UP FRONT
Wanna be down with the
brown? Drink in this guide to
instant whiskey wisdom
Whiskys are a lot like women – there are just so many different
kinds to fall in love with. Think of the honeyed curves of bourbon.
The smoky sophistication of single- IRISH WHISKEY
malt scotch. The delicate allure of
a Japanese blend. With so much
good whisky in the world – nearly
two dozen countries fostering
hundreds of distillers that produce SINGLE MALT
thousands of varieties – it can be Irish single malts are made much the same
hard to stray from that go-to glass. way as scotch: from malted grains distilled
In the hopes of expanding your and aged by a single distillery. But since
hooch horizons, here’s a quick they’re almost always distilled at least
and easy guide to whiskys that’s twice, Irish single malts are a bit smoother.
bound to go down smooth. They’re also usually aged in unused oak
barrels, or those that previously held sherry.
TASTE: Clean and balanced, they’re sweeter
than bourbon but not as complex as scotch.
BLENDED
As in Scotland, Irish blends are made
from several single malts mixed with other
whiskeys for balance and consistency.
Some are aged, others are not, but
all possess a distinct flavor profile.
Blended Irish
whiskeys are
more nuanced
than many
die-hard Jameson
aficionados
might assume.
TASTE: Sweet
and simple, with
a rugged finish.
TWO TO TRY:
Kilbeggan, $44.99;
Powers Gold Label,
$58.99
WHISKEY GLOSSARY
STRAIGHT WHISKY CASK STRENGTH MASH
For bourbons and ryes This stamp means whisky was A mixture of cooked
to be considered “straight,” they not diluted with water after being grains and water, to
must be aged at least two years removed from the cask, and therefore which yeast is added
in new American oak barrels. has a higher alcohol content. to begin fermentation.
18 M A X I M . C O M . A U
SCOTTISH WHISKY AMERICAN WHISKEY
SINGLE MALT BOURBON SINGLE MALT
Made from 100 percent malted barley Made from a grain mixture of at least 51 The youngest breed of American bourbon
at a single distillery and aged in previously percent corn, the burgeoning golden child is made in the Scottish tradition (heating
used oak barrels (which often contained of American spirits is aged in charred, pregerminated malt barley, as opposed
sherry or port) for at least three years. new oak barrels and bottled at no to distilling a grain mash), but many
Flavor varies by region: Single malts from he
less than 80 proof. And by the distillers are barreling it in fresh casks, so
the Highlands and Speyside are sweet way, bourbon doesn’t have there’s an extra oakiness to the final batch.
and smooth; those made ade on Islay, to be from Kentucky, though
TASTE: Robust, malty, and full of flavour,
where the malted th
that state boasts a proud
with a dry finish.
barley is heated with h
heritage of making some
peat, are far smokier. o
of the finest available.
TASTE: Wildly diverse. e. TASTE: Mildly sweet with rich
T TENNESSEE
One could be light with u
undertones and a hint of oakiness..
News flash: Jack Daniel’s isn’t bourbon…
grassy notes and hints off
TRY: Knob Creek, $85.99
T but it might as well be. The only difference
dried fruit; another may
between bourbon and Tennessee whiskey
be full-bodied, with
is the Lincoln County Process, or charcoal
touches of chocolate, RYE
R mellowing, a filtration step in
sherry, and smoke.
R is like bourbon’s rough-hewn brother:
Rye which unaged whiskey is
TWO TO TRY: IT has a bit of sweetness but steeped in sugarar maple
Oban 14 Year Old, kicks the back of your throat
k charcoal chips before
$89.99 (Highland); w
with a distinctive spiciness, els
going into barrels
Laphroaig Quarter ccourtesy of the rye grain (it for aging.
Cask, $102.99 (Islay) m
must be distilled from at least
TASTE: Mellower wer
5
51 percent, although most
than bourbon, with
th
brands throw in a bit more
hints of sweet corn.
rn.
to amp up its signature bite).
BLENDED TWO TO TRY: Y:
TASTE: Young batches are
The most popular type of scotch, it’s a George Dickel
spicy and grainy; older ones can
mixture of one or more types of single 99;
Number 12, $54.99;
be redolent of pepper and mint.
malt from various distilleries, blended for Gentleman Jack,
consistency. They could contain as many TRY: Wild Turkey 81 Rye, $45.99 $51.95
as 40 varieties, and their age reflects
that of the youngest
scotch featured.
TASTE: Depends JAPANESE WHISKY
on the blend, but most
are characterized by an CANADIAN WHISKY
even-keeled sweetness,
with less intensity than THE ASCENDANT SPIRIT
single malts.
Like scotch? Chances are you’ll like
TWO TO TRY: Johnniee Japanese whisky, an increasingly popular ALWAYS IN THE MIX
Walker Double Black, spirit that is similarly distilled and comes
Our Northern neighbors often distill at
$49.90; Monkey Shoulder in either single-malt or blended varieties.
a very high 180 proof, which can create
Blended Malt, $47.99
TASTE: Smoky, smooth, and elegantly refined. a more neutral spirit that lacks flavor.
Sometimes derided as “brown vodka,”
even the better bottles are best used
for mixing cocktails.
TASTE: Smooth and peppery,
yet not as complex as American rye.
PEAT SMALL-BATCH BOURBONS POT STILL
ABOUT THAT “E”
A mosslike material that’s Those that have been mixed The copper container The spelling of the spirit varies
heated under the grain to together from a few different in which whisky from country to country. America
bestow scotch its smoky barrels for consistency. is distilled. and Ireland spell it whiskey, while
Scotland, Japan, and Canada
character. insist that it’s whisky.
M A X I M . C O M . A U 19
