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What
is a Single Malt
| History
| How
Malt Whisky Is
Made
| Flavour
Variations
| Regional
Characteristics
| Enjoying
the Whisky Single Malt Whisky is a distilled spirit made entirely from malted barley at a single distillery. The most notable examples of this are made in Scotland and are thus referred to as scotches. But not all scotches are single malts. Vatted Malts or Pure Malts are blends from the malt whisky of several different distilleries. A whisky that is labeled generically "scotch" is blended and contains only 40 to 60% malt whisky with the remainder comprised of whisky made from cheaper unmalted grain. All whisky must be aged for a minimum of 3 years before it can be described as such. Whisky
is the fruit of a northern climate. The term whisky
is a derivative of the expression "water of life"
known in in Gaelic as "uisge (pronounced ooska)
beatha." Over time uisge has been Anglicised to
"whisky." The first whiskies were produced in the
15th century by monastic orders. The first tax on
production, in the mid 17th century, had the effect
of stimulating illegal production. This may account
for the remote location of many distilleries. In
1823 the Excise Act was introduced to license
distilleries. As a result the industry became, if
not more expensive, at least more respectable.
There are currently somewhere around 90 producing
distilleries in Scotland. Malt
whisky is basically a distilled, un-hopped beer.
Barley is malted to convert starch into fermentable
sugars. To this end the barley is germinated
(traditionally in floor maltings) and then kiln
dried over peated fires. In the past, peat was used
because of it's availability, but now it is used
primarily to impart flavour to the malt. The
malted barley is ground in a mill and is then
referred to as "grist." The grist is loaded into a
vessel called a mash tun and is warmed with water
to 64°C. At this temperature the enzymes
present in the malt convert the remaining starches
into sugar. The solution that is drawn off of the
mash tun is referred to as "wort." The wort is
pumped to another vessel called the washback. Yeast
is added to the wort to ferment the sugars,
producing alcohol. When
the fermentation is complete, what is now called
the "wash" is boiled in a series of two, or
sometimes three, pot stills. Condensate is taken
off of the first still and added to the second.
This process concentrates the alcohol as it has a
lower boiling point than water and will condense
first. The liquid that comes out of the stills has
an alcohol content of between 60 and 75% which is
blended and diluted to an average strength of 65%
before it is put into oak barrels for
maturation. The
whisky will have a strength of between 50 an 60%
alcohol after the losses that are incurred by
evaporation in the barrel during aging. Before
bottling the whisky is further diluted to 40 or 43%
alcohol. Water.
The water used in most distilleries is soft. It is
common wisdom that the best water sources are those
that rise from granite over peat. The flavour the
source water picks up from its journey is
concentrated by the distillation
process. Peat.
The amount and character of peat used in the
kilning process has a pronounced effect on the
flavour of the whisky. Stills.
The shape of the pot still , the angle of the lyne
arm that leads to the condensing unit, as well as
the degree of heat applied affect the flavours that
are captured in the distilled whisky. Taller stills
tend to produce lighter whiskies. Casks.
Whisky will usually spend 8 to 15 years in an oak
cask. The type of wood used and the micro-climate
of the maturation warehouse have a profound
influence on the character of the whisky. Most
casks are made from American oak, some of which
have previously been used for the storage of
bourbon. Some distilleries used old sherry casks
which impart a sherried flavour to the spirit. The
traditional maturation warehouse is damp with
earthen floors. The humidity cuts the rate of
evaporation in the barrels. In some coastal
distilleries the sea air is said to imbue a certain
briny character to the whisky. Lowlands.
Whisky
from the Lowlands region tend to be lighter,
softer, and less peated. Highlands.
The Highlands are where the bulk of single malt
whisky is produced. As it encompasses a very large
area, the whisky produced in this area is
stylistically very broad. Generally Highland
whiskies are known for their depth and
complexity. Islay.
The most distinctive single malts are produced on
this island. These malt whiskies tend to be well
peated with a smoky characteristic. Some phenolic,
medicinal, or sea overtones are typical. With
idiosyncratic character and a lingering finish,
Single Malt Whisky is made to be sipped. Although
smothering your single malt with ice or soda water
is not recommended, don't be afraid to add a little
cool water to the whisky. Drink it at a strength
that allows you to appreciate subtleties in the
flavour. Spring water is ideal as it has a more
neutral flavour than tap water. Sources:
Malt Whisky Companion, Michael Jackson, ISBN
0-07-551056-1; A Little Book of Scotch Whiskies,
Derek Cooper, ISBN 0-8118-0253-1. |
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