist within those regions, particularly Scotland and America. So here’s how things break down.

Scotland – As the Master of Malts website notes, Scotch regions don’t define themselves quite as neatly as wine regions. Though certain characteristics do tend to describe each one, Scotch can’t be counted on to reflect its terroir every time.

The Highlands – As the largest region in Scotland, covering most of the northern part of the country, Highlands Scotch varies quite a bit. Most finish dry but that’s where the comparisons end. West Highlands Scotch starts sweet, while North Highlands Scotch tends toward the spicy. Other Highlands Scotches are generally slightly sweet and light. Glenmorangie is arguably this region’s most famous export.

Islay – Scotches from this western island’s handful of distilleries are not for the uninitiated. When you think of smoky (AKA peaty) Scotches, they’re generally grown here and get their peat intensity from the naturally occurring moss that distillers use as fuel to malt the barley. Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, Lagavulin and Laphroaig all hail from Islay, which is pronounced EYE-lah.

Campbeltown – Only three distilleries still operate on this southwestern peninsula and none have become famous here across the pond. Maybe they should, considering Master of Malt describes the single malts as “very distinctive, tending to be full bodied, renowned for their depth of flavour and also for their slightly salty finish. With peat adding a hint of flavour similar to that found in an Islay malt.”

Speyside and The Islands – Though both of these territories are officially subdivisions within The Highlands, they factor heavily in the production of Scotch. Speyside, in the northeastern corner of Scotland, boasts more distilleries than anywhere else in the country, with bold-faced names like Glenfiddich, The Macallan, Balvenie and Glenlivet making their home here. Six western landmasses comprise The Islands region, which produces softly peated Scotch influenced by the sea and salty air. Arran is probably the best-known among these brands.

The U.S. – Home to bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, along with rye, corn, wheat, moonshine and others, the U.S. has been producing its own since the earliest days of American immigration.

Bourbon - of course, is the most widely recognized but it does not, contrary to conventional wisdom, have to be produced in Kentucky. To qualify as legal bourbon under federal law, the liquid must be made in the U.S., contain at least 51% corn and be aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years.

Tennessee - whiskey, on the other hand, does need Tennessee roots (since 2013, when the Volunteer State became the first to obtain its own designation) and should be filtered through charcoal. Otherwise, it’s pretty much the same as bourbon. Jack Daniels falls into this category.

Everything else - is a hodge-podge. Legal classifications dictate how much grain needs to go into a product before it can identify itself with it. Rye, for example, has to make up at least 51% of a rye whiskey’s mash bill. White whiskey, otherwise known as ‘moonshine’ or ‘white dog,’ is simply unaged whiskey. It’s clear in appearance because it hasn’t sat in the barrels that give most whiskeys their brown color.

Canadian whisky – There’s one qualification for Canadian whiskey: it must be fermented, distilled and aged in Canada. Though rye has been most closely associated with Canadian distillers, they do use other base malts, too, and typically ferment, distill and age each one separately then blend the liquids together at the end. Crown Royal, Canadian Club and Seagram’s are those most commonly found south of the border.

Irish whiskey – Who hasn’t heard of Jameson, Tullamore Dew and Bushmills? The recent success of these three Irish whiskey producers helped bring the industry back from the brink of annihilation after various forces combined to decimate it throughout most of the 20^thWith its lighter flavor – commonly derived from blending malts and grains -- Irish whiskey proves easy on the lips and conducive to many a shot at so-called ‘Irish’ bars around the globe.

Japanese, Indian and other whiskies 

Japan - Over the past decade or so, international whiskey drinkers have caught on to the fact that Japan makes some of the best Scotch- and (to a lesser extent) bourbon-style liquors in the world. Suntory, the mega-distiller that bought Jim Beam and its many associated brands, is a Japanese company.

India – Though not many have made it to America, India produces more whisky than any other country and consistently wins top awards for its quality. Interestingly, India distills most of its liquid from molasses instead of grains so the European Union doesn’t recognize it as whisky. Despite that, The Whisky Exchange claims this nation makes eight of the top 10 bestselling whiskies in the world.

Elsewhere – Thanks in part to the global whiskey boom, Australia now makes a good bit, as does Scandinavia and South Africa. Most New World whisky countries don’t regulate the definition of whisky, so they can generally be of any style and use any type of production methods.

Ok, I sort of get it. So are older whiskeys better than younger ones?

Not necessarily. Something that’s been aged a long time tends to get viewed as more special because it’s taken up space in a distillery, sometimes for decades or even generations. And whiskies pick up more flavors from the barrel (think wood, caramel, vanilla, etc…) the longer they age, and that’s considered a good thing. But bourbon doesn’t age as well as Scotch so age statements (the age of the liquid, as displayed on the bottle) on bourbon can mislead a novice buyer into thinking older is better, and because an age statements can only be as high as the youngest liquid in a blend, they don’t always tell the whole story. Plus, with producers rushing to meet demand, they’re whisking product out the door and not aging some like they used to. So even some of Scotland’s most noble distilleries are doing away with age statements because they don’t want to broadcast the fact that their liquid may only be aging for the minimum required time or a few short years beyond.

What whiskeys are used in some of my favorite drinks?

Thank The Drinks Business for running a Google analysis on the most searched-for whiskey cocktails of 2016 and presenting us with their ingredients. Here are a few of the classics, listed in descending order of popularity.

Old Fashioned: Bourbon or rye, Angostura bitters, sugar, water

Manhattan: Rye or Canadian whiskey, sweet red vermouth, Angostura bitters

Whiskey Sour: Bourbon, egg white, lemon juice, simple syrup

Sazerac: Rye whiskey, absinthe, Peychaud’s bitters and a sugar cube.

Mint Julep: Bourbon, fresh mint, sugar and water over ice

Rob Roy: Scotch, Drambuie

Lynchburg Lemonade: Jack Daniel’s, triple sec, Angostura bitters, lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water

Rob Roy: Scotch, sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters