O.K. - Let's start with the basics. When you check your dictionary you may find that "whisk(e)y" is spelled either with or without an "e". As far as I know, there's no logical explanation for this, but when a whisky is from Ireland or the United States, it's usually spelled as "whiskey" - otherwise as "whisky". Don't ask me why, I guess this is just one of those inexplicable things in life one simply has to accept - like the success of "The Spice Girls" or spontaneous combustion.
Well - the last part isn't completely true. It seems to be still in debate when the first whisky was distilled and whether whisky originated in England, Ireland or Scotland. Nowadays whisky is produced all over the globe. You'll find distilleries in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the USA, Canada, India, New-Zealand, and even Japan.
"A spirituous liquor distilled from a fermented mash of grains, usually rye, barley, oats, wheat, or corn, and matured in wood casks, usually for three or more years. Inferior grades are made from potatoes, beets, or other roots. Scotch whisky, usually blend, takes its dry, somewhat smoky flavor from the barley malt, cured with peat, used in its preparation. |
But wait a minute! - we're getting ahead of ourselves now.
First check out the
This website is dedicated to one
particular type of whisky: Single Malt Scotch Whisky. I'll get back to "single" and "malt" part in the next chapter, but first let me try to explain my preference for whiskies from Scotland.
Not because Irish or American whiskies are inferior to Scotch whiskies by definition, I assure you. It's just a
matter of personal taste, really. Over the years I've come to taste some nice American "bourbon" and Irish whiskies, but none of them had the individuality and character of single malt Scotch that I love.
Next Chapter: Vocabulary |
Individuality and character are not appreciated by everybody though - as my limited social circle proves... Why don't you make an informed decision by yourself. Just compare an American or Irish whiskey you already know to one or more of the single malts from Scotland, mentioned in chapter 6 of this Beginner's Guide.
The somewhat similar Irish whiskey, for which no peat is used, has a full, sweet taste. American whiskeys, classified as rye or as bourbon (a corn liquor), are higher in flavor and deeper in color than Scotch or Irish whiskeys. Canadian whiskey, characteristically light, is produced from cereal grain only. First distilled in monasteries in 11th-cent. England, whiskey has been manufactured commercially since the 16th century." |
But let's not get sidetracked here. We were talking about whisky.
Your basic dictionary might describe "whisk(e)y" something like:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Malt Madness is hosted by those friendly people at Scotchwhisky.com