whiskey basic

8/9/2019 Whiskey Basic

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Whiskey basicThe world of whisky is an exciting place with much diversity and innovation, but can

be a daunting and intimidating. There are so many distilleries in Scotland and

around the globe, all distilling dierent styles of spirit in their dierent ways,that itcan be easy to get confused. .

How is whisky made?

The principals for the distillation of whisky have changed little over the last 200 years. Just three

basic ingredients are needed - water, barley and yeast. Technology now aids production, but

traditionally there are five stages to the process - malting, mashing, fermentation, distillation andmaturation. Here we go through and epalin each of these important stages.

!tep " - #alting

$arley contains starch and it is this starch which needs to be converted into soluble sugars tomake alcohol. %or this to occur, the barley must undergo germination and this first part of theprodess is called &malting&. 'ach distiller has their own preference about the type of barley they

buy, but they need a type that produce high yields of soluble sugar. The barley is soaked for 2-(

days in warm water and then traditionally spread on the floor of a building called a maltinghouse. )t is turned regularly to maintain a constant temperature. This is also carried out on a

commercial scale in large drums which rotate.

The malting floor at !pringbank

*hen the barley has started to shoot, the germination has to be stopped by drying it in a kiln.

Traditionally peat is used to power the kiln and it is at this point where the type of peat used and

length of drying in the peat smoke can influence the flavour of the final spirit. The barley is now

called &malt& and this is ground down in a mill, with any husks and other debris being removed.

!tep 2 - #ashing

The ground down malt, which is called &grist&, is now added to warm water to begin the

etraction of the soluble sugars. The water is normally from a pure, reliable, local source - this iswhy most distilleries around the world are net to a river or lake. The character of this water can

influence the final spirit as it can contain minerals from passing over or though granite, peat or


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other rock. The li+uid combination of malt and water is called the &mash&. )t is put into a large

vessel called a mash tun and stirred for several hours.

)nside the mash tun at len #oray

uring this process, the sugars in the malt dissolve and these are drawn off through the bottom of

the mash tun. The resulting li+uid is called &wort&. This process is normally carried out three timeswith the water temperature being increased each time to etract the maimum amount of sugar.

nly wort from the first two times is used. The third lot is put back into the net batch of new

grist. /ny residue, such as husks, is called &draff&. This is collected and used in the production offarm feed.

!tep ( - %ermentation

The wort is cooled and passed into large tanks called washbacks. These are traditionally made ofwood, but now a number of distilleries use stainless steel. Here the yeast is added and thefermentation begins. The yeast turns the sugars that are present into alcohol. /s with the barley

and water, the distiller will carefully select the strain of yeast that they use and it can also have a

small effect on the final flavour of the spirit. The fermentation normally takes around 1 hours torun its natural course, although some distilleries will let it go for longer so as to create further

characteristics that they re+uire. The li+uid at this stage is called &wash& and is low in alcohol

strength between 3-"04 /$56, like beer or ale. 7ou could make beer from the li+uid at thispoint, but the difference with whisky is that the li+uid is now distilled rather than brewed.

!tep - istillation

)n !cotland, the wash is traditionally distilled twice. )n )reland, it is distilled three times althoughthere are eceptions in both countries. Here is a brief eplanation of the double distillationprocess. The stills are made from copper, which has been found to be the best material for

etracting impurities from the spirit as it is being distilled, and consist of a bowl shape at the

bottom that rises up to the neck at the top. /ll are the same in principal, but a different shape willgive a different flavour and character to the final spirit. Taller stills with longer necks will give

finer, lighter spirits while shorter, fatter stills will produce a fuller, richer spirit.


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The stills at lenburgie

The stills tend to work in pairs. %irstly, the wash enters the larger wash still and is heated thiswas traditionally by coal, but is now largely by gas or steam6. The li+uid vaporises and rises up

the still until it reaches the neck, where it condenses. This li+uid is called &low wines& and is

unusable as it is. The low wines are passed to the second smaller still, called the spirit still. /nyresidue from the wash still is collected and used to manufacture farm feed. )n the spirit still, the

alcohol produced is split into three.

