single malt scotch whisky

 

Whisky production dates back to pre 1500 Scotland  The first documented exchange dates to Scotland in 1494 in the exchequer rolls which stated “eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aqua vitae” which means  “water of life”.  The term Whisky evolved originally from the Gaelic “uisge beatha” which also means “water of life”.  In 1644 the Scottish Parliament imposed the first tax on the spirit because of its popularity.  This caused producers to find the most remote areas as possible to create their products in order to hide from the tax man. In 1823 the government passed a law which punished the illegal producers heavily and made it much more profitable to run a legal distillery.  In 1824 a man named George Smith was the first to do so and he called this distillery Glenlivet.  The Duke of Gordon encouraged Mr. Smith to do so and even gave him 2 pistols for protection because of threats from the men operating the illegal distilleries.   These pistols can still be seen at the Glenlivet Distillery in Scotland.

               Single Malt Scotch must be made in Scotland and distilled at a single distillery using the pot still distillation method.  Only barley may be used and it must be aged in oak casks for a minimum of 3 years.  First the barley is harvested and soaked in water and left to germinate for a little over a week.  The barley is dried out to stop the germination process and this is called malting.  This process is done in large peat fired kilns.  The peat is used for fuel for the kilns.  Once it is dried it is ground into what is known as “grist”.  They then soak the grist in heated water usually from a local spring in the area and this process is repeated several times.  The starches are transformed into sugar which is dissolved into the hot water.  The liquid is known as wort once it is complete.  Yeast is added into the wort and left to ferment for approximately 2-3 days.  Once this is ready it is known as the “wash” and is ready for distillation.   The size and shape of the pot still has huge influences over the final product.  Each distillation produces 3 separate sections of liquid.  Only the heart of the run or middle section is used for aging.  The 1^st section known as the head and the 3^rd section known as the tail are re distilled with the following batch.  The liquid is then aged in casks for a certain number of years and this can vary greatly depending on the producer and what flavors they are looking for in the end product.

               There are 4 main regions in Scotland for producing Single Malts. 

                              Highland- Largest region in terms of actual size.  Surrounds Speyside with the exception of to the North.   Also includes the region known as the islands which has become kind of a sub region of the highlands.  It isn’t formally recognized to date. 

                              Speyside-Most abundant number of Single Malt Producers in this area.  Flavors of honey, vanilla, and fresh fruit. 

                              Lowland- Fresh and light because of the lack of peat used in drying the barley.  Some of them are also triple distilled as well leading to a lighter flavor.

                              Islay- Usually the fullest flavor Single Malts.  This area has an abundance of peat which is used to create very smoky and peaty Single Malts. 

 

Requirements to be a Single Malt Scotch Whisky

               Made in Scotland

               From malted barley and water

               Matured in oak casks for a minimum of 3 years

               Done at a single distillery

               Pot still distillation only

               Fermented only with yeast

Single malts made in other countries may be made up of other malted grains

 

Other Terms Angels Share- Portion of Whisky which evaporates during maturation in the barrels.  This usually equates to around 2% each year depending on a number of factors.  This is seen as a tax to the heavens. Un-chill filtered or Non Chill filtered- Whisky that is often cloudy when cooled or when water is added.  Usually cask strength as well.