Whiskey: history, classification, producing countries + tips for choosing
whiskey - is a strong, flavorful alcoholic beverage produced from various types of grain using the processes of addition, fermentation, distillation and long-term aging in oak barrels.
Barley, rye, wheat or corn can be used in the manufacture of whiskey. Strength ranges from 32 to 50%, but some whiskeys reach 60%.
The color of the drink varies from light yellow to brown. The sugar content is zero or extremely low.
Traditional whiskey producing regions are Scotland and Ireland.
The history of whiskey
The earliest attempts at distillation were made by the Greeks in Alexandria in the 1st century AD.е.э., however, it was not done with the aim of obtaining alcohol.
In the 9th century, medieval Arabs adopted the distillation method of the Alexandrian Greeks.
The distillation method then passed from the medieval Arabs to the medieval Latins. The earliest mentions in Latin date back to the early 12th century.
The first records of alcohol distillation appeared in Italy in the 13th century; the method was described by Ramon Lull (1232 - 1315).
Soon, the distillation technology spread to medieval monasteries, where it was used mainly for medical purposes, such as the treatment of colic and smallpox.
In Ireland and Scotland, the distillation technology appeared no later than the 15th century, where it was used mainly for medicinal purposes.
The earliest mention of whiskey in Ireland is recorded in the seventeenth-century book Annals of Clonmacnoise.
In Scotland, the first evidence of whisky production is found in a record in the treasury rolls for 1494, where malt is sent "by order of the king to the monk John Cor to make aquavit", in an amount sufficient to make about 500 bottles.
In 1505, the Guild of Surgeons and Barbers of Edinburgh received a monopoly on whiskey production. Whiskey began to be sold in pharmacies as a miracle drug.
Between 1536 and 1541, King Henry VIII of England dissolved the monasteries and sent the monks away... During this key period, whisky production moved from the monastic environment to private homes and farms, as newly independent monks needed to find a way to make money for themselves.
In 1579, the Scottish Parliament banned the production of whisky by peasants and people of noble birth. However, this led to the development of "underground" small distilleries.
Over time, the methodology of whiskey production has changed somewhat. Distillation and purification technologies improved, and barrels changed a bit: most whiskey is aged in bourbon (American whiskey) barrels, and only a few varieties are aged in sherry, port, rum or other barrels.
This was explained by economic expediency: according to production standards, bourbon should be aged only in new barrels. Accordingly, the price of used whiskey barrels is very low, unlike the cost of wine barrels, and even from Europe.
Around the same time, grain whiskey appeared. Its production is more technologically advanced, and accordingly, it costs an order of magnitude less than the production of malt whiskey. However, the taste of the former was noticeably inferior to the latter.
To maintain a low price and significantly improve the taste of grain whiskey, producers decided to make so-called blends - a mixture of malt and grain types of drink. The decision turned out to be successful.
Today, 95% of whiskey sold is blended, with up to 85% (and sometimes more) grain whiskey and only a small portion of malt whiskey. Which, by the way, determines the taste of the drink.
Classification of whiskey
- - produced from malt spirits of one (Single Malt) or different distilleries (Blended Malt).
Grain
- produced from grain alcohols from one (Single Grain) or different distilleries (Blended Grain).Blended
- the most massive and popular category; this type of whiskey is produced by mixing (blending) malt and grain spirits from different distilleries.
Countries producing whiskey
Australia
As of the end of 2017, there are more than 120 distilleries in Australia, including 31 in Tasmania.
America
Whiskey was brought to the United States by immigrants from Scotland and Ireland. At the dawn of its history, whiskey in the new world was distilled from rye, and later corn became the main crop.
Today, corn whiskey is - bourbon - famous and popular in many countries of the world. In addition to bourbon, the United States produces Tennessee Jack Daniels whiskey, which is specially filtered.
Also in the United States, there are industries that produce rye drink and classic single malt whiskey.
England
Currently, there are at least six distilleries producing whiskey in England.
Although England is not very well known for whiskey production, there were distilleries in London, Liverpool and Bristol until the end of the 19th century, after which the production of English single malt whiskey ceased by 2003.
Germany
German whiskey is a relatively recent phenomenon. The drinks produced are not much different from those made in Ireland, Scotland and the United States. Here you can find single malt, blended, wheat and bourbon-like varieties.
In 2008, there were 23 distilleries producing whiskey in Germany.
Georgia
The first Georgian whiskey was produced by the winemaker, co-founder of Askaneli Brothers, Jimsher Chkhaidze. JIMSHER whiskey is produced according to the traditional Scottish method and dates back to 2016.
Georgian whiskey is sold in such markets as China, Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, etc.
In 2017, at the World Whiskey Masters tasting competition held in London, Georgian whiskey received a silver medal in various categories. In the same year, Georgian whiskey was awarded its first gold and silver medals at the Global Travel Retail Spirits Masters competition.