/lcohols from the beginning of the distillation called &foreshots&6 are very high in alcohol level

and very pungent. /lcohols from the end called &feints&6 are weak but also pungent. )t is only thealcohol from the middle or &heart& of the distillation that is used and this is skillfully removed by

a stillman and collected through the spirit safe. The foreshots and feints are then mied with the

net batch of low wines and re-distilled. The heart is the spirit that is then taken to be maturedand that will become whisky. This &heart& has an alcoholic strength of 83-904 /$5.

!tep 3 - #aturation

The spirit is put into oak casks and stored. The most common types of oak casks are those that

have previously been used in the /merican bourbon and !panish sherry industries. The spiritmust mature in casks for a minimum of three years before it is legally allowed to be called

whisky in !cotland. uring maturation, the flavours of the spirit combine with natural

compounds in the wood cask and this gives the whisky its own characteristic flavour and aroma.


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:asks maturing in *arehouse ;o." at lenlivet

*ood is porous, so over time it will breathe in air from the surrounding environment in which it

is stored. This will also give the whisky some uni+ue characteristics. )f the distillery storagefacilities are net to the sea, on an island or in the middle of the Highlands then the air +uality,

temperature and humidity will be different and influence the end product. uring each year ofmaturation about 24 of the spirit is lost through natural evaporation. This is called the &angel&s

share& and eplains why older whiskies are less readily available and more epensive to buy.

There is simply less whisky in the cask to bottle.

Whisky or whiskey?

*hether it is whisky or whiskey has been the basis of many arguments over many years. The

!cots spell it whisky and the )rish spell it whiskey, with an etra &e&. This difference in the

spelling comes from the translations of the word from the !cottish and )rish aelic forms.*hiskey with the etra &e& is also used when referring to /merican whiskies. This &e& was taken to

the


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mashing. The type of peat used and the length of time the barley is drying in the peat smoke will

influence the flavour in the final spirit. This gives !cottish whisky its fullness and traditional

smokiness. )n )reland and /merica, they use wood or other fuels in this process and this makesthe spirit less smoky and lighter. /gain, there are eceptions. %or eample, in )reland :onnemara

use peat and produce a very smoky range of whiskies.

The use of grains

The !cots use malted barley in most whisky that is produced, however this is not the case in)reland. They also use malted barley, but may mi other grains in with it. Traditionally )reland

has had a poorer economy than !cotland and barley is epensive to buy. Therefore, it is cheaper

to use other grain to produce whiskey. This grain whiskey lends itself to blending and historicallyit has been used to make cheap blends. )n /merica, the new settlers were forced to use different

raw materials to produce their whiskey due to the different climate and soil conditions. This

included miing different grains together during the mashing process depending on what wasavailable. ver time, these different recipes of grain mitures have evolved so that now,

/merican whiskey bears very little similarity to !cottish or )rish whiskies.

The distilleries

The oldest registered distillery in )reland is $ushmills, which has been in production since "801.)n !cotland, the oldest one opened in "992 ?ittlemill, which has now closed down6. lenturret

is the oldest current distillery in operation, opening in "993. )n !cotland there are currently over

10 distilleries in production but in )reland there are only three. These three are the result ofsmaller distilleries @oining together. The current distillers adher to the traditional recipes and

techni+ues from each of the original distilleries. This gives the resulting whiskies their own

individual characteristics. The three distilleries are $ushmills, #idleton which produce

Jameson&s, Aowers, Aaddy, Tullamore ew and #idleton6 and :ooley :onnemara, Bilbeggan,?ocke&s and Tyrconnell6. The first /merican distilleries were set up in the late "1th century in

$ourbon :ounty, Bentucky. ;owadays, only seven of these are still in operation in Bentucky,with none actually in $ourbon :ounty These seven distilleries are $ernheim, $uffalo Trace, %ourCoses, Jim $eam, #aker&s #ark, *ild Turkey and *oodford Ceserve and they produce many

different whiskies using a uni+ue, traditional recipe for each. The other ma@or production area in

/merica is in the neighbouring state of Tennessee, although only two distilleries remain inoperation D eorge ickel and Jack aniels.

