A Toast to Scotland and Beyond

by Alex J Pithie with a salute to the drink’s finest partners

A Drink In Common

For many longer-stay visitors to Thailand, the differences between Thais and Western interlopers remain almost

unfathomable. With a view to writing his own book, one friend of the writer spent ten years trying to figure out

and pinpoint precisely just what were the precise traits and idiosyncrasies – the reasons which made the two tribes

so very separate in outlook, attitude and behaviour.

Yes, we are different and I have learned that to become more tolerant of the consequences of those differences, one

must be more willing to acclimatise to the Thai culture by embracing their values and ideas and even customs. A

little careful thought and examination of the two worlds we occupy can be very revealing.

We of the fair skinned peoples of the northern hemisphere look different, act differently and think differently too for

a number of very good reasons. I am no professor of sociology or anthropology but I see the explanation couched in

the origins of the two separate cultures – Hunters and Gatherers – primitive types who literally came from

different worlds even way back then.

Clearly the northern apes millions of years ago survived the crippling cold winters huddled in caves wrapped in

stinking skins, venturing out only to drag the wife by the hair to the river for a drink, or to get something hard

and heavy and hunt down the weakest, dumbest wild animal to be cut up and shared between the hungry cave

dwellers.

Once the trick of igniting flame had been perfected, later the spoils of the kill would be grilled over a nice big fire.

By contrast our Asian counterparts meantime were rising in the morning, picking fresh produce growing wild at

the front door, scooping fresh fish from the ponds of Asia and deciding which of the huge array of fruits hanging

heavy from the trees they were to enjoy before or after their afternoon nap, on the accommodating shady side of the

jungle. Occasionally they would stir to catch a wild pig by digging and disguising a hole, or trap a bird somehow for

a tasty barbecue in the cool dusk of oriental paradise.

Quite a contrast then, all those years ago. And not surprising then that we have very different outlooks even today,

with the ‘raiders’ or Hunters from the frozen Northern Hemisphere still intent on aggressively hunting down their

modern-day quarry and opportunity and yes – their partners too. It’s how things are still done in Europe and the

US and Australia. The primitive DNA keeps those tough qualities hard-wired into the tribes of Europe,

wherever they end up prevailing.

Likewise in Asia. The Gatherers stick to what they know best – gathering. Fruit, vegetables, rice, fish, poultry,

and the occasional bit of meat. And they are as expert at gathering as we, the hairy -assed Europeans are at

hunting.

And now that the twain do meet, the Hunter is mystified why any people – Thai or otherwise – can be so passive

and tolerant and uncontroversial – lacking in fight or the desire to beat their opposition to a pulp.

Correct me if I’m wrong but Rugby, American Football and Ice Hockey are sports of the Northern Hemisphere

which revolve around the necessity to some degree at least to beat the shit out of the opposition to win. And let’s be

fair. They are not really big attractions in Asia today at all – even after all the televised hype and promotion.

The gatherers prefer soccer, golf – the gentler side of sport!

Things in Common

It is certainly not a case of never the twain shall meet however. Indeed over the centuries,

the Thai nation has welcomed people from virtually every nation and is endearingly

generous and unjudgemental in welcoming all races and cultures to its shore. Of course the

country’s economy has grown exponentially in parallel with the explosion of the global tourist

industry, and the people of Thailand in the main have become comfortable with the fact

that this quiet invasion has filled the hotels, restaurants and bars, created jobs and generally

helped the country toward a new prosperity as it entered the 21st century.

As a Scot arriving here in the late nineteen eighties I have to admit I was fascinated,

confused and often frustrated by the differences in attitudes and shortfalls in awareness I

discovered almost immediately on arrival.

I knew nothing about anything and had to learn from scratch – the language included – and

to learn to say the right thing, have the proper manners, and to generally forget all I had ever

learned in Scotland about social interaction, dumping my brutish Scottish ways and

mannerisms in favour of a natural but to say the least, rigid etiquette handed down from

generation to generation.

Much of it is feudal in origin and of course this predominantly deferential protocol rubbed this

die-hard Scottish socialist the wrong way and sparks would fly. Off me! But I soon cottoned

on that to live here and not insult every other shopkeeper or wait ress on a daily basis, I would

have to get my Thai street smarts together

On both sides of what I call the Great Rice Divide there are similarly entrenched attitudes

described as ‘culture’ – we both breathe oxygen but appear to believe the other lives

breathing nitrogen, as it were.

Oddly enough the lower down the food chain you are the worst it is. The rich and well-to-do

occupy a well-established common ground in any culture, and quickly cotton on to the

etiquette de jour wherever they land, an etiquette and formal protocol pioneered by the

diplomatic corps over the centuries.

But the less-well-disposed proletarians have no such grounding, and soon enter the all-too-

common downward social spiral, inevitably offending one and all with angry outbursts and

unwelcome plain speaking, however appropriate such a reaction might have been ‘back

home’.

With help from friends and the unexpectedly offended, I began to get the hang of things

and settled in to my own ways of dealing with the cultural anomalies, adopting a cool heart

and warm smile, and with all my colourful Scottish cursing now done well under my breath.

But embattled as I was in the early days it was a rich period in my life learning so much about

a very special country and culture. I loved the people, most of the food, the weather and

great relaxed attitude heralded by the gentle welcomes given by all.

I’ll Drink To That

As a drinker too I noticed the Thais liked to wash their food down with their own beers, or

spend an evening chatting the hind-legs off each other getting gently sozzled on beer or

their own ‘whisky’ – ‘Mekong’ or ‘Sang Som’ – while the often animated conversations

stretch further into the night.

Neither Mekong nor Sang Som are whiskies, and Mekong is actually a rum, but that’s another

story. (See later pages)

The fact is that this gentle love of liquor, predominantly among the Thai working classes, and

their preferences have changed over the generations in line perhaps with the upsurge in

tourism and the growth of the middle class, whose rapid rise also coincides with the

popularity of Scotch whisky in Thailand – or vice versa!

Soon real whiskies were turning up on the shelves of 7-11’s, but these – Glenfiddich among

them - were dwarfed in popularity by what we must call the ‘Bad Pretenders’ – legally

concocted Scottish unbranded blends such as ‘Black Cat’ and ‘Braemar’ – rumoured to be

shipped to Asia from Scotland as blends in powder form, and re-watered into the very unreal

thing in the Philippines. Then shipped around Asia, principally to Thailand where the demand

for cheap whisky had as we learned earlier been established long since with local fire-water

lighting the fuse.

Today, in any 7-11 across the nation, there are a number of blended atrocities available for

as little as US$8 a bottle, but we are not taking whisky here. We are talk ing poor quality

whisky-coloured water with a negligible alcohol content and no joy associated with the

taste, body or otherwise in the drinking thereof.

It may be a cheap and cheerful option for the drinking masses, but to the well-informed,

uncompromising whisky-drinking community it is a travesty and this essay intends to do

something about it.

I for one can certainly confirm that Thais today know much more about whiskies than they

did just 20 years ago, and that they have come to love drinking from the exalted range of

quality blended Scottish whiskies imported directly from Scotland. And a fair few are also

now educated to the fact that real Scott ish whisky is entirely delivered under the title of single

malt, a carefully conceived drinking pleasure which is unadulterated by any other brand,

blend or potion and which stands entirely on its own delivering a taste and ‘nose’ and

drinking experience that for a number of reasons – not all easily explained - only a Scottish

single malt whisky can truly deliver.

A Brief History of Scotch

Whisky (from the Gaelic Uisge beatha, "water of life") has been produced in Scotland since

at least the fifteenth century, when it made its first appearance in print, but it is believed to

have an unwritten history predating this perhaps by many centuries. The precise origins of

Scotland's national tipple remain shrouded in mystery. Scholars believe that spirits were first

produced in the Middle East in the eighth or ninth century for use in the preparation of

medicinal tinctures, and it is likely that the secret of distillation was brought to Scotland and

Ireland, then at the westernmost fringes of the known world, by monks who had learned the

art from Arab doctors. The earliest whiskies made in Scotland would seem unfamiliar to

modern drinkers, more modern methods of refinement and the cask-ageing process not yet

having been developed. The raw spirit, as it emerged from the still, would have been rough

and unpalatable, so it would be flavoured with infusions of local herbs and berries. One thing

that has remained constant, though, is the status of malted barley as the main ingredient for

the finest whiskies.

"Malting" is the process in which the grain destined to make up the dram is allowed to

partially germinate before its growth is interrupted by baking in an oven. This natural process

releases the seed's energy reserves from the form of starch into sugars, which are accessible

to the yeast that will convert them into alcohol. The peat used to fire the ovens in which the

malt is dried lends a characteristic flavour, much beloved of connoisseurs, to the final

product. The next stage in production is to grind the malt and dissolve it in water to produce

a "mash", in a vessel known as a "mash-tun". Scotland's natural abundance of fresh, clean

water from burns and springs lends itself to this method of drinks production, and the

character of the local water supply accounts for much of the difference between the

distinctive personalities of Scotland's whisky-producing regions. The mash is heated, to

maximise the solubility of the ingredients, and the liquor drained off in preparation for

fermentation. This process is repeated twice to ensure all the nutrients have been extracted

from the malt. The resulting malty broth (known as "wort") is cooled so as not to kill the yeast,

a liv ing organism, used in the next stage: fermentation.