In March 2018, JIMSHER was awarded a silver medal in the Best World Whiskey nomination.
Denmark
Denmark began producing whiskey in early 1974. The first Danish single malt to go on sale was Lille Gadegaard from Bornholm in 2005.
Lille Gadegård is also a distillery that uses its own wine barrels to age its whiskey.
The second Danish distilled single malt whisky for sale was the No. 1 edition from the Braunstein Brewery and Distillery. It was distilled in 2007 using water from the Greenlandic ice sheet and was launched on the market in March 2010.
Also worth paying attention to is Stauning Whisky, based in Jutland.
India
Distilled spirits, which are referred to as "whiskey" in India, are usually blends based on neutral spirits that are distilled from fermented molasses with a small proportion of traditional malt whiskey (usually around 10-12 percent).
Outside of India, such a drink is likely to be called rum.
According to the annual report of the Scotch Whisky Association for 2013: "there is no mandatory definition of whisky in India, and the Indian voluntary standard does not require whisky to be distilled from cereals or to be aged".
Molasses-based blends account for 90 percent of the alcohol consumed as "whiskey" in India. However, whiskey that is completely distilled from malt and other grains is also produced and sold in.
Amrut, the first single malt whiskey produced in India, was launched on August 24, 2004.
Ireland
Irish alcohol differs from Scottish alcohol by being more mild.
The Irish carry out distillation three times, and in addition, they practically do not use peat to dry malt. Even the spelling of the word "whiskey" in these countries is different, although these two countries are fighting for the right to be considered the birthplace of malted barley alcohol.
In Ireland, the number of distilleries is much smaller than in Scotland, so the choice of Irish whiskey is much smaller.
Canada
The history of Canadian whiskey is in many ways similar to the American one. The drink was brought here by immigrants, and the absence of Prohibition, which severely undermined the industry in the United States, led to the flourishing of Canadian producers.
For the most part, whiskeys from Canada are unpretentious and suitable for everyday consumption. But there are also some very worthy specimens with outstanding flavors.
Taiwan
Kawalan is the first and only distillery in Taiwan.
The distillery was named by Whiskey Magazine as a "World Whiskey Icon" in 2011.
In 2012, Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Cask malt whiskey was named "New Whiskey of the Year" in the Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible.
In 2015, Vinho Barrique Single Cask was named the world's best single malt whisky at the World Whiskeys Awards.
In 2016, the World Whiskey Awards named Kavalan Solist Amontillado Amontillado Sherry Single Cask the best single malt whiskey in the world.
Finland
There are two distilleries in Finland. Retail sales of whiskey in Finland are controlled exclusively by the state alcohol monopoly Alko, and advertising of spirits is prohibited.
Scotland
It is still not known where whiskey was first produced. But it is the Scots who have the most reason to be considered the authors of this type of alcohol.
The features of Scotch whisky are: double distillation, the use of special malt "smoked" on peat smoke for the production of some varieties, as well as aging in barrels of other alcoholic beverages.
You can often find whiskeys that have been aged in bourbon, sherry or fortified wine tanks. However, even within the same country, whiskey varies greatly depending on the region of production. Lowland whiskeys are not similar to highland whiskeys, and island scotches are strikingly different from all the others.
Japan
Scotch scotch has always been very popular in the Land of the Rising Sun.
At the beginning of the last century, the Japanese decided to produce their favorite drink using classical technology.
Technological processes and raw materials for Japanese whiskey are almost identical to those of Scotch, but add to this Japanese idealism and maximum quality at all stages of whiskey production.
Other countries
Inspired by the success of the main whiskey producing countries, many entrepreneurs from other countries are also striving to launch their alcoholic beverages on the world market.
The popularity of such drinks is still small, but new, unusual varieties appear regularly, which allows whiskey connoisseurs to constantly experiment, getting acquainted with original drinks from different countries.
Tip: what kind of whiskey to buy in the store
Each classification has its pros and cons in terms of taste, aroma and price. To find out about your preferences, it's not enough to just read the article, you have to try whiskey yourself and find your favorites.
The right thing to do is to go to a specialized whiskey bar and taste a series of drinks of different classes at once.
Also, many niche liquor stores have their own bars and restaurants, where you can easily order drinks from the sales floor. From time to time, large chains themselves organize tasting events not only for whiskey, but also for other alcohol. During such promotions, alcohol prices are usually the lowest.
If for some reason the options above do not suit you, then try watching video reviews on YouTube, where real people taste real alcohol. To do this, enter the name of the whiskey in the search and most likely you will find the desired review, but do not forget that this will be an extremely subjective point of view.
Update: 23.04.2019
Category: Whiskey and Bourbon