Whisky/Whiskey

Whisky vs Whiskey 

Whisky (no E) refers to a product from Scotland or Canada.

Whiskey (with E) refers to a product from Ireland or the USA.

The word “whiskey” is an anglicized version of the Gaelic words “uisce beatha,” which means “water of life.”

              

Introduction

Whisky is a spirit distilled from grain by pot still or patent still method. The grain used may be Barley, Maize, Rye, Wheat, or the mixture of grains in varying proportions, according to the regulations which monitor the grain and its proportion and various processes in whisky-making. The mixture may contain Malted grain or Unmalted grain, or both. The distilled drink is then aged in wooden barrels, especially those made of Oak. These barrels may be new or used and charred or uncharred on the inside, depending on the style of whisky being produced.

Whisky Production

The raw materials required for the production of Malt Whisky are barley, water, and yeast. The production process can be broken down into the following major stages.

1} Malting: -

The barley is first screened to remove any foreign matter and then soak for 2-4 days in tank water know as ‘Steeps’. After this, it is spread out on a concrete floor know as the

Malting floor and allow to germinate. Germination will take 8-12 days, during this process the barley releases the enzymes.

This converts the starch in the barley soluble, thus preparing it for conservation of sugar. The rate of germination and temperature is controlled by turning out barley at a regular interval, the malted barley or green malt stops germination by passing hot air through them in cylindrical boxes or drum known as ‘Saladin’. 

At the same time peat (a soft, carbon-rich substance formed when plant matter decomposes in water) smoke is passed through malt in order to get a peaty flavor. This is Malting.

Peat

2} Mashing: -

The dry malt is grounded in a mill and this is called ‘Grist’, is mixed with hot water in large circular vessels called ‘Mashtun’. The soluble starch is thus converted into sugary liquid know as ‘Wort’. This is drawn off the Mashtun and the solid remaining are removed for use as fodder (cattle food). This is Mashing.

3} Fermentation: -

After cooling, the Wort is passed into large vessels holding anything from 9000-45000 liters of liquid where it is fermented by the addition of yeast. The living yeast attacks the sugar in the wort and converts it into crude alcohol. Fermentation takes about 48 hrs and produces liquid know as ‘Wash’ containing alcohol of low strength, some unfermentable matter, and a certain byproduct of fermentation.

4} Distillation: -

Malt Whisky is distilled twice in large copper Pot Still. Liquid Wash is heated to a point at which alcohol becomes vapor or evaporates. This rises up the still and is passed into the cooling plant where it is condensed into a liquid state. The cooling plant frequently takes the form of a coiled copper tube or ‘Worm’ is kept in continuously running cold water.

5} Maturation

While maturing, the whisky becomes smoother, gains flavor, and draws its golden color from the cask. A proportion of the higher alcohols turn into esters* and other complex compounds that subtly enhance each whisky's distinctive characteristics. Maturing is done in Oak barrels. ( American and European oak are the most common types of wood to be used for casks as they are porous yet strong. Whisky can be aged for up to and above 50 years, so casks need to be reliable. 

These casks are usually used to mature liquids such as Bourbon or Sherry before they are used to mature Whisky and some of the flavors from these can be detected in the final product.)

*Most of the aromas found in spirits that one might characterize as fruity or floral are formed by a process called esterification. Esters are chemical compounds normally formed from the combination of an alcohol and an acid.

Please read the label, it specifies that the whisky is matured in a Sherry cask

All countries have their own laws for maturation. For e.g., by law, all Scotch whisky must be matured for at least 3 years, but most single malts lie in the wood for 8, 10, 12, 15 years or longer.

6} Blending

A blended whiskey (or blended whisky) is the product of blending different types of whiskeys and sometimes also neutral grain spirits. It is generally the product of mixing one or more higher-quality straight or single malt whiskey with less expensive spirits and other ingredients.

Finally, the bottling of the whisky is done.

SCOTCH WHISKY

MEANING OF SCOTCH

By law Scotch whisky means whisky which has been:

•   Distilled at a distillery in Scotland from malted barley to which whole grains or other cereals may be added.

•   Distilled at an alcohol strength less than 94.8% by volume so that the distillate has an aroma and flavor of the raw materials.

•   Matured in an excise warehouse in Scotland in oak casks of a capacity not more than 700 liters for a period of not less than three years.

Bottled at minimum alcohol of 40% by volume.