Wort for use in whisky is fermented in a similar way to other brewed products such as beer.

Yeast is added to the mix and allowed to grow and develop. Brewer's yeast, known to

scientists as , is a micro-organism that feeds on the sugars in the wort as it grows, and

produces alcohol as a by-product of its metabolism. Because of the biological nature of the

fermentation process, it is imperative that the equipment used is clean and sterile: the

presence of any unwanted organisms such as bacteria could disrupt the carefully-controlled

conditions and result in a product that was unusable for distillation into whisky.

When fermentation is finished, it is time to distil the spirit. Whisky is traditionally distilled in

copper stills operating in pairs. The process takes advantage of the fact that alcohol's boiling

point is lower than that of water, so that as the fermented "wash" is heated, the alcohol

begins to turn to vapour before the water. The vapours are collected and re-liquefied to

produce a spirit of much higher alcoholic concentration than the original wash. The first still

produces "low wines", containing roughly 20 percent alcohol by volume, which are then

passed into the second still to be distilled again into "feints", of around 70 percent.

The feints, when they have been matured in oak casks for a minimum of three years for

blended whiskies or eight years for single malts, become the whisky that is known and loved

all over the world. The cask-strength whisky, which packs a punch at 70-75 percent alcohol, is

usually diluted to a more market-friendly 40 percent before sale, though the cask-strength

spirit is available to aficionados through specialist outlets.

Whisky has been produced in Scotland for many hundreds of years, and since the nineteenth

century this has been done under strict licence, rather than as the cottage industry it once

was. The licensing system ensures the quality and safety of the product (safety is a major

concern in distillation: improperly produced spirits can be highly poisonous), as well as

securing revenue for the exchequer. Under the system of regulation, production of Scotch

whisky has flourished and it has found markets all over the world, which are protected by

international law. No drink distilled outside Scotland, nor aged for less than three years, may

be legally described as "Scotch", defending the reputation of our national drink from cheap

foreign imitators.

WHISKY - A Definition

While not daft enough to suppose or propose that Scotland is the only place you will find this

treat being distilled, the Scots can claim to own the origins of the name at least.

If you were to have been around in medieval times the name that this much-admired fiery

liquid enjoyed in various transcripts published as far back as the 14th century, was Aqua

Vitae, a Latin term from the scholarly language prevailing at the time. Translated directly or

as found in the Gaelic language of the day that name was uisge beatha not to be confused

with usquebaugh, a drink of the time too, but a compounded liquor with all kinds of herbs

and spices added.

Uisge beatha and Aqua Vitae both mean ‘water of life’ and in tandem with the decline of

Gaelic as the Scottish national language, the complex original construction has since the

Middle Ages been gently hammered into the handily Anglified name of ‘whisky’, the name

we use today for any such drink distilled in Scotland, Canada and Japan.

JAPAN

It is fun to dismiss the Japanese as little more than copyists but interestingly whisky distilling

was introduced to Japan after the Japanese chemist Masataka Taketsuru arriv ed in Scotland

in 1918 on a mission to find out how whisky was made. He left again in 1920 with a Scottish

bride and after serving brief apprenticeships with the Longmorn and Hazelburn distilleries. He

attended a summer school in chemistry at Glasgow University and by the time he landed in

Japan again, was ready to pass along what he had learned.

He was quickly recruited by Shinjiro Torii who was planning a whisky distillery at Oh-Yamazaki,

a name familiar to those who embrace the brand of Suntory whisky, a product often

blended with Scottish whiskies to achieve interesting flavours for discerning Japanese and

other customers.

The rest is history and Taketsuru left Suntory eventually and established his own distillery in the

mountainous island of Hokkaido where he found a landscape and climate similar to

Scotland and the cold melt-waters he wanted and peat too, providing two of the key

components of any single malt whisky produced in Scotland. The name Yoichi sprang from

this unlikely location and today Yoichi even offers a single malt as well as a range of quality

blends.

But the Japanese are doing a wonderful job by all accounts.

If you like your whisky, especially Scotch whisky, then you owe it to yourself to try some of the

Japanese stuff. Some say it’s the next big thing in terms of trend, not history. Japan has been

making whisky for over a century, and its most famous brand, the Yamazaki, is celebrating its

90th birthday this year.

Since the first case of Scotch whisky reached Japan in 1872 and immediately kicked off a

scramble to start producing home grown versions, Yamazaki was born and from there to

Suntory, the brewery and distillery giant that still owns the brand today. The slogan of

Suntory’s whisky division is “The art of Japanese whisky since 1923.”

Japan has a long history of whisky production, with a focus on higher end single malts, often

aged 12 or more years. The change is that they are increasingly becoming available and

publicized in places like America and in 2012 the New York Times reported that Suntory’s US

whisky sales jumped 44 per cent in twelve months.

Whisky expert and author David Broom described the eastern nation’s distillation as

possessing “a clarity of aroma that singles it out. Its absence of a cereal background note

also differentiates it from Scotch, as does the use of the intensely aromatic Japanese oak.”

Celebrating its 90th birthday, the Yamazaki is the most widely available Japanese single malt

in the US. At the 2012 World Whiskies Awards, for example, Suntory's Yamazaki 25-year-old

was voted World's Best Single Malt, while Nikka won the top spot in the Blended Malt

category. Suntory now exports well over 10,000 cases a year to the United States alone, with

France and the UK not far behind. With their exceptional equilibrium, smoothness and

delicacy, these whiskies are redefining an ancient art.

Suntory’s three leading whiskies are more like Scotch than most other whiskies - American,

Irish, Canadian and the styles of the two countries are far more similar than different.

Here are Suntory’s top three:

Hibiki 12 Blend ($65): Suntory says: “A wonder of fruity, clean, rich taste. America.

Hakushu 12 Single Malt ($60): Suntory says: “Rich fruity aroma combined with soft smoke.

Yamazaki 12 Single Malt ($50): Suntory says: “Delicate and elegant.

But we digress.

AMERICA

While whiskey, distilled in Ireland and America is certainly different from the Scott ish variety, it

is simply an unspoken convention that the ‘e’ be added, and in indeed the quality America

bourbon ‘Maker’s Mark’ for example, describes itself as a whisky with no ‘e’ for no other

reason than that’s a fact.

For the record, American whiskey is produced in three classic styles and is sold as Bourbon,

Rye Whiskey and Tennessee Sour Mash.

Bourbon – was originally distilled in Bourbon

County, Kentucky and its principal ingredients

are corn or maize, with between twenty

percent and thirty percent of rye or wheat and

some malted barley added. The difference

between the various excellent bourbons on the

market today is principally down to what they

call the ‘mash bill’ – the proportion of corn to

smaller grains used, and peculiar to these

distilleries alone – the yeast strain.

Rye whiskey was originally distilled exclusively

from rye, but these days the process is closer to

bourbon production but with the 51 percent

corn component in bourbon substituted with

rye. The other ingredients include suitably secret

proportions of malted barley and corn in the

mash.

Tennessee Sour Mash is produced in much the same way as bourbon and rye whiskey but in

a method known as the Lincoln County Process, the distilled spirit is filtered through a ten-

foot-deep bed of charcoal ahead of being stored in casks.

Popular American blends include blended rye and bourbon mixes matched in strict 49

percent- 51 percent proportions and blended American whiskeys which legally comprise a

minimum of 20 percent straight whiskey and the rest being neutral spirit. This guarantees a

smoother, lighter-bodied drink.

There can be no doubting the popularity of American whiskeys across world markets today

and there is certainly no doubt as to the quality of these carefully produced and quality-

controlled tipples.

Whiskey Cocktails

The first whiskey cocktails appeared in New Orleans in the 1830s, and during their

golden age—from 1880 to 1912—they became more ambitious. The Manhattan

reigned over New York City, while the Bourbon Old Fashioned was introduced in

Louisville.

Whiskey Sour

1 ½ fl oz whiskey of choice

1 ½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp simple syrup (50/50 superfine sugar and water; mix, and use when the

cloudiness clears)

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a

cherry and a slice of orange.

Mint Julep

1 Tbsp simple syrup

2 sprigs mint (use tender, young sprigs—they last longer and look better in the glass)

2 fl oz bonded bourbon

Muddle one sprig of mint in a mixing glass with syrup. Add the bourbon and strain

into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Swirl with a bar spoon until the outside of

the glass frosts. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Manhattan

2 ¼ fl oz blended whiskey

¾ fl oz Italian sweet vermouth

2 dashes angostura bitters

Stir with ice to chill, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

CANADA

Strangely perhaps, given their long-established Scottish heritage, the Canadians favour rye

whisky production and have a less regimented composition control protocol, and their

whisky in terms of content can be much more broadly defined under law. But must adhere to

the rules laid down by the Scots that all product must be laid down for a three-year minimum

a British law promulgated in the Immature Spirits Act of 1915, amended in 1918, that all

whiskies be bonded for three years prior to bottling. The mashes used can contain

combinations of rye, malted rye, barley, malted barley, corn and wheat. Fermentation

involves a number of different yeasts and they use different methods of distillation involving

American style stills and or Coffey stills at different strengths.