Single malt whisky

!ingle malt whisky is one of the most popular spirits in the world and people en@oy drinking it inevery country on the planet. The term &single malt& refers to a whisky which is distilled at one

distillery and then matured and bottled. the alternative is a blended whisky, which is made up ofwhiskies that have been produced at different distilleries and normally of different ages. There isno such thing as a &double malt&.

!ingle malts are made using barley which is then malted, a process where germination is started

so as to turn the starch present in to natural sugars. These sugars are then turned to alcohol during

the fermentation process. %or more information on this seeHow is whisky made.
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!ingle malt whiskies are produced in various locations around the world, but the most popular

and well known are made in !cotland, )reland and Japan. !ingle malt whisky can only be called

&scotch& if it comes from !cotland.

The still room at lenmorangie

Blended or vatted whisky

!ome of the most famous whiskies and whisky brands in the world are blends. These include

such heavyweights as the Johnnie *alker and :hivas Cegal ranges from !cotland and theJameson range from )reland. $lends are traditionally used in bars and pubs for cocktails or

miing with soft drinks. This is partly because they are cheaper than single malts and partlybecause the subtle flavours of a single malt can be masked by a mier.

$lended whisky$lended whiskies are produced by miing different types of whisky together. These whiskies can

be single malts made from "004 malted barley6 and other whiskies that are made using

alternative grains most commonly wheat6. These often come from more than one distillery andare of differing ages. The whiskies are blended together to create a smoother, more comple

drink with each part bringing its own characteristics to the blend. 'ach brand has its own distinct

and traditional recipe that is adherred to. !ome blended whisky can contain over 30 differentsingle malt and grain whiskies combined together.

rain whisky are much cheaper to produce than single malts, as the raw materials are more

readily available and less epensive than barley. The costs are also reduced as they are produced

continuously, rather than in small batches like single malts. These grain whiskies have alwaysbeen used in blends as a foundation, with the single malts being used as &accents&. /s a rule, the

more grain whisky, young whisky in the final product, the cheaper the price to the consumer.


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5atted whisky

5atted whiskies are also produced by miing different types of whisky together. However, in this

case only a mi of single malts are used. These whiskies may be from the same or differentdistilleries, have been matured in different types of cask and be of differing ages. / vatted

whisky can by definition therefore contain @ust two differing whiskies, but commonly contain

more. Therefore an easy way to remember the difference between the two is - blends are acombination of different single malts /; grain whiskies, while vattings are a combination of

different single malts.

/ged blends

$lended and vatted whiskies have traditionally rarely had any age stated on the label. This is nowchanging with many brands adopting age statements. This can be a little confusing, especially

now that you know that whiskies of differing ages will be included in the blend. *hen an age is

shown this refers to the age of the youngest whisky present in the blend. ther whiskies includedwill therefore be of the same age and older.

How to taste whisky

The art of tasting whisky is much simpler than you think. 7ou can read so many reviews andtasting notes that refer to a whisky as having the flavour of &sherbert, dark chocolate or burnt

rubber&, that it can leave you wondering Eam I tasting the same whisky?E. $ut how do you learn

to pick up such etreme, different and epressive characteristics=

The answer is to build up eperiences of tasting different things that are unrelated to whisky andtaking a &taste snapshot& of the characteristics of that flavour. The more that you do this, the better

and more precise your whisky tasting will become. /nother key is that whisky is unlike mostother spirits in that the true character comes through after some time, so it is important not to

drink it too +uickly. )t is important to remember that taste is a personal thing and that there are no

right or wrong answers.