The quality and flavor of scotch are greatly influenced by the type of cereal used, malting process, peat drying process, the quality of water, the air, the climate, the distilling method, and the skill of the distiller and blender. Many countries try to imitate scotch but are not able to succeed. This is primarily attributed to climate, peat, and very fine quality of water.

REGIONS OF WHISKY PRODUCTION IN SCOTLAND

•  HIGHLAND – the majority of Scotch Whisky distilleries are classed as highland.

•  SPEYSIDE – the area produces some of the finest malts in Scotland, this is due to outstanding natural resources found in and around the area.

• LOWLANDS – these are the lightest in style and make excellent blending bases.

•  ISLAY – the distilleries off the west coast produce some of the most fully flavored and peaty malts often with hints of iodine and tar. This reputedly comes from the local peat created from marine vegetable matter.

• CAMPBELLTOWN – probably home to the first distillers in Scotland, however, only two remain and produce smoky whiskies.

• ISLAND – this includes all other islands scattered around the coast of Scotland. They taste salty or have a sea-weed flavor.

TYPES OF SCOTCH

MALT WHISKY

Malt whisky is made from malted barley and then double distilled in a pot still.

( The production process explained above is for Malt whisky)

Brand Names  

Glenfiddich

Glenlivet

Glen Grant

Glenmorangie

Cardhu

Cragganmore

Macallan

The Balvenie

GRAIN WHISHKY

Grain Whisky is made chiefly from corn or wheat with a small percentage of barley and barley malt and distilled in a patent still.

PRODUCTION ( Please note the difference in the production process as compared to Malt whisky)

•   Made from mash consisting of wheat or maize and a small quantity of malted barley.

•   The un-malted cereals are milled and then steam cooked to release the starch.

•   This solution is placed in the mash tun and the malted barley is added with hot water.

•   The mixture is mashed and brewed to get wort.

•   Wort is then cooled and then fermented with yeast, creating an alcoholic wash.

•   This alcoholic wash is then distilled in a patent still, hence producing lighter and milder spirits.

•   It is then aged for a minimum period of three years.

•   Grain whisky matures more rapidly compared to malt whisky as it is light-bodied.

•   The Majority of the grain whisky is used for making blended scotch whisky.

Grain whisky brand names:

Arbikie

Caledonian

Carsebridge

Haig Club

Loch Lomond

North of Scotland

Port Dundas

BLENDED WHISKY

•   A mix of malt and grain whiskies. Most scotch sold in the market is blended scotch.

•   Proportion of malt to grain whisky is between 20 and 40 %.

•   The cheaper blend will have more percentage of grain whisky.

•   The blender must maintain the flavor consistency of the blended whisky.

Brand Names

The Antiquary

Ballantine's

Bell's

Black & White

Buchanan's

Chivas Regal

Cutty Sark

Dewar's

The Famous Grouse

IRISH WHISKEY

•   It is distilled in Ireland from a wash of malted and un-malted barley with some grain.

•   The germination of the grains is stopped by heating grains in a kiln by hot air produced by anthracite coal.

•   This is thrice distilled in a pot still and matured for a period of five years.

•   However, nowadays produced by patent still.

The traditional Irish Whiskey is unblended. Standard Irish whiskey is a blend of malt and grain whiskeys.

Types of Irish Whiskey

• Pure Pot Still Whiskey: It is traditionally made from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley, distilled in a pot still
• It is distilled in a pot still from 110% malted barley

Brands of Irish Whiskey:

•  Blends:             Jameson, Bushmills original, Paddy
•  Pure Pot Still:   Green Pot, Redbreast, Jameson 15-yr-old
•  Single Malt:         Bushmills, The Irishman Single Malt 
•  Single Grain:       Bushmills

USA Whiskey

The Americans spell "Whisky" as "WHISKEY"

All American Whiskies are made from cereal (generally, a mixture of various grains of cereals), distilled mostly in a patent still at no more than 90% and aged in oak barrels (except for corn whiskey which may not be aged) and bottled at not less than 40 % alcohol v/v.

Types of US Whiskeys:

Bourbon: 

It is named after the county Bourbon in Kentucky. It is made from alcoholic Wash of corn, rye, and malted barley and the minimum corn in the mixture should be 51%. Most Bourbon whiskeys are made from the mash of corn, rye, and malted barley in the proportion of 70%, 15%, and 15% respectively. It is distilled in a patent still and matured in charred new oak casks for a minimum period of 2 years. Most Bourbons are aged for 6 years. Any Bourbon that has spent less than 4 years must contain an age statement on the label. The charred barrels contribute a special flavor to the whiskey. Single Barrel Bourbon is a bourbon from one specifically chosen barrel.