The high quality end product is matured invariably in new casks or more often in ex-brandy

casks and used Bourbon casks. The comparatively relaxed regulations allow the addition of

flavourings such as sherry, wine and fruit juices.

Hiram Walker’s Canadian Club employs an unusually long distillation process that produces a

very clean master whisky, which is then blended with neutral spirits and is internationally

appreciated as it is so well suited for mixed drinks and cocktails. Canadian Club is a typical

Canadian blend using triple-distilled corn spirit, fermented with a certain yeast, a double-

distilled flavouring spirit and a single-distilled spirit made from rye, malted rye and barley.

IRISH

Irish whiskey takes us closer to the original Scottish method but they have their own unique

methods and techniques while adhering to the definition of the liquor that it be distilled in

Ireland from choice cereals, matured in oak cask for at least three years and bottled at no

less than 40 proof.

A favourite Irish whiskey is the pot-still whiskeys made from a mix of malted and unmalted

barley in pot stills. In early times, rye, wheat and oats were also combined producing a heavy

liquor which was traditionally triple-distilled to lighten the end product. There are only three

distilleries in Ireland today and Midleton and Cooley distilleries in County Cork and County

Louth respectively produce pot-still whiskey.

The third distillery is Bushmills in County Antrim which produces authentic Irish malt whiskey

from a mash of malted barley in pot stills.

Irish whiskey as it is known around the world is a blend of malt, grain and pot-still whiskeys and

is produced only at the Midleton Distillery which first produces nearly a dozen different single

whiskeys which are then blended to make upwards of thirty blended whiskeys including the

world renowned Jameson’s.

SCOTLAND

“cratur” (Scottish/Irish)

a person in sad or miserable circumstances; a foolish or ridiculous person; whisky We of course don’t mean to offend anyone by suggesting we have kept the best until last ,

but as good Scottish-born, single malt whisky drinkers, we have little choice.

Legend has that St Patrick introduced distilling to Ireland in the fifth century AD and that the

secrets traveled with the Dalriadic Scots when they arrived in Kintyre around AD500. St Patrick

had apparently acquired the knowledge in Spain and France, where the distilling process

might originally have applied to perfume, then to wine, and finally to fermented mashes of

cereals in countries where grapes were not plentiful.

The spirit was first commonly made in monasteries, and chiefly used for medicinal purposes,

being prescribed for the preservation of health, the prolongation of life, and for the relief of

colic, palsy and even smallpox. There were monastic distilleries in Ireland in the late-12th

century.

The primitive equipment used at the time and the lack of scientific expertise meant that the

spirit produced in those days was probably potent, and occasionally even harmful. During

the course of the 15th century, along with better still design, the dissolution of the monasteries

contributed to an improvement in the quality of the spirits produced. Many of the monks,

driven from their sanctuaries, had no choice but to put their distilling skills to use. The

knowledge of distilling then quickly spread to others.

The increasing popularity eventually attracted the attention of the Scottish parliament, which

introduced the first taxes on malt and the end product in the latter part of the 17th century.

Ever increasing rates of taxation were applied following The Act of Union with England in

1707, when England set out to tame the rebellious clans of Scotland and the distillers were

driven underground.

A long and often bloody battle arose between the excisemen, or ‘gaugers’ as they were

known and the illicit distillers, for whom the excise laws were alien in both their language and

their inhibiting intent. Smuggling became standard practice for some 150 years and there

was no moral stigma attached to it. Ministers of the Kirk made storage space available under

the pulpit, and the illicit spirit was, on occasion, transported by coffin - any effective means

was used to escape the watchful eyes of the Excise men.

Clandestine stills were cleverly organised and hidden in nooks and crannies in the heather-

clad hills, and smugglers organised signaling systems from one hilltop to another whenever

excise officers were seen to arrive in the vicinity. By the 1820s, despite the fact that as many

as 14,000 illicit stills were being confiscated every year, more than half the whisky consumed

in Scotland was being swallowed painlessly and with pleasure, without contributing a penny

in duty.

This flouting of the law eventually prompted the Duke of Gordon, on whose extensive acres

some of the finest illicit whisky in Scotland was being produced, to propose in the House of

Lords that the Government should make it profitable to produce whisky legally.

In 1823 the Excise Act was passed, which sanctioned the distilling of whisky in return for a

license fee of £10, and a set payment per gallon of proof spirit. Smuggling died out almost

completely over the next ten years and, in fact, a great many of the present day distilleries

stand on sites used by smugglers of old.

Today, the legal definition of Scotch Whisky demands that it must be produced at a distillery

in Scotland from water and malted barley to which only the whole grains of other cereals

may be added all of which have been processed at that distillery into a mash, converted to

a fermentable state only by the addition of yeast.

To qualify as the best it must be distilled at an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 94.8

percent so that the distillate (‘the cratur’) has an aroma and taste derived from the raw

materials used in its production.

Then it must be matured in an excise warehouse under lock and key in oak casks of a

capacity not exceeding 700 litres, the period of maturation being not less than three years.

Thus are retained the colour, aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used in its

production and maturation and to which no substance other than water and spirit and spirit

caramel has been added.

The Scotch Whisky Act of 1988 also prohibits the production in Scotland of whisky other than

Scotch whisky as defined.

Whiskies distilled in Scotland:

Scotch Whisky - The name implies a blended whisky produced in Scotland

Scotch Malt Whisky - This name implies a malt whisky – no more, no less

Blended Scotch Whisky - A blended whisky that is a mix of Scotch malt and grain whiskies

Single-Malt Whisky - The sole product of a single distillery

Pure Malt Whisky - A mix of malt whiskies

Whisky By The Numbers

Scotch Whisky has over 30 percent of the UK market share of the spirit drinks sector, and is sold in over 180 countries worldwide. Exports of Scotch were worth just over £3bn in 2008 and

Scotch Whisky’s export performance (and that of the UK spirit drinks sector as a whole) is why the UK is the base for the world’s largest spirits producer - Diageo (owner of Johnnie Walker

Red Label whisky, and Bell’s whisky) and why Pernod Ricard of France (owner of Ballantine’s whisky and Chivas Regal whisky) also has a strong UK presence.

Broadly speaking, producers in the industry fall into two main groups namely:

Distillers of Scotch Whisky, the majority of whom are also brand owners engaged in the wholesale trade and,

Non-distillers engaged in the wholesale trade, producing brands from Scotch Whisky

distilled by companies in group. Whilst there are in the region of 90 producers in these two groups, the industry is highly

concentrated, with the top 6 companies accounting for 87 percent of distilling capacity and worldwide case sales.

Diageo is the industry leader, with a world market share of approximately 34 percent and 29

distilleries. Pernod Ricard is the second largest with a world market share of approximately 23 percent and 15 distilleries. According to research for the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA),

over 7,000 people are directly employed in the industry and over £90 million worth of Scottish-grown cereals are used.

Scotch whisky is one of the UK’s most important export industries. In 2007, it was exported to 239 markets worldwide, these include countries, territories and dependencies. It is Scotland’s

second largest manufacturing export industry after office machinery2 (excluding oil and gas), and accounts for around 20 percent of Scotland’s manufactured exports.

In accordance with National Accounting principles, total Scottish exports do not include any exports of oil and gas extracted from the UK continental shelf. This is consistent with the

approach taken in all Scottish economic statistics in that, following European System of Accounts (ESA 95) conventions, the National Accounts determine that these cannot be

allocated to any one region of the UK.

According to the Scotch Whisky Association, around 90 percent of all Scotch Whisky produced is exported. In 2008 exports of Scotch Whisky were worth a record of just over £3.1 billion; and accounted for 73 percent of the total value of UK exports of alcoholic drinks. The

value of Scotch Whisky exports increased by 8 percent in 2008; however, export volume (in litres of pure alcohol) declined by 5 percent.

The USA was the largest export market by value (£371 million in 2008) and accounted for 12

percent of exports. It was followed by France with sales of £359 million; accounting for almost 12 percent of exports. Sales to EU countries (£1.2 billion in 2008) accounted for 40 percent of

Scotch whisky sold overseas. In Scotch Whisky’s main export markets, sales to France grew by 22 percent in value in 2008, exports to Germany grew by 14 percent, while exports to South Africa grew in value by 12 percent.

By contrast, consumption of whisky in the UK has exhibited long-term decline, in favour of

wine and white spirits. In 2008, ‘Home-produced whisky’ released for UK consumption was 289 thousand hectolitres; almost the same amount to what was released in 1998. In 2008,

‘Home produced whisky’ represented 25 percent of the volume of spirits released for UK consumption, down from 39 percent in 1996-7.

Whisky production achieved a new peak of 5.06 million hectolitres in 2007. In 2008 its production increased to 5.88 million hectolitres. Whisky production accounts for 85percent of

spirit production in the UK8. According to market research company, Mintel, retail sales of whisky in the UK were estimated to be worth just under £3.8 billion in 2008-9. Of this total,

blended whisky accounted for 58 percent of sales, malt whisky for 18 percent, deluxe whisky for 4percent, and imports for 20 percent.

The industry accounts for around 4 percent of all Scottish manufacturing jobs and the industry spends £1 billion a year buying goods and services from local suppliers.