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The glass

The type of glass that you use will help your cause massively. )t is best to use one that has a

narrow opening as this will channel and concentrate the aromas of the whisky towards yournostrils. This type of glass is called a snifter, but a similar shaped wine or brandy glass would

work @ust as well. !ome come with an additional glass plate as seen above6 that is placed over

the top of the glass and this plate helps to trap the aromas. lasses such as tumblers or those witha wide rim should be avoided for tasting purposes, as the aromas dissipate too +uickly. These

should be used for drinking the whisky on its own, with ice or when less analysis is needed.

The nose

This is the sensation and aromas that you pick up from the whisky before tasting it. )mportantcharacteristics can be found and should give an indication as to what the whisky will taste like.

Aour a reasonable amount of whisky into the glass and swirl it around for a short time, so as to

allow oygen to get to the li+uid and evaporation to begin. This is important as the whisky hasbeen trapped in a cask or a bottle for all of its life until this point and needs a little time to

epress itself and start to show its true characteristics.

nce you have swirled allow the spirit to settle so that your first sensations will not be full of

alcohol. Take a note of the colour while you are waiting during this short time - holding it againsta white background is a good tip. ;ow put your nose to the glass and breathe in, letting the

aromas circulate around your nostrils. Cepeat this three or four times and think about what the

aromas remind you of F are they light, fresh, heavy, rich, fruity, floral, spicy, smoky etc. 7ou willoften find that your first sniff will be full of alcohol and that you may not pick up much.

However, the second, third and fourth sniffs should reveal more each time as your nostrils get

used to the high strength of the spirit. %rom this, try to predict what the taste of the whisky will

be like.

The palateThe flavour of the whisky on your palate should be the most rewarding and en@oyable part of the

whole process. The most important thing is not to drink the whisky too fast like a shot of cheapTe+uila6, rather to savour it in your mouth to get the maimum flavour and benefit. ifferent

parts of your tongue and mouth respond to different flavours and stimuli, so pass the whisky over

all areas of your mouth to gain maimum effect.


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sensations to things that you have tasted in the past. /lso, ask yourself whether the flavours

remain for a short, medium or long time. This is called the length of finish.

!hould ) add water or ice=/ common +uestion and one that only you can answer. )t is all down to personal taste. /lways try

whisky in its natural state first and then add water as this can release further flavours andcompleity, especially in higher alcohol level or cask strength whiskies. Try to think of it as the

same as if you tried to drink orange s+uash or cordial without diluting it. )t is far more pleasantwith water in some cases and how much water you add is up to you, dependent on your taste. )ce

is different as it drops the temperature sof the whisky and inhibits some of the characteristics

from emerging.

Adding water or ice

&!hould ) add water or ice to my whisky=& is one of the most commonly asked +uestions about

whisky. /dding water or ice changes a whisky in both positive and negative ways. #ost whisky

that has an alcohol level of between 0 and 84 /$5 already has some water added anyway.This process is called &cutting& and is done before bottling in order to bring the alcohol down to a

more acceptable level for the ma@ority of consumers. The water used is usually spring water thatis found locally to the distillery.

/dding nothing

#any whisky drinkers believe that you should not add any water to your whisky under any

circumstance. This is because you are tasting the whisky in its true natural form with all of theoriginal distillery characteristics and flavours from the cask in which it has been maturing. This

view is now seen as out of date. However, we recommend always trying a whisky as it comes

from the bottle in the first instance - then you can make up your own mind and take it from there.

/dding water$y adding a few drops of water to a whisky, you can open up different, new and subtle flavours

that you previously had not eperienced. This is especially true when drinking cask strength

whiskies that have higher alcohol levels these can be up to and over 804 /$5 in some cases6.*ith cask strength whisky the alcohol and resulting burning in your mouth can overpower even

the most prominent flavours. $y adding some water, this dilutes the alcohol and reduces its

effect, giving both the prominent and more subtle flavours a chance to shine. )magine drinking afruit cordial or concentrate without any water and then with water - it is essentially the same

idea. How much water you then add is entirely dependent on your taste.