Brands of Bourbon Whiskey:

Jim Beam ( Bourbon)
Four Roses

Old Kentucky

Old Grand-dad

Old Crow

Beechwood

Tennessee Whiskey

Tennessee Whiskey is a Sour Mash Whiskey produced from a mixture of grain consisting of a minimum of 51% Corn, distilled in Tennessee, filtered through Sugar Maple Charcoal before being matured in new charred oak barrels for a minimum period of 2 years. Maple charcoal filtration removes much of Congeners in the spirit and creates a smooth and mellow spirit. In the Sour Mash process, along with the fresh yeast, some Mash from the previous fermentation is added to the new mash for fermentation. This will impart the flavor and style of the previous fermentation.

Most Tennessee whiskeys are made from the mash of corn, rye, and malted barley in the proportion of 80%, 10%, and 10% respectively.

Brands of Tennessee Whiskeys:

Jack Daniel's

George Dickel

Pritchard's

Corn Whiskey:

It is distilled from a mash of 80% corn. It may or may not be aged. If aged, it may be aged in old or new oak casks. Aging is usually brief, for a period of 6 months.

Some brands of corn whiskey are as follows:-

Georgia Moon

Dixie Dew

Mellow Corn

Old Gristmill

Virginia Lightning

Rye Whiskey:

It is distilled from a mash consisting of at least 51% Rye and aged in charred new oak barrels for at least 2 years. It is similar to making Bourbon whiskey, except for the type of grain used. Most rye whiskeys are made from the mash of rye, corn and malted barley in the proportion of 51%, 39%, and 10% respectively.

Brands of Rye Whiskey:-

Jim Beam Rye

Wild Turkey

Copper Fox

Heaven Hill Vintage

Hudson Manhattan Rye

Canadian Whisky:

This is usually referred to as Rye whisky. Canadian whiskies were primarily made from rye, but today most Canadian whiskies are made using Corn, wheat, and other grains with a very small proportion of rye for flavoring. Canadians, whatever may be the composition of grains used, call their whisky as rye whisky. In some cases, the ratio of corn to rye will be as high as 9:1. More corn is used in the mash than the rye, yet it is called rye whisky. Each distiller keeps the proportion of grains in the mixture a secret. Canadian whisky is a blended whisky with a lighter body and delicate flavor. Canadian whisky should be aged for a minimum period of 3 years in oak barrels, not necessarily new or charred. Most distilleries use a fraction of rye with the exception of Alberta Premium whisky, which is made from 100% Rye.

Brands of Canadian Whisky:-

Alberta Premium

Canadian 83

Crown Royal

Canadian Club

Seagrams VO

Walker's special

Forty Creek

Japanese Whisky:

This is distilled from millet, corn, and rice, and both, the patent and pot still methods of distillation are employed. Japanese produce malt and blended whiskies and their single malt whiskies are as good as Scotch.

In Scotland, the distilleries produce a wide range of malts and the Scotch blenders will choose malts from different distilleries to make their blends. In Japan, a different approach is adopted. The whisky companies in Japan own both, the distilleries and the brands of blended whiskies. These companies often do not trade with their competitors. Therefore, a blended whisky in Japan will generally have malt whisky from the distilleries owned by the same company. Sometimes, it may be blended with malts imported from Scottish distilleries.

Brands of Japanese Whiskies:-

Suntory

Yamazaki

Nikka

Hibiki

Yoichi

Moonshine Whisky:-

Moonshine was originally a slang term for high-proof distilled spirits that were produced illicitly, without government authorization. Distilling beverage alcohol outside of a registered distillery still remains illegal in the United States and most countries around the world. In recent years, however, commercial products labeled as moonshine have seen a resurgence of popularity.

Moonshine is known by many nicknames in English, including mountain dew, choop, hooch, homebrew, shiney, white lightning, white liquor, white whiskey, and mash liquor. 