Scottish Enterprise and the Scotch Whisky Association claim that one million tourists each

year visit around 40 distilleries in Scotland which are open to the public.

The companies which are the leading producers of Scotch Whisky are Diageo (the world’s largest spirits producer), Pernod Ricard (the world’s second largest spirits producer, which operates in Scotland through its Chivas Brothers subsidiary), William Grant & Sons, and The

Edrington Group.

The leading brand of blended whisky sold in the UK in 2007 was Bell’s, produced by Diageo Plc, with 11.6 percent, by volume, of the UK market. Diageo operates 27 malt distilleries and

two grain distilleries across Scotland. In second place was The Famous Grouse, produced by The Edrington Group, with 11.5

percent of the market.

The Jack Daniel’s brand, owned by Brown-Forman of the US, was in third place with 7.3 percent, followed by the Teacher’s brand, owned by Pernod Ricard of France in fourth place

with 4.9 percent. In February 2007, Diageo announced that was to invest £100m in building Scotland’s first

major malt distillery in more than 20 years (creating an estimated 200 jobs during the

investment process over the next few years) as it expands its whisky operations following a huge surge in demand from emerging markets such as Russia, China, India, Mexico, and

Brazil. Subject to planning consent, Diageo will build a malt whisky distillery in Roseisle, near the Moray Firth, where it already has a large maltings facility. It hopes to start production in

2009, with the first whisky becoming available in 2012-13.

Brian Higgs, Diageo’s malt distilling director has stated that the proposed Roseisle complex is expected to be Scotland's most environmentally advanced malt distillery.

The Scotch Whisky Association further states that distilleries represent a quarter of all Scotland’s five-star tourist attractions, with sales at Scotch Whisky tourist attractions worth

over £17 million a year to the Scottish economy

Diageo’s announcement was followed by Bacardi revealing in July 2007 that it would invest more than £120m in Scotland to increase production of its Dewar's Scotch Whisky brand.

The majority of Scotland’s 96 Scotch whisky distilleries currently produce around 1.8 million litres of spirit annually, with the smallest distillery, Edradour, producing around 90,000 litres of

malt whisky each year.

Cameronbridge (owned by Diageo) is the largest grain whisky distillery in the UK and is capable of producing around 70 million litres of grain whisky annually, while Tomatin

(Japanese owned), is the largest malt whisky distillery, and can produce up to 12 million litres of malt whisky annually.

In November 2007, it was reported that the high demand for Scotch among India's increasingly affluent middle class, and the Indian government's withdrawal of additional

customs duty on imported wines and spirits in July 2007, had led to a 45 percent increase in the export of Scotch whisky to India in 2007.

Down To Business - Making Malt

The making of any fine malt whisky requires certain key requirements to be satisfied,

depending on who you listen to. But none of the million or so experts could disagree that

good, clean and preferably mountain melt-water is essential to the process, borne out by the

fact that so many highland distilleries today are built on sites favoured once upon a time by

illicit distillers for the waters they could access, most of which are characteristically among

the high grounds and less significantly perhaps, in the middle of nowhere.

To name but a few who thus qualify: Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Ardberg on Islay, Highland

Park in Orkney, Glenmorangie and Teaninich in Rosshire, Royal Lochnagar on Deeside and

on Speyside - Mortlach, Glenlivit, Cardow, Balmenach, Aberlour and Toamtin, as well as

Tullibardine in Perthshire – all noted for their waters and wonderful malts.

If not from the mountains themselves, many distilleries depend on springs, loch and rivers and

their perfect waters, and while not necessarily significant, most distilleries in Scotland have

the good fortune of access to soft waters rather than hard waters.

Fortunate because hard waters tend to fur up pipes and scale the stills with calcium deposits.

However otherwise exalted malts such as Highland Park and Glenmorangie are the products

of distilleries blessed with hard water. Indeed as distillation itself is a purification process

removing all characterist ics from the water, it’s even possible that mineral deposits from the

hard water contribute to the flavor of the malt, a sentiment Highland Park and

Glenmorangie enthusiasts would be happy to endorse.

The quality of barley in the process of making great whisky is also critical and of the nine

malting barley varieties available of the 300,000 varieties available, only the top three grades

are acceptable to the distillers based on the yield of any given variety. Or the amount of

alcohol that can be generated from each tonne of barley, based on the barley’s capacity

to germinate and on its starch content. A good barley is also easy to process as part of the

mash.

As much as 70-80 percent of the barley required by the top 150 distilleries today is grown in

Scotland, with the Golden Promise variety prominent among a number of varieties which

can produce as much as 405 litres of alcohol per tonne. Other varieties introduced t o

Scottish soils include Opticis, Decanter and Chariot who have helped redress the English

domination of supply.

MALTINGS

“In the malting process, skilled judgment is required because the goodness of the malt

determined not only the quantity of alcohol produced from its fermentation but the quality

of the ultimate distillate itself.”

To make alcohol the starch from barley must converted to sugar and fermented with yeast.

Malting does not effect the conversion into sugar but prepares the starch for conversion by

breaking down the tough cell walls and proteins which bind the starch cells , and by

activating enzymes in the grains which will do the job of conversion when hot water is added

to the ground malt in the mash tun.

The idea is to trick the corns into believing Spring is here and it is time to germinate. In nature

the cell walls break down when the plant begins to grow and the distillery maltster tricks the

corns by steeping the grains in water, resting them so they begin to sprout and them arresting

the germination by drying them when they become green malt after the cell walls have

gone but before the new plant has consumed any of the starch.

Traditionally this was always carried out in floor malting and every distillery made its own malt.

In the process of floor malt ing, the damp grain is spread out on a floor to the depth of one or

two feet and as germination generates heat, the grain has to be turned with wooden shovels

and rakes to keep the temperature even and to prevent root matting.

After maybe nine or ten days the cell walls will have been broken down and the green malt

is ready for the kiln.

In the Highlands and Islands malt kilns were fired using the natural fuel peat and the fragrant

peat smoke was an important component in flavouring whisky.

The mechanisation of this process featured as early as the 1880’s as engineers tried to devise

ways of handling the grain without all the manual work and at the same time improve

temperature control, and thus producing better germination rates and better malt.

A number of new mechanized systems eventually appeared improving the process through

aeration including the Galland pneumatic drum and the Saladin Box – a concrete trough

fitted with revolving rakes to better aerate the malt.

By the 1960’s there such was the demand for Scotch that the distilleries were under pressure

to satisfy demand and localized malting was stooped and malt was brought in instead from

dedicated, centralized, malting.

Huge drum malting plants were built by the likes of Scottish Malt Distillers and others,

strategically placed around Scotland so that the big distilleries could buy in quality malt. The

introduction of centralised pneumatic malting provided a reliable source and improved

upon old foor malting, but many smaller distilleries kept their floor malting convinced that

they allow for better control of peating and better results in flavor.

The exalted Highland Park distillery in Orkney closed its floor malting for a season and bought

in all its malt requirement, peated to specification with Orkadian peat. But the new method

did not produce the character of spirit the distillery expected and resumed its own malting

process forthwith.

PEAT

Less well known is the use of peat in the process of single malt making in number of distilleries,

the peat burned in the kiln while the malt is dried. Peat is compressed decayed vegetation

which has decomposed over thousands of years and has become partially carbonized on

its way to becoming coal one day. Cut in blocks from peat bogs, peat has been used by

itinerant folk and native UK races as far back as Celtic times. Peat is made of decomposed

mosses, heathers, sedges and rushes, the product of damp and cold and wet climates the

fire to burn right is critical

Peats cut from close to the surface where they are crumbly and with a certain rich flavouring

potential. Indeed the smoke produced by peat is aromatic and phenols in the smoke cling

to the grain and imparts a whole range of potential flavours in the process. Phenols only

attach themselves to grain during the earlier stages of kiln when the malt is still moist, so

building the fire to burn right is critical.

If the fire is too hot, the phenols will be burned up instead. The age and composition of the

peat is also very important as is a favourable wind. The advantages the phenols can provide

is also driven by the length of time the malt is exposed to peat smoke and the effects are

calculated after a fourteen to twenty hour burn, measured in degrees of peating or to be

technically correct in parts per million. Champions of the single malt peating are the

distilleries on the island of Islay and three of their malts now rank in the top ten best selling

malts in the world - Laphroiag, Lagavulin and Bowmore leading the charge. Ardberg distillery

ranks as Scotland’s smallest distilleries by case output but enjoys fanatical support of what it

does get out the door as does the Cao Ila distillery.

WOOD

Perhaps the most significant part of the process in determining the final flavour of your dram

is the the choice of cask in which it matures. The cask and its qualities cannot transform bad

whisky into good, but it is well proven that the right casks can make a good whisky great.

They say in the whisky trade that ‘the wood makes the whisky’ and just as surely, a bad cask

or exhausted cask can also ruin a good whisky. These days only oak – mostly American White

Oak - can be used, wherein the whisky must rest for three years..or five or ten or twenty.

One of the critical features of maturation in a cask of oak is the additive element whereby

the oak, made from cellulose which contributes nothing to the flavouring process, gives up

certain characteristics in its composition.

Oak also contains hemicelluloses which caramelises when heated adding sweetness and

colour. Oak also contains lignin. A long-chain polymer which degrades when heated to

produce vanilla and coconut flavours, and tannins which produce astringency, fragrance

delicacy and colour.