/dding ice)ce is slightly different. Cather than enhancing flavours, it inhibits them as the ice makes thetemperature of the whisky drop rapidly. )t is the same as when you drink a good white wine that

has been chilled down too much. )t will be a more refreshing drink and calm the burn of alcohol,

but can make the whisky taste dull and flat. The aromas and taste will only start to open up andreveal their full characteristics once the whisky starts to warm up to room temperature.


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ifferent whiskies deserve different treatment

espite the myths about adding or not adding water or ice, don&t feel ashamed to drink a cheap

/merican bourbon or !cottish blended whisky with a mier as they are often produced for thistreatment. )f you plan to drink an epensive single malt avoid adding any other flavours, as you

are buying this whisky for its uni+ue flavour. )f you can, try a sip before adding ice or water as

we have mentioned. 7ou will often be surprised at the difference in the flavours and you willlearn more about the whisky that you are drinking.

)t is really up to you

ero degrees

:elsius in the case of single malts and - degrees in the case of blends. The temperature for

blends is lower as they contain grain whiskey and these have a lower natural concentration of the

fatty acids. nce chilled, the whisky is passed through a series of tightly knit metallic meshes orpaper filters under pressure. The amount of residue collected depends on the number of filters,

the pressure used and the speed with which it is done. The slower a whisky is passed through the

filters at a lower pressure, then the more residue will be collected but this is also more costly.uring this process, any other sediment or impurities from the cask called &coals&6 that are

present will also be removed.


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ood or bad=

The sub@ect of chill filtration is a current hot topic in the whisky industry. )t is looked upon badly

by some, as consumers demand more natural or organic products in all areas of their lives. Theother contentious issue is whether chill filtering a whisky affects the final flavour. Those against

it are convinced that the removal of the natural fatty acids, esters and proteins must alter the

aroma, flavour and characteristics, leaving you with a diluted and inferior product. Those for theprocedure argue that the taste and characteristics remain intact and that filtering gives better

control to produce consistently high +uality whisky. )n reality, it is difficult to compare as no one

releases the same whisky in a chill filtered and non chill filtered form. The argument continues ...

)nfluence of peat

Aeat is found all over the $ritish )sles and it is the use of peat in the !cottish whisky industry that

helps to produce a drink that has a uni+ue flavour within the world of spirits. Aeat is earth that

consists of grasses, moss, tree roots, dead animals and soil that has become tightly compactedover thousands of years.


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Ahenols

nce finished, the malt is taken away for mashing and the phenol level is measured. This level is

known as the AA# F Ahenol Aarts per #illion. / distillery will always have the same AA# fortheir malt and this value is also measured in the final spirit. !ome is lost during distillation so the

AA# is always lower at the end, roughly one third of the level of the original AA# in the malt.

The AA# figure most commonly used is that of the malt. #ost whisky has some smokiness butin most the AA# value is so low eg. "F3 AA#6 that it is virtually undetectable. )n smokier

whiskies, it is easier to detect these levels as the AA# levels increase.

AA# values

Here are some eamples of AA# values of some well known distilleriesthe approimate AA# of their malt is in brackets in increasing value6

$unnahabhain"F26

$ruichladdich(F6

!pringbank9F16

$enromach16

/rdmore"0F"36

Highland Aark206

$owmore 20F236

Talisker23F(06

:aol )la(0F(36

?edaig(36

?agavulin (3F06

Aort :harlotte06

?aphroaig0F(6

/rdbeg336

?ongrow336

Inuence o wood

How are whisky casks made=

The art of making whisky casks is a highly skilled and traditional practice called coopering.

