Whiskey is a global spirit with many surprises waiting for the venturous drinker.
Whiskey is a global Spirit being made on every continent and growing in popularity wherever it is offered.
In the simplest of terms Whiskey is an alcohol beverage made from the distillation of a fermented grain mash. Think of Brandy on one end of the spectrum being made from fruit and Whiskey on the other being made with grain.
We have focused on Whiskies from America, Canada, Ireland, and Scotland but there are many more great Whiskies to be had.
BevX will dive into the great Whiskies of the world including Whiskies from: Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Wales to name but a few.
Regardless of Whiskies origins there are a few universal truths.
Single Malt – Single refers to a single distillery. Malt is the sole grain material used to produce the Whisky. So a single malt is a Whisky made at one distillery and made with 100% malted barley. Simple.
Blended Whiskies are made by blending Grain Whiskies and Malt Whisky and varying proportions.
Age Statements – Many Single Malts (and a good many blended as well) bare an age statement boldly printed on the label. If the label says 12 years old (or any other age) it means that 100% of the Whisky in that bottle has aged in an oak barrel for at least 12 years and not one day less.
Cask strength simply means that the Whisky was bottled at the cask’s (or group of casks’) natural strength. Most spirits are diluted with water at the time of bottling to meet a uniform standard with 40% alcohol by volume being the most common. Cask strength Spirits are not diluted and often not altered in any way.