Oak casks are so active that they cannot be used brand-new and Scotch is never filled into

fresh wood. Thus all casks used to mature Scotch whisky - both malt and grain – are second-

hand and have been used previously to mature Bourbon or other spirits, sherry or other wines.

Naturally after the first time they have been filled there will be residues of the previous

occupant in the walls of the cask and these leach out into the maturing whisky affording

winey notes to the spirit.

A cask is deemed ‘exhausted’ after three or four fills as they have lost their ability to improve

the whisky and are retired.

Reaming of barrels is commonplace allowing the barrels to be used again having reamed or

removed the inner surface of the barrel to remove deposits from previous generations of

finished whiskies.

Legends

Angels “steal” 4 percent of the whisky in a barrel every year. They want to make sure it’s okay

before we drink it. The “Angel’s share” or “Angel’s tax” refers to the 4 percent of whisky that

evaporates every year as it matures in the cask. Once you bottle whisky, the Angel can’t

touch it. It no longer evaporates.

The oldest whisky in the world is almost automatically the most rare whisky because of the

annual 4 percent “Angel’s tax”.

The Scots used to pour some Scotch on the fire to determine how much alcohol was in it. The

colour of the flame shows whether or not the alcohol content is right. If it burns too hot, there

is too much alcohol. This was sold cheaply to the distillery workers.

Before Clark’s Hydrometer was introduced to measure the amount of alcohol present in a

spirit, the original method of “proof” was to mix a measure of the whisky with gunpowder and

ignite it; if it flashed, the spirit content passed muster!

The Twain Shall Meet

All of this talk of how whisky is made begs the question, just what is the difference between

malt whisky and grain whisky?

No less an authority than John LS Grant, son of George S Grant (1923-2002) once chairman of

Glenfarclas Distillery in Speyside for fifty-two years tells us. His ancestor, John Grant, had

purchased the distillery back in 1865 and it has remained in the Grant family ever since.

John LS Grant at the time of this interview was the current chairman and the veteran whisky

producer explained the difference between malt and grain whisky.

“Well, we can go back to the classroom. Scotch whisky, as distilled, falls into two main

categories; malt and grain. Malt whisky then falls into another four categories; Highland

malts, that's malt distilled north of an imaginary line from Montrose to Dumbarton; Lowland

malts which are malts distilled south of that line; Islay malts, which are malts distilled on the

island of Islay; and Campbeltown malts, which are malts distilled in the Mull of Kintyre. All

malts are distilled on roughly the same basis.

“I say roughly, because some distilleries do a triple distillation. Most do a double. But the grain

whiskies are distilled on an entirely different principle altogether by using a continuous still, as

we spoke of earlier, and they're called grain - it's called grain spirit because the raw material

is not, in the main, malted. It's a - they use maize, or barley; they merely want as much starch

as they can get for the - at the lowest price. And then they use a malted barley to get the

conversion to sugar, after their cooking process, and followed with a continuous distillation

which of course is a more cost effective method of distilling than the batch process we use in

the malt distillery.

“The grain whisky is distilled at a much higher strength than the malt whisky, and it doesn't

have all - can I say 'impurities' with inverted commas round it, because all the alcohol you

drink, whether it's brandy, gin, rum, or Scotch, is ethyl alcohol. And the difference between

the Scotch and brandy or gin and anything else, is what would be called 'impurities' by the

chemist, but they're flavourings to us. Some of the flavourings, such as in gin, are added

deliberately, as flavouring. Flavouring in the malt whisky come naturally just by the process.

The grain whisky being distilled at the very high strength, of course, is a purer alcohol, with less

flavouring.

“Malt whisky in the conventional sense is made exclusively from malted barley, almost always

distilled in a copper pot still. Malt is made from grain that has germinated and generally has

a much richer flavour.”

So, single malt means that the whisky is made from malted barley, at only one distillery, and

not blended with anything else. A single malt whisky uses only one strain of malt in

fermentation and the quality of any Scotch is first determined by the properties of the malt

prior to distillation and fermentation.

Single malts are more unique, and while each distillery has its own signature flavour from

strong or harsh, to mellow and subtle, and everywhere in between, every year is different

and can result in noticeably different whiskies from one year to the next. A lot of the higher

end single malts will not only have an age statement - how many years aged in wooden

casks - but also the year it was made.

Among the best single malts are the Macallan, Bowmore, Glenmorangie and Ardberd.

Grain whisky can be just about anything distilled from a blend of malted and un-malted

barley. It can be both of those with malted rye, un-malted rye, wheat and corn.

The term is not used much in the U.S. and is more common in Scotland, England and Ireland,

being used to refer to whiskies other than malt whisky. So, grain whisky is made from other

cereal grains but while it is un-malted it must be said that a small amount of malted grain has

to be added to provide the necessary enzyme for converting the starch.

Grain whisky is invariably distilled in a continuous still, not a pot still like malt whisky, and the

result is essentially a milder, more neutral flavoured whisky. In 1831 Aeneas Coffey invented

the Coffey or Patent Still, which enabled this continuous process of distillation to take place

and leading to the production of grain whisky, a less intense spirit than the malts produced in

the distinctive copper pot stills. The lighter flavored grain whisky, when blended with the more

fiery malts, extended the appeal of Scotch to a considerably wider market.

Grain whisky is combined with malt whisky to make blended Scotch but there are a few

producers who bottle straight grain whiskies in Scotland and Ireland, some of whom have

received favorable reviews.

Happy Blending

Blended whisky is a blend of malt whiskies and grain whiskies. Distilleries that make malt

whisky don't usually do both malt and grain but some do. Blended whiskies are various

combinations of malt and grain, usually from a variety of distilleries.

Blends vary in character and quality, but are made in such a fashion that their flavour is

consistent year after year.

For a tried and trusted blended whisky, Johnny Walker make a variety of blends that range in

quality from the ordinary Johnny Walker Red to the better Black or Gold. Johnny Walker Blue

is their top of the line blend, casked for at least 25 years.

But while the single malt is the undisputed king of whisky preferences with ‘fan clubs’ like the

Scotch Malt Whisky Society even championing their own selections, ‘only ever bottled from a

single cask and selected from a range of 129 malt whisky distilleries from Scotland and

beyond’, their huge enthusiasm quickly demonstrates the passion many have for a real single

malt. Sadly it might be true to suggest that this passion has demoted the humble blended

whiskies of Scotland to a darker corner of the malt drinker’s room, as undoubtedly many malt

whisky devotees look down their noses at blended whisky since it can never be classed as

the real stuff.

But nothing could be further from the truth, said no less an authority than Seagram’s boss

Sam Bronfman who once famously reported: “Distilling is a science and blending an art.”

Malt whisky aficionados happily scoff at blends, but the truth is that as much as 90 percent of

all single malt whisky produced today goes to making up choice blends, and this ever-

increasing demand is what keeps most malt whisky distilleries going today – not the handful

of fans the malts attract by comparison.

Before the days of branding whisky, the mixing of whiskies from one distillery and another had

long been the practice by dealers and publicans but done in a haphazard style to ‘cover’

flavor problems or to add flavor to the often ferociously fiery and bland grain whiskies of the

day. Or alternatively, to reduce the pungency of malt whiskies.

The first ever branded whisky - ‘Usher’s Old Vatted Glenlivit’ saw Usher vatting different casks

and years of Glenlivet in order to smooth out variations between one cask and the next, and

adding older whisky to raise the quality of his brand.

In 1860 a new law allowed the mixing of grain and malt whisky and Usher and the likes of

Charles Mackinlay began to produce blended whiskies.

Soon enough it was discovered that a good blend had a broader appeal than malts and it

was possible with organisation and a good blender to achieve a consistent product batch

after batch, and then be branded.

But before you can brand a whisky, you must have a consistent and repeatable product and

the brand name acts in part as a guarantee that what you are buying is the trusted drink you

have come to enjoy and with this goal in mind, consistency could only come about with the

invention of vatted and blended whisky.

The reason for this is that every cask matures its contents in a slightly different way, each one

slightly different from the next, and even if it has been filled on the same day, the whisky that

each holds will be slightly different after three or five or ten years – and sometimes radically

different.

In order for a single whisky to be the same, batch after batch, many casks must be vatted

together to iron out any differences.

The real whisky experts will tell you that blended whisky is no better and no worse than malts,

but that they are different by the fact that they are designed to be different – a fine drink,

more than the sum of its part, and therein lies the art of blending itself.

Indeed in blends like the classic Johnnie Walker Blue Label which is up to 60 years old the old

malts used are tempered by younger grain whiskies of around 10 and 20 years old to ensure

the blends vitality. JW Blue uses some 15 malts and grains creating an organized and special

blended classic.

By comparison Johnny Walker Black Label includes 40 constituent malts and grains. Te grain

whisky among other things adds sweetening and pulls together the flavours of the individual

malts balancing them and integrating them into the structured whole that is a fine blended

whisky.

Typically the malt component in a traditional blend will amount to 30-40 percent and the

better Scotch blends involve around 40 malts and as many as 55 while some successful

blends have been devised from a smaller selection of malt components.