;owadays, modern machinery aids the cooper the name given to someone who makes casks andbarrels6 but it still takes years of training to reach the re+uired industry standards.
http://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bunnahabhain.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bunnahabhain.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bruichladdich.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/springbank.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/benromach.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/benromach.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/ardmore.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/highland_park.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/talisker.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/caol_ila.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/caol_ila.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/tobermory.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/tobermory.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bruichladdich.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/laphroaig.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/laphroaig.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/ardbeg.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/springbank.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_basics/influence_of_wood.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bunnahabhain.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bruichladdich.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/springbank.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/benromach.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/ardmore.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/highland_park.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/talisker.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/caol_ila.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/tobermory.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bruichladdich.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/laphroaig.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/ardbeg.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/springbank.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_basics/influence_of_wood.html


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The oak trees are only cut down when they have reached sufficient maturity. This is when

the tree is roughly 9.3 metres 23 feet6 tall and " metre ( feet6 in diameter.

The trunks are transferred to a sawmill. Here they are sawn into planks from which the

correct length of the staves are cut. / stave is a small plank with a sophisticated curved

surface that links together to form a circular barrel.

Traditionally a cask is formed of (2 staves with "3 more being used to seal the ends.

)n order to bend the staves to the correct shape, they are eposed to fire. /lso, most

bourbon distilleries in /merica deliberately char the inside of the casks as a commonpractice. This is done to help with the penetration of the spirit into the wood.

/ cooper planes down the staves so that they fit together tightly without leaking. This is

done naturally without the use of nails or any glue and the staves are held securely in

place by metal hoops.

*ood is a porous material and the distillers want the whisky to interact with the air.

Therefore, no varnish or paints are used on the casks to allow the wood to Gbreathe.

/ hole is then drilled in the side in order to allow easy checking on the progress of the

whiskys maturation and final emptying.

*hisky cask types and capacities

*hen you buy a bottle of whisky it may state the type of cask or barrel that has been used during

maturation on the label. This is especially likely on an independent bottling companys label. $utwhat does the type and si>e of the cask really tell us= The most basic thing to remember is that

the smaller the cask, the more contact the whisky inside has with the wood.

)t can be very confusing if you are not sure of the terms, so we have compiled a +uick guide to

the ten main types of cask used within the whisky industry, starting with the largest.

Gorda (capacity 700 litres)

/ huge barrel used originally in the /merican whiskey industry. #ade from /merican

oak, they are occasionally used for maturing whisky but mostly for the marrying of

different whiskies for blended or vatted whisky production.

Madeira Drum (650 litres)

/ short, fat, dumpy barrel with a very wide diameter, made from very thick staves of

%rench oak. /s the name suggests, these drums are used in the #adeira wine industry and

are occasionally used for finishing some whiskies.

Port Pipe (650 litres)

This is a tall, thin barrel made from thick staves of 'uropean oak. )t looks like a regular

barrel that has been stretched from each end. They are used to mature Aort wine and areused in the whisky industry for finishing.

Butt (500 litres)


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/ tall, narrow cask made from thick staves of 'uropean oak and they are widely used

throughout the sherry industry in !pain. $utts are the most common type of sherry casks

used by the whisky industry.

Puncheon (500 litres)

There are two styles of puncheon cask. The most common is the Gmachine puncheon,which is short, fat and made from thick staves of /merican oak. The second is the Gsherry

shape puncheon, which is more elongated and made with thinner staves of !panish oak.

They are used in the rum and sherry industries respectively and are mostly used to finishwhisky.

Barrique (300 litres)

These are the casks that are widely used throughout the wine industry. They differ from

many other types of casks or barrels as they are bound with wood strips rather than the

regular metal hoops. e of an /!$, while remaining in proportion. Highly

reactive with spirits as there is so much contact between the spirit and the wood.


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work with, has tight grain that prevents leaking, is porous and allows oygen in and out of the

cask and it can be bent by heat without splitting.

*ood is full of naturally occurring oils called vanillins. )t is these oils that are drawn out of thecask by the spirit and over the period of maturation they add to the whiskys flavour profile. !o if

all whisky is matured in oak casks, then how can they all be different when tasted= The characterof the distillery, the ingredients used, the si>e and shape of the stills and its location are all

important but the ma@or factor is the type of oak cask used for maturation. There are three maintypes of wood used by the whisky industry.