History says that Scottish and Irish immigrants, many who settled in the southeastern throngs of the USA, first brought moonshine to the United States in the 18th century. The spirit quickly became a mainstay of Southern culture. But just as its popularity crested, so too did the government’s interest in taxation. It was Alexander Hamilton who imposed a tax on whiskey production in 1791, making any untaxed moonshine production illegal. Whiskey drinkers avoided taxation by making and buying moonshine at night, under the cover of darkness and the light of the moon—which some suspect gave rise to its name.

Legal, regulated moonshine is far different than the illicit hooch that was so important to the Appalachian region of the United States years ago, which was harsher and potentially dangerous if the distillers didn’t’ know what they were doing. However, some producers today still use the term moonshine on the label as a reference to its past.

Unaged whiskey is clear and spirited. There are also flavored versions, and due to the spirit’s high proof, it is able to pull out a lot of aroma and flavor from any fruits, vegetables or herbs macerated in it. Unaged whiskey is also used in cocktails, where it can hold its own next to highly flavored or high proof ingredients.

Whisky Terminology

• Angel's share
  This is the name given to the alcohol that evaporates from a cask as the whisky is maturing in a warehouse. In Scotland and Ireland, this is approximately 2% of the contents of each cask each year, although this amount is higher in other countries with warmer climates.
• ABV
  The abbreviation for Alcohol By Volume – the term used to describe the percentage alcohol level in spirits.
• Cask
  
• The wooden barrel used to mature the whisky. These are traditionally made from oak. The most used types of oak are American, European or Japanese.
• Cask strength
  
• The strength of whisky as it comes from the cask. It is not diluted further before bottling and the strength can be anything between 40% and 65% ABV, depending on age. The younger a whisky is, the higher its ABV will generally be.
• Charring
  The process of burning the inside of a cask. This blackens the inside of the cask, accelerating the natural compounds in the wood to come out once the cask is filled with the spirit. The level of charring can be controlled so as to control the amount of flavor compounds that pass from the wood to the whisky during maturation.
• Chill filtration
  The process by which natural substances that make whisky go cloudy when cold or diluted with water are removed before bottling. The whisky is chilled, the natural substances coagulate, and are then removed by being passed through a series of metal meshes.

• Column still
  A large industrial still that allows for continuous, mechanised distillation. Column stills are mostly used in the production of grain whisky and are modern and cost effective. May also be called a Coffey still, continuous still or a patent still.
• Distillation
  The process of turning the mildly alcoholic wash into a highly alcoholic spirit. The wash is heated in a still and the alcohol vapors evaporate and rise up the neck of the still and travel along the lyne arm, where they are condensed to form a liquid again.

Feints

Feints is the name given to the third fraction of the distillate received from the second distillation in the Pot Still process. They form the undesirable last runnings of the distillation. As noted above, they are returned with the foreshots to the Spirit Still when it is recharged with low wines.

The term is also applied to the first and last runnings from the Patent Still. in which process they are returned to the wash for re-distillation.

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• Fermentation
  The process of turning sugar into alcohol. In whisky production, a sugary liquid called wort is put into a container called a washback, and yeast is added. This triggers the start of fermentation and after a couple of days, all the sugar has turned to alcohol and is called wash. The liquid has a strength of between 5-8% ABV.
• Floor malting
  A traditional method of producing malted barley that is only still practiced in very few distilleries. The barley is soaked in water and then laid out on a wooden floor for about a week until germination starts to take place. This is very labor-intensive as the barley has to be regularly turned by hand so as to ensure even germination.
• Foreshots 
• Foreshots is the term applied to the first fraction of the distillate received during the distillation of the low wines in the Spirit Still used in the Pot Still process of manufacture. They form the first raw runnings of this second distillation and their collection is terminated by the judgment of the Stillman. The following fraction of the distillate is the potable spirit.

  The foreshots are returned to the still, together with the feints.