Mixed grains are added to the mixed malts and with only six grain whisky distillers in Scotland,

the choice is limited when compared to the malts involved with some ninety malt distilleries

still operating. Interestingly, attempts to compose a quality blend based only on single grain

whisky have failed miserably.

In creating a great blended Scotch, it is impossible to follow a set recipe since distillers come

and go, or individual distilleries may withdraw malt stocks for whatever reason. If stocks fail

them or a distillery closes, blenders have their work cut out mixing and matching substitute

malts for example to make up for an important malt component which can no longer be

had.

The blender is king and top of his priorities and talents is the ability to avoid flavour shifts,

composing blends to ensure some kind of consistency in the flavour. If everything is in place

and running well and the blender has the right malts and grains to hand, at the right ages

and in the right casks the blend can be put together to the greatest effect.

Putting together blend involves mixing or marrying all of the components in individual

vattings – a mix of malts and grains of around 30,000litres at a time. When all of the vattings

have been blended together, samples are drawn nosed and tasted and compared with

standard reference samples from the previous year.

Master blenders with their often priceless noses are the true wizards of the whisky business,

responsible not only for coming up with new products but for maintaining the quality and

consistency of the blends under their care – The Johnnie Walkers, The Chivas Regals, The

Glenfiddichs, the Dewars, the William Grants, the Whyte & McKays, the Grants, the

Mackinlays, the list of legendary blends goes on.

A Guide to Tasting Scotch Whisky

You will need: A clean tulip-shaped nosing glass and a jug of bottled still water at room

temperature.

Select a suitable glass for nosing and a tulip shaped glass tends to be best. This type of glass

will trap the aromas in the bulbous bottom of the glass and release them through the small

area at the top of the glass. Whisky is often drunk from a crystal tumbler. This is perfectly

acceptable, and is in fact more practical for drinking, however, the tulip shaped glass is

better for nosing purposes.

Colour hold the glass up to a neutral background and have a good look at the colour.

Colour can give an indication of age and wood finish, however, never trust your eyes. Any

assumptions made on colour must be confirmed on the nose e.g. A dark rich amber

coloured whisky may have been mature in an ex-sherry barrel from Spain or it may be an

older whisky.

Body weight swirl the whisky around the glass, coating the sides thoroughly. Then wait, and

watch the teardrops form and run down the side of the glass. If the legs run quickly, there are

lots of them, and they are quite thin then it is probably a light -bodied whisky and/or a

younger whisky.

If the legs take a long time to start running, then run slowly down the side of the glass, there

are very few of them and they are quite thick in appearance, then it may be a heavy

bodied whisky and/or an older whisky.

*Nose add a splash of bottled still water to your whisky. The water will reduce the alcohol

content, and raise the temperature slightly releasing more of the aromas. Ensure you nose

the whisky more than once. Your first nose will be a rush of alcohol, other characteristics will

follow quickly. Holding your mouth open slightly when nosing should help you take in more of

the whisky's aromas.

Palate have a taste of the whisky. Try to pick out any flavours you can ¿ remember, even

though you are tasting, your nose is still doing a lot of the work. Sometimes you will pick out

flavours on the palate that you were not immediately aware of on the nose, and vice versa.

Think about how the whisky feels in your mouth- is it silky smooth, is it a little syrupy, does it feel

tingly on the tongue?

Finish does the flavour last a long time? Does it disappear quickly? Is it long and warming, or

short, crisp and dry?

* You may wish to nose and taste your whisky without water first, and then add a splash of

water to experience the nose developing.

Whisky Thai

The company group within Thai Beverage Plc has a long experience in production and sale

of all kinds of Brown Spirits, White Spirits, herb and others. There are 18 distilleries in the group

and an import company to cover the demand of local consumers and for export worldwide.

The group also plays a significant role in developing local liquor to match those produced

anywhere in the world.

You may be surprised to learn that the company’s Ruang Kao rum is the second best selling

alcohol on the planet by volume, second only to Korea’s Jinro Soju!

Truthfully speaking you really don’t have much choice when it comes to Thai ‘whisky’. While

the most popular variations - Sang Som and Mekhong - are quite popular brown liquors, they

are not whiskies at all as the primary ingredient of both brands is molasses, which makes them

spiced rum.

On the label of Sang Som it even says “Thai Rum”, yet it is still sold as “Thai Whiskey” in bars

and clubs all over Thailand.

Mekhong

As we know already, whisky is a product of distilling alcohol made from grains and chief among the

Thai pretenders is Mekhong, which used to call itself whisky until further international Customs and Excise

inspection revealed it was a 'Thai spirit' distilled from around 95 percent molasses and five percent rice,

then flavoured and coloured.

Closer to a flavoured rum, Mekhong is Thailand's first domestically produced, branded, golden spirit

launched way back in 1941 when it quickly became the most popular brand in Thailand. The Excise

Department's main aim then was to produce a Thai liquor with a high standard of production and taste

to replace imported products. I t also underwent extensive development in appearance, production

process and taste from 1943 to 1946.

This distilled spirit is blended with a secret recipe of indigenous herbs and spices to produce its

distinctive aroma and taste, distilled, blended and bottled at the Bangyikhan Distillery on the outskirts of

Bangkok. I ts slightly lower strength of 35 percent ABV means that it mixes well especially as a cost

effective ingredient in cocktails.

Today, Mekhong is widely available across South East Asia and is also now available in Europe and the

USA.

Product Type Thai Spirits

Major Ingredient Molasses, broken glutinous rice

Alcohol Content 35 percent by volume

Color Amber gold

Type of Content 375 ml. and 700 ml

Contain in cases 700 ml 12 bottles/case

Distillery Sura Bangyikhan Co., Ltd.

Sangsom Special Rum

Rum is a kind of liquor derived from distilling cane juice, sugar or molasses until the product is with 60-95

degree alcohol content. The content will then be mixed with purified water to produce a satisfactory

level of alcohol content before being transferred to age in charred oak barrels for at least one year.

Before being bottled the liquor may be further mixed to adjust for desired color, aroma, and taste.

Sangsom Special Rum is a rum that has to undergo a special production process, resulting in a fine

liquor that has been distilled and aged in oak barrels for 5 years, after that, it is blended with a special

concentrate of finely selected herbs and spices and the best quality alcohol to give Sangsom that

special taste and aroma.

The liquor won a gold medal in the liquor competition in Madrid, Spain, in 1982 and 1983, and won

another award in the liquor competition in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1983. Since then, it has been known

among its connoisseurs as "Sangsom Gold Medallion".

Product Type Thai Rum

Major Ingredient Molasses

Alcohol Content 40 percent by volume

Color Amber gold

Type of Content 300 ml (Half bottle) and 700 ml (Round)

Contain in cases 300 ml. 12 bottles/case 700 ml. 12 bottles/case

Distillery Sangsom Co., Ltd.

Mangkorn Thong

Mangkorn Thong is a blended liquor among fine quality alcohol from several distilleries, mixed

with concentrate of fine herbs to give a good smooth taste.

Product Type Blended Spirits

Major Ingredient Molasses and rice

Alcohol Content 35 percent by volume

Color Amber gold

Type of Content 375 ml (Half bottle) and 750 ml (Round)

Contain in cases 375 ml. 12 bottles/case

750 ml. 12 bottles/case

Distillery Sangsom Co., Ltd.

Hong Thong

Hong Thong brown spirits is the premium spirits blended by a number of raw materials well

accepted internationally. It is produced by Bangyikhan Distillery which is well accepted

internationally for its brewing process.

Product Type Blended Spirits

Major Ingredient Molasses and rice

Alcohol Content 35 percent by volume

Color Amber gold

Type of Content 350 ml (Half bottle) and 700 ml (Round),

Contain in cases 350 ml. 12 bottles/case 700 ml. 12 bottles/case

Distillery Sura Bangyikhan Co., Ltd.

Blend 285

Blend 285 is an Admix that is a produce derived from Scottish malt whiskey, aged for years,

and then blended by experts from Scotland.

Product Type Admix

Major Ingredient Malt Whiskey aged in oak barrel, and pure alcohol

Alcohol Content 35 percent by volume

Color Amber gold

Type of Content Round bottle 700 ml / Round bottle 1,000 ml

Contain in cases Round bottle 700 ml & Round bottle 1,000 ml 12 bottles/case

Distillery Red Bull Distillery (1988) Co., Ltd

Phraya

Product Type Thai Rum

Major Ingredient Molasses

Alcohol Content 40 percent by volume

Color Amber gold

Type of Content 300 ml (Half bottle) and 750 ml (Round)

Contain in cases 300 ml 12 bottles/case 750 ml 12 bottles/case

Distillery Sangsom Co., Ltd.

Crown 99

Crown 99 is an Admix that is a produce derived from Scottish malt whiskey, aged for years,

and then blended by experts from Scotland. Crown 99 is marketed by Thai Beverage Public

Company Limited. Amex Team has been behind the development of the brand since it was

launched in early 2000. Crown 99 was highly successful in the Thai spirits market, establishing

itself as the admix whisky segment leader for several years.

Product Type Admix

Major Ingredient Malt Whiskey aged in oak barrel, and pure alcohol

Alcohol Content 35 percent by volume

Color Amber gold

Type of Content Half bottle 350 ml. and Round bottle 700 ml.