'uropean oak Iuercus robur6

This type of oak has traditionally been used to mature whisky in !cotland and )reland for nearlytwo centuries. The first casks were made from 'nglish or !cottish oak but these species of tree

were slow growing with twisted trucks and grain and this made the casks prone to leaking. ?ater

Cussian oak was imported as this gave more consistent wood structure due to the trees being fast

growing with straight trunks.

)n the "180s, the importing of sherry from !pain to the


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of the inside of the cask. The result of this is that nearly 04 of all the world&s whisky is now

matured in /merican oak bourbon casks.

%lavour key words - vanilla, honey, nuts - coconut, almonds, ha>elnuts, butterscotch, fudge,spices - ginger.

Japanese oak Iuercus mongolica6

/lso known as mi>unara oak, this type of wood is used in the Japanese whisky industry.

#i>unara has been used since the "(0s and gives the whisky a uni+ue set of flavours. The woodhas etremely high levels of vanillins but is soft and very porous, making the casks made from

mi>unara oak very prone to leaking and easily damaged. /s a result, the practice of maturing

whisky was modified in order to reduce these factors. ;ow most Japanese whisky is matured ineither bourbon or sherry casks and then transferred to mi>unara casks to gain its flavoursome

characteristics.

%lavour key words - vanilla, honey, floral - blossom, fresh fruit - pears, apples, spice - nutmeg,

cloves, wood.

Scottish !ronounciation

The names of most scottish whisky distilleries are determined from their location. #any of these

are derived from the aelic language and a lot of people find them hard to pronounce. Havingheard some very funny attempts at some of the distillery names, here is a guide to tackle some

aelic pronounciation. some are easier than others. $elow is a list of some of the trickier ones,

with the correct pronounciation in brackets. *hile it can be confusing, hopefully this will help

give you an understanding of the !cottish names.

The distilleries

/lltFaF$hainneoltFaFvane6

/uchentoshanockenFtoshun6

/uchroiskarFthrusk6

$alveniebalFvaynee6

$ruichladdichbrookFladdie6

$unnahabhainbooFnaFharvun6

:aol )lakoolFeela6

:aperdonich kappaFdoeFnick6

:ardhukarFdoo6
http://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_basics/scottish_pronounciation.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/allt_a_bhainne.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/auchentoshan.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/auchroisk.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/balvenie.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bruichladdich.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bunnahabhain.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bunnahabhain.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/caol_ila.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/caol_ila.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/cardhu.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_basics/scottish_pronounciation.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/allt_a_bhainne.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/auchentoshan.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/auchroisk.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/balvenie.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bruichladdich.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/bunnahabhain.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/caol_ila.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/cardhu.html


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:lynelish klineFleesh6

:raigellachie craigFellaFkey6

ailuaine dalFyewan6

'dradouredraFdower6

len arioch glenFgeery6

lenallachie glenFallaFkey6

lenfiddichglenFfiddick6

lenglassaugh glenFglassoff6

lenmorangie glenFmorrunF@ee6

lenugie glenFoo@ee6

?agavulin lagaFvoolin6

?aphroaiglaFfroyg6

?edaiglayFchuck6

Aittyvaich pittyFvek6

Aoit hubh poshFdoo6

!trathisla strathFeyeFla6

Tamdhu tamFdoo6

TamnavulintamnaFvoolin6

Te $heag chayFvek6

Teaninich teenFinik6

Tomintoul tomFinFtowel6

Tullibardine tullyFbarFdee6
http://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/edradour.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/glenfiddich.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/glenfiddich.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/laphroaig.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/laphroaig.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/tobermory.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/tobermory.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/tamnavulin.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/edradour.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/glenfiddich.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/laphroaig.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/tobermory.htmlhttp://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_distilleries/scotland/tamnavulin.html

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