• Grist
  Malted barley that has been ground up into a powder, so that it can be added to water to become mash and the natural sugars present will dissolve.
• Kiln
  The large room where malted barley is heated to stop the germination process and to remove moisture so that the barley is ready for milling. Traditionally, these were fired by peat but now most are powered by coal or oil. A number of the island distilleries still use peat to give their traditional smoky flavor characteristics.
• Lyne arm
  The part of the still where the spirit vapours are transported to be condensed back in to a liquid. This arm is normally horizontal or close to horizontal, although some distilleries have odd shapes or steeper angles for the arm and this allows some liquid spirit to travel back down into the still to be redistilled.
• Malt
  Barley grains that have been through the malting process (see Malting below).
• Malting
  The process where the starch in barley is converted to sugar, which in turn can then be turned in to alcohol during fermentation. Malting is achieved by soaking the barley grains in warm water and then allowing them to germinate, which turns the starch present in to natural sugars. This takes place in a drum or on a malting floor. The malted barley is then dried and ground up, with the resulting substance being called grist.
• Mashing
  The procedure where grist is added to warm water and the natural sugars are dissolved to form a sugary solution. This takes place in a large tank called a mash tun. The solution is then called wort and is passed to a washback tank for fermentation to take place. Any grain husks and other residue are known as graff and are collected, dried and formed into animal feed.
• Mash tun
  A large tank or vessel that is made from cast iron, stainless steel or wood, where the mashing process takes place. The mash tun is filled with a mixture of grist and warm water and the soluble sugars in the grist dissolve to form a sugary solution. This is then passed through the perforated floor of the mash tun to go to the washback tank to under go fermentation.
• Master blender
  The person working for a company or distillery that scientifically selects and then mixes whiskies of different ages or origins together to form the required final flavour profile of the whisky.
• Maturation
  The time taken for the whisky to gain the optimum amount of character from the wooden cask in which it is being stored. The whisky spirit draws natural oils and substances from the wood over time and the cask also pulls in air from the surrounding environment, as wood is a porous material.
• Milling
  The process where the dried malted barley grains are ground down into grist.
• Peat
  A layer of earth that lays below the topsoil and consists of grasses, plants, tree roots and mosses that have been compressed over thousands of years. It is a very dense substance that when dried is used as a fuel. The peat burns with a very consistent, high temperature with a thick acrid blue smoke. Used in the whisky industry to dry malted barley, with the thick smoke being absorbed into the grains and the flavour getting carried through the rest of the whisky-making process.
• Pot still
  A style of still that is the most common to be used in the production of single malt whisky. They are made of copper due to its excellent conductive qualities and is formed of the pot at the base (where the alcoholic wash is heated), the neck (where the alcohol vapors rise up) and the lyne arm/ condenser (where the vapors begin returning to the liquid form).
• Saladin box
  An old method of malting barley, named after its inventor Charles Saladin. The box is a large automated trough that has a perforated floor through which air is blown. The germination process of the barley is controlled in the Saladin box by regulating the airflow and temperature between the grains.
• Single malt
  Whisky that is made of 100% malted barley and is from just one single distillery location. They generally contain slightly different ages of whisky from numerous different casks within the distillery’s warehouse. These are then married together in a larger container to establish the required consistent flavour profile. The age stated on the bottle is the youngest age of any whisky included.
• Spirit safe
  A brass framed box with glass walls that is attached to the spirit still. It is used to analyse the spirit when it leaves the still. By law, the operator cannot come in to contact with the spirit and as a result the spirit safe is padlocked with a Customs & Excise officer keeping the key.
• Spirit still
  The second and usually smallest in a pair of stills. The ‘low wines’ from the wash still are re-distilled in the spirit still – this raises the alcohol level to between 64-69% ABV and clears the alcohol of unwanted impurities. Only the middle section of this distillate is collected for maturation. This section is called the cut.
• Vatted malt
  A whisky that consists two or more single malts that are blended together. Unlike a blended whisky, vatted malts contain no grain whisky and only single malts. These can be from the same or different distilleries and be of differing ages.
• Washback
  A large deep tub or vat in which the fermentation process takes place in a distillery. Traditionally made of wood, they are now commonly made of stainless steel.
• Wash still
  Stills normally operate in pairs and the wash still is the first and usually largest of the two. The fermented wash is heated and the alcohol vapours evaporate and are then cooled and reformed in to a liquid by a condenser. The resulting liquid has an alcohol level of 20-22% ABV and are called the low wines. These then move to the spirit still.
• Worm tub
  An older form of apparatus used for cooling alcohol vapours back to a liquid spirit. The worm tub is connected to the lyne arm of a still and is formed of a long downward spiralling copper pipe that is submerged in a wooden tub full of cold water. The tub is usually positioned outside and was traditionally filled with rain water. Under 10 distilleries in Scotland still have this system in operation. Most others use shell and tube condensers.
• Wort
  A warm and sugary solution that contains the soluble sugars from the malted barley dissolved in warm water. Wort is the liquid that goes forward to the fermentation process, where the sugars are changed to alcohol.
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