Contain in cases Half bottle 350 ml. 12 bottles/case

Round bottle 700 ml. 12 bottles/case

Distillery Red Bull Distillery(1988) Co., Ltd.

Drummer

Transcending throughout two centuries of generations of masterblenders, Drummer whisky

provides Scotch whisky lovers with amber-colored distilled spirits filled with sensual fruitiness

aroma. The appealing taste of the whisky offers the real and unique Scotch whisky

experiences. Sweet and fruity with notes of vanilla, toffee and green apples and just a hint of

spice. The high malt content includes the unique Balmenach at its heart, delivering a full-

bodied taste with a slight wisp of smoke and a warm, long-lasting finish

Product Type Scotch Whisky

Major Ingredient Malt

Alcohol Content 40 percent by volume

Color Amber gold

Type of Content Round bottle 700 ml.

Contain in cases Round bottle 700 ml. 12 bottles/case

Distillery Balmenach Distillery, Scotland

Lao Khao

Lao Khao is a very popular drink distilled from rice beer (Sahtoe) and so is a true Thai Whiskey

albeit clear and colourless and with a completely different taste to Scotch. It is sold like most

alcohol in the local corner shop and usually under the table.

You can be pretty sure that the Lao Khao bought there is reasonably safe. Not so with the

home produced product which may have less than desirable effects.

Lao Khao is important though because this is the base liquor from which Yaa Dong is built

upon. White Whiskey becomes Red/Brown Whiskey...water into wine! And a complete set of

taste changes along the way.

It is not unusual today to see Lao Khao sold today with a snake or two or perhaps a scorpion

pickled in the bottle along with a Ginseng root. Marketed with names like 'Cobra Whiskey' It is

more of a product for the tourist market...something to take home.

Lao Hai

One of the more familiar 'brands' is 'Lao Hai' or Thai Rice Whiskey. This is commonly seen for

sale in tourist type shops or at roadside stalls in the north. It is sold in glazed clay jars of various

sizes. These jars are, in turn, sealed with clay. The clay seal is broken to expose a bag of

damp fermented rice. Water is poured in till it reaches the top of the jar and left for an hour

before being sucked out with reed straws. It has quite a kick and like all spirits is an acquired

taste. It is possible to refill the jar three or four times leaving the 'water' just a little longer each

time before drinking it.

Yaa Dong

For many Thais this is the REAL Thai whiskey and was once very popular. Sadly perhaps its

popularity has waned and it can be quite difficult to find. This is a Thai herbal whiskey. Though

many Thai Whiskeys have something added this one is not only a recreational drink but

directed as a cure for specific ailments. The law is very hazy as to whether Yaa Dong is legal

simply because it has mysterious additives, but usually a blind eye is turned to its public sale.

Traditionally it has been a beverage brewed at and distilled and drank at home.

Its base ingredient is Lao Khao to which various products are added. Although produced as

a cure it is also a popular family drink with recipes being handed down through generations.

Commonly held in clear glass jars the clear liquid is infused with a mix of leaves, tree bark and

roots and so changes colour. There is always a mystery surrounding the contents with rumours

of opium and dragons blood (some say Deer Antler, Rhino Horn and the like but I have never

seen this to be true). In turn the various infusions are reputed to have various powers

including aphrodisiac like properties.

It is a cheap drink costing no more than 10 Baht for a small glass called a 'Thuay Talai'. Each

glass is accompanied by a glass of specially produced 'grass' water. Yaa Dong can be

sipped or slung back as a shot but is never mixed with anything and is consumed at room

temperature. The flavour will be determined by the time of day as each jar is topped up

daily with the base liquor. As it infuses with the herbs and as the level drops the flavour

becomes stronger. The drink itself is deceptively strong and usually after five glasses an

unfamiliar drinker is on the slippery slope to being drunk.

Ya Dong and its variations can commonly be found upcountry at palm thatched roadside

stalls where there may be as many as four or more large glass jars, each labeled in Thai.

Ma-ka Tuam Loang - Active Horse Power. Treats chronic cough and beri-beri

Chong Arang Pa-arde - King Cobra Stand up. For muscle tone, health, aphrodisiac

Suat soong chu kam-rang - Formula 2. Appetite improvement, brain power, beri-beri

Kary-sen - Tendon Release. Treating muscle wasting diseases

Doar Mai Ra Roum – Stand up never die. Another aphrodisiac

Rhuang Khao - Known as white whiskey but, like its close cousin Sangsom, a clear rum.

Thai Whisky Arrivals

The skepticism among ‘real’whisky drinkers here extends to other so-called whiskies available

in Thailand bearing Scottish credentials, but the truth is that there is no reason why a new

Scotch blended for the Thai market should be classed along with the rums.

George S Grant (1923-2002) was chairman of Glenfarclas Distillery in Speyside for fifty-two

years and his successor, John LS Grant is the current chairman.

In a recent interview he had this to say about foreign-made whisky and how alike are the

foreign made imitations to Scotch whisky - and whether they bear any resemblance at all to

the real thing.

“Oh yes. Oh yes. But depending how much Scotch malt they put into it. If they load it up

with Scotch malt, of course, there's a very striking resemblance to Scotch. You have to

remember that a lot of Scotch goes out of Scotland, especially into the continental market,

where there's a very low percentage of malt whisky in the blend and a large percentage of

grain whisky.

“So, if you take an admixture, with a large percentage of malt, Scotch malt, in it, and a low

percentage of a neutral spirit made in the country that admix it, it compares very favourably

to some of these Scotches. But it's still not the genuine article, of course. So offshore you're

producing an admixture which can undersell the genuine Scotch on pure merit.”

So there can be some potentially interesting candidates among the actual blended whiskies

available in Thailand and elsewhere – One Hundred Pipers, Black Cat and many more.

Visiting Your Favourite Whisky

The export of whisky provides a major source of revenue for the Scottish economy, overseas

sales amounting to a staggering 2.5 billion per year. The top export market is the United

States, whose citizens spend 400 million on Scotch whisky annually, with France, Spain, South

Korea and Venezuela making up the rest of the top five. In total, the whisky industry is worth 3

billion per year to the Scottish economy, and provides almost 41,000 jobs in Scotland.

The USA is also the number one source of overseas visitors to Scotland. Not counting visitors

from the other nations of the United Kingdom, the USA accounts for 24 percent of tourist visits

to Scotland. Scotland has a lot to offer overseas guests: our many historic sites; the stunning

natural beauty of our countryside; our status as the home of the game of golf; and with the

increasing interest in genealogy many visitors, particularly from the New World, are coming to

discover their own Scottish heritage. But more and more visitors are coming to Scotland to

visit the home of whisky.

Many distilleries offer tours to visitors to show the curious how their favourite drink is made first-

hand, and there are now specialist trips taking sightseers around the major centres of whisky

production. Scotland is divided into five whisky-producing regions, each with its own style

and its share of devotees. Speyside, on the banks of the River Spey in Moray, was once

considered part of the Highland region, but due to the distinctive character of its whiskies,

and its profusion of distilleries (almost half of all Scotland's distilleries), it is now recognised as a

separate region. With its concentration of whisky heritage, and as home to such major

brands as Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet and The Macallan, Speyside is a major centre of whisky

tourism in Scotland.

The Isle of Islay is also afforded status as a region unto itself: in its mere 240 square miles, it is

home to eight well-known distilleries (a ninth, Kilchoman, began production in 2005, the first

new distillery on the island in over a century). Campbeltown, the Isle of Arran and the Mull of

Kintyre, is home to three malt whisky distilleries, and the Highland region (sometimes

subdivided into Highland malts and Island malts) produces many of the more well-known

malt whiskies such as Glenmorangie and Dalwhinnie. Only three malt whisky distilleries remain

in the Lowland region, where the whisky is traditionally produced by a triple-, rather than

double-distillation method.

Scotland's Malt Whisky Trail - The only malt whisky trail in the world.

The Scottish Malt Whisky Trail takes visitors on a tour of some of the most important centres of

whisky production, and the traditional crafts associated with the industry. Centred on the

Speyside region, whisky lovers can visit working and historic distilleries, see the art of the

cooper (barrel-maker), and of course get a chance to enjoy some of the finished product

with old and new friends in the convivial atmosphere of a Highland pub.

Whisky distilleries were founded in an environment rich in the highest quality ingredients: pure,

clear spring water and abundant supplies of fragrant golden barley. On the whisky trail of

Speyside, you'll find more than half of Scotland's malt whisky distilleries, each with its own

warm welcome and an invitation to see, smell, taste and absorb the magic of whisky.

Each whisky distillery on the distillery tour follows its own traditions, lore and recipes for

everything from malting the barley to the height and size of its stills. The unique characteristics

of each Speyside whisky distillery result in delightful, hand-crafted whisky from each one. All

offer visitors a sample of the finished product and some include an informative nosing and

tasting while others give an insight into the complex art of blending whisky and malt.

Follow the world-famous Malt Whisky Trail through Speyside to seven working distilleries,

including a fascinating cooperage and a historic distillery. From Benromach to Dallas Dhu, a

perfect time capsule of whisky-making; from Glen Moray to Strathisla, home and heart of

Chivas Regal; from the Glen Grant distillery to the Speyside Cooperage where real coopers

work with incredible speed and skill; from Glenfiddich to The Glenlivet and the Cardhu

distillery, Scotland's whisky trail signposts lead you through the picturesque lush countryside of

Speyside, the world's favourite malt whisky region.

