Whisk(e)y

Whisk(e)y - A spirituous liquor distilled from a fermented mash of grains (usually rye, barley, wheat or corn), matured in wooden casks, usually for 3 years or more. Inferior grades are made from potatoes, beets, or other roots. Scotch whisky, usually blend, takes its dry, somewhat smoky flavour from the barley malt, cured with peat, used in its preparation. 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 flavour and deeper in colour than Scotch or Irish whiskeys. Canadian whiskey, characteristically light, is produced from cereal grain only. First distilled in monasteries in 11th century England, whiskey has been manufactured commercially since the 16th century.

First of all: There are three main categories of Scotch whisky; malt whisky, grain whisky and blended whisky. One of the characteristics that all three of them share is the fact that they have matured for at least three years; a minimum set by British law. Anything younger than 3 years isn't 'whisky'.

By far the most whiskies that go over the counter at your local liquorist are BLENDED WHISKY - a 'blend' of roughly 2/3 grain whiskies combined with about 1/3 malt whiskies from several different distilleries to form a drink that applies to the tastes (and wallets) of as many people as possible.

The less said about GRAIN WHISKY the better, if you ask me. It's made from a mash of cereal grains (usually barley, wheat and maize). Both malted barley (barley which has started to germinate before it was dried to stop the germination) and unmalted barley (barley which remains dormant) are used in the production of grain whisky. Grain whisky is distilled in a continuous process, using so-called 'Coffey Stills'. Unless casked and aged properly, the end result often resembles the revolting Dutch drink Jenever (gin).

My personal favourite 'type' of whisky is MALT WHISKY - produced from 100% malted barley (fermented with yeast) and distilled in traditional 'pot stills'. No other grain product or fermentable material is allowed. Finally, we have SINGLE MALT WHISKY - the product from one single distillery, which has not been blended with whisky from any other distillery. Only plain water is added before it is bottled, and in the case of so-called 'cask strength' bottlings not even that. There are bottlings with an alcohol-percentage of well over 60% available!