Come for a weekend in May, or in September for the whisky festivals, when distilleries, whisky

shops, bars, pubs and whole villages welcome visitors with drams, special nosings, ceilidhs

and other parties. Come at any time to enjoy famous names and share well-kept secrets with

knowledgeable locals in well-stocked bars and friendly pubs.

Buoyed by the large and growing international market for Scotch whisky, the industry is

adapting its traditional values for the modern world. New markets are opening up, and new

generations of drinkers are learning to love the malt. In Germany, traditionally a nation of

beer and wine drinkers, Scotch whisky is experiencing a surge of popularity among the

young.

Scotch is now the fashionable drink to be seen with in Germany's restaurants and bars,

having overtaken French cognac as the most popular premium spirit. A whole industry has

sprung up importing whisky by the cask from Scotland and blending and bottling it in

Germany to suit the local palate. Lars "Jack" Wiebers, from the former East Germany, began

importing whisky after developing a taste for it on holiday in Greece.

"The standard whiskies from the distilleries are usually made by mixing whiskies from various

casks to get consistency," Wiebers said. "With an independent bottling, you often get the

pure taste of a whisky from one single barrel," he told German website Deutsche Welle.

With a bright future of growing sales abroad, and increasing interest from visitors in whisky

production at home, Scotland's whisky industry has a bright future to look forward to.

The Perfect Partnership

Ask any smoker who enjoys a good smoke – there is nothing

better than a good cigar, that tightly rolled bundle of fine

matured tobacco held firm between the fingers and held to the

nose to confirm the amazing aroma peculiar to the world’s best

tobaccos.

The best cigars are often hand-made and are matured for

flavour. They come in a wide variety of styles, shapes and sizes

and have been smoked since the 10th Century. Europeans and

the rest of the world did not benefit from the use of cigars until 1492 when

Christopher Columbus was on an expedition in the Caribbean where he observed

the natives (the indigenous people of San Salvador, Bahamas) smoking an unknown

substance. This substance was either smoked through a tube, called a Tobago, or

rolled up in a large leaf.

Columbus and his crew took some of this tobacco back to Spain, where techniques

for rolling cigars and making pipes were rapidly perfected. This custom of smoking

tobacco in cigars and pipes swiftly swept Europe and, within a short space of time,

the rest of the World embraced it.

Today, the best cigars come from around the world, including Cuban, Dominican

and Niaraguan producers in a wide range of cigar types, from Coronas to

Presedentes and there is a perfect cigar for any situation, be it a Corona with a glass

of champagne, or Robusto for a regular smoke.

There are many different types of cigar, each unique in flavour and strength, so it is

essential that you select the perfect cigar to suit your taste. Choosing a cigar is akin

to choosing a good wine and it does require a certain amount of knowledge.

Hand Rolling A Cigar

Most cigars are made up of three different elements:

Wrapper - The Wrapper is the outermost part of a cigar which is usually made from

the larger, lower leaves of the plant. The wrapper is wound around the cigar and

binds the whole cigar together. See the Different Types of Wrapper.

Filler - The filler is the contents of the cigar. The filler is made up of small, wrappep,

bunches of leaves.

Binder - The Binders are leaves that are used to wrap the fillers together in the cigar.

Binders are often made from the same leaves as wrappers only they have holes or

are discoloured.

Cigars are usually categorized by size and shape.

Size

The size of the cigar is represented by two dimensions, the ring gauge and the

length.

Ring gauge - This is the diameter of the cigar which is measure in 64ths of and inch.

Length - The Length of the cigar in Inches

For Example: a Dalia cigar has a length of 6.75" and has a ring gauge of 43

Shape

The shape of a cigar can be very varied but the shape of a cigar does not dictate

the strength, taste or quality of a cigar. Parejo is the most common shape of cigar

followed by the Pyramid, Torpedo, Perfecto and Presidente

Irregular shaped cigars are referred to as Figurados. Pyramid, Torpedo, Perfecto and

Presidente are all classed as Figurados. These are usually of higher quality and value

as they are much more difficult to make. Other Figurados include:

Culebras - Which consist of three long straight cigars that are braided together.

Tuscanian - This is an Italian cigar that is typically long and thin with a thicker middle.

Different Smokes for Different Folks

Cigars are somewhat of a luxury to smoke, and are a pleasure to do so. For many

people, cigars are an indulgence in which people enjoy whilst relaxing or

celebrating, but can be smoked for no other reason than pleasure. For a smoker to

enjoy a cigar to the highest degree, they must understand and know about the

different varieties and availabilities of cigars that are available for purchase. There

are a great number of cigars to choose from, from local produce to premium

branded cigars. Here are a few of the best cigars on the market:

Cuban Cigars: These are considered to be the best brands in the world, and are

regarded as the most popular. These cigars are made up of carefully selected

tobacco leaves and are hand-made, making these cigars are often more expensive

than others. Cuban cigars have an incomparable taste, meaning that Cuban cigars

are strictly to be made in corporation with the government.

Cohiba Cigars: Cohiba cigars became famous in 1969 as the tobacco used in the

cigar is grown at full length in certain selected plantations in the province of Penar

Del Rio in Cuba. It has a different taste to other cigars and is often a favorite

amongst regular smokers.

Macanudo Cigars: Introduced by the General Cigar Company is 1971, Macanudo

cigars have quickly become a popular premium cigar. The reason that Macanudo

cigars are special, is because they are made from a fine Connecticut shade

wrapper that features a rare blend of Dominican tobacco, and a special select

binder grown in St. Andres Tuxtla Valley of Mexico.

Partagas Cigars: Partagas cigars were originally founded by Don Jaime Partagas.

The cigars are known for their rich aroma and there usage of high quality wrappers

from Cameroon. They are sometime favored by regular smokers.

Padron Cigars: Founded in 1964 by Jose O Padron, Pagron cigars use only sun grown

Habano, aged for a minimum of two and a half years. They are available in either

natural or Madura wrappers.

Ashton Cigars: A very famous brand, Ashton Cigars are made of Dominican

tobacco that is ages for 3 to 4 years. The rich flavors come from the golden

Connecticut shade wrapper.

Montecristo Cigars: This famous Havana brand was started in the late 1930’s and got

popularity through a novel written by Alexandre Dumas in 1844. The cigar is known

for its sweet taste and faultless manufacturing.

Arturo Fuente Cigars: Arturo Fuente cigars were created by Arturo Fuente during

1912. These cigars are considered to be one of the most flavorsome cigars in the

world due to the use of the best quality vintage tobacco.

Cigar Regions

Cigars are mainly, but not exclusively, manufactured in South and Central America.

Alot of the worlds leading brands and cigar types hale from Cuba, Mexico and

other Southern and Central American States.

Each country's cigar production has its own taste and character. Cigars are made

all over the world, with tobacco grown in different soils, cured by different processes,

and rolled with different techniques.

Dominican Republic Cigars

Indonesian Cigars

Connecticut Valley Cigars

Mexican Cigars

Honduras Cigars

Brazilian Cigars

Cuban Cigars

Nicaraguan Cigars

Types of Cigar

Corona

Panatela

Lonsdale

Churchill

Robusto

Toro

Presidente

Torpedo

Diadema

Cigar Glossary of Terms

Binder - The Binders are leaves that are used to wrap the fillers together in the cigar.

Binders are often made from the same leaves as wrappers only they have holes or

are discoloured.

Cap - The cap is the closed, usually rounded, end of the cigar. It is closed to keep

the contents fresh and at a high quality, the cap must be cut to allow the smoker to

smoke the cigar.

Cigarillo - Small, thin cigars which have tobacco leaf wrappers. Cigarillos are

sometimes filtered.

Culebras - This cigar is formed by taking three long, straight, cigars and braiding

them together.

Draw - The act of pulling smoke through the cigar using your mouth.

Figurados - The term used for irregularly shaped cigars.

Filler - The filler is the contents of the cigar. The filler is made up of small, wrappe d

bunches of leaves.

Length - The Length of the cigar, usually in inches.

Parejo - This is the classic straight cigar shape.

Perfecto - This cigar is closed at both ends with a wider body that bulges in the

middle.

Presidente - This cigar is the same shape as the Parejo only with a pinched end.

Pyramid - This cigar shape is thick at one end and tapers to a cone at the other.

Ring Gauge - This is the diameter of the cigar which is measure in 64ths of and inch.

Shade-Grown - Shade-Grown refers to the growing of the tobacco plants under a

shelter of muslin nets which protect the plant from direct sunlight.

Small (Little) Cigars - These cigars are generally more popular in tobacco outlets due

to their similarity to Cigarettes and low taxation. They generally have filters and are

smoked more regularly than other cigar types.

Torpedo - This shape is much the same as the Parejo only with a coned end.

Tuscanina - This is an Italian cigar that is typically long and thin with a thicker middle.

Wrapper - The Wrapper is the outermost part of a cigar which is usually made from

the larger, lower leaves of the plant. The wrapper is round around the cigar and

binds the whole cigar together. Wrappers are generally classified in a variety of

different colors.