LAIR
WHISKY
CONTENT
Definition of Whisky
Difference between Whisky & Whiskey
History of Whisky
Making Process of Whisky
Ingredients used to make Whisky
Classification of Whiskies with Descriptions
Whisky based Classic Cocktails
WHISKY
Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made
from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted)
are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat.
Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, which are typically made of
charred white oak, and must be distilled to minimum of 40% alcohol
by volume (ABV).
The word “Whiskey” comes from the Gaelic Uisce Beatha, which
means “Water of Life”.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHISKY &
WHISKEY
In most cases, the difference in spelling is based on location. For
example, it is common to see “whiskey” in the United States and
Ireland while Scotland, Canada and Japan leave out the “e.” Scotch
and bourbon are also types of whiskies that have some unique
characteristics.
HISTORY OF WHISKY
Like the spelling, the true place of whisky's origin remains a point of deliberation between our
friends in Ireland and Scotland, both claiming to have invented the spirit. North of the
border, records of the Scottish Exchequer first evidenced a history of whisky in Scotland in
production in the late 1400s.
18th CENTURY- In America, whisky was used as currency during the American
Revolution; George Washington operated a large distillery at Mount Vernon. Given the distances
and primitive transportation network of colonial America, farmers often found it easier and more
profitable to convert corn to whisky and transport it to market in that form.
19th CENTURY- The drinking of Scotch whisky was introduced to India in the nineteenth century.
The first distillery in India was built by Edward Dyer at Kasauli in the late 1820s. The operation
was soon shifted to nearby Solan (close to the British summer capital Shimla), as there was an
abundant supply of fresh spring water there.
20th CENTURY- During the Prohibition era in the United States lasting from 1920 to
1933, all alcohol sales were banned in the country. The federal government made an
exemption for whisky prescribed by a doctor and sold through licensed pharmacies,
such as Walgreens.
MAKING PROCESS OF WHISKY
Distillation
Malting Maturation
Mashing Fermentation
MALTING:-
Starch in Barley is converted into soluble sugar to make alcohol.
Germination process of Barley is called Malting.
The barley is soaked for 2-3 days in warm water and then traditionally spread on the floor
where a constant temperature is maintained.
On commercial scale, this is carried out on large drums which rotate.
When the barley has started to shoot, the germination has to be stopped by drying it in a
kiln.
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.
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MASHING:-
The ground malt is crushed with warm water and conversion of soluble starch into maltose is
completed.
The liquid combination of malt and water is called the “mash” which is put into a large vessel
called mash tun and stirred for several hours.
Sweetish liquid produced is called wort by carrying out the process three times with the
water temperature being increased each time to extract the maximum amount of sugar.
Only wort from the first two times is used. The third lot is put back into the next batch of new
grist.
Any husk is removed for cattle food.
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FERMENTATION:-
The wort is cooled and passed into large tanks called wash backs which are made up of
stainless steel.
Yeast is added to commence fermentation. The yeast turns the sugars that are present into
alcohol.
The fermentation normally takes around 48 hours but some distilleries will let it go for longer
so as to create further characteristics that they require.
The liquid at this stage is called ‘wash’ and is low in alcohol strength (between 5-10% ABV),
like beer or ale.
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DISTILLATION:-
Wash is heated and as alcohol has lower boiling point than water, it becomes vapor which is
then cooled and condensed back to liquid.
Alcohols from beginning and end are called fore shots and feints respectively which are high
and low in alcohol respectively.
Alcohol from the middle or ‘heart’ of the distillation that is used and this skillfully removed by
a still man.
The fore shots and feints are then mixed with the next batch of low wines and re-distilled.
The heart is the spirit that is then taken to be matured and that will become whisky. This
‘heart’ has an alcoholic strength of 65-70% ABV.
In Scotland, the wash is traditionally distilled twice and in Ireland, it is distilled three times.
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MATURATION:-
The spirit is put into oak casks and stored.
The spirit must mature in casks for a minimum of three years by law to be a called whisky in
Scotland.
During maturation, the flavors of the spirit combine with natural compounds in the wood cask
and this gives the whisky its own characteristic flavor and aroma.
During each year of maturation about 2% of the spirit is lost through natural evaporation.
This is called “angel’s share”.
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INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE WHISKEY
WATER:-
1. Should be clear and pure source e.g. spring without a mixture of any fertilizers and
chemicals.
2. Used to soak Barley and dilute to deduct the alcoholic strength.
BARLEY(GRAINS):-
3. Sugar content in barley affect the final product.
4. Barley with low nitrogen, high sugar and 16% moisture content.
YEAST:-
5. Microorganism responsible for fermentation.
6. Different kinds of yeast are used by brewers and distillers, but they all belong to a
species called “Saccharomyces Cerevisiae”.
PEAT:-
1. Peat is basically decomposed organic plant matter that has been compressed in the
ground for thousands of years, essentially young coal.
2. Peat is put into a massive kiln and burned underneath the malted barley, stopping the
germination process and sending wafts of smoke into the grain.
CASK:-
3. Small wooden barrel to store liquid used in distillery.
4. Contributes in giving color during the period of maturation.
WHISKY PRODUCTION DISTINGUISHES SCOTCH, BOURBON & RYE
Scotch is known for its smoky flavor, which is achieved by malting barley
and then heating it over a fire fueled by peat. Whisky can only be labeled
as Scotch if it has been produced and bottled in Scotland. The United Kingdom
actually has a series of specific laws that dictate exactly how Scotch is produced.
Bourbon is a whiskey that is made in the United States, and more specifically,
Kentucky. To be considered bourbon, a spirit must be produced using a minimum of
51% of corn mash. Unlike other types of whiskies, bourbon is created using a sour
mash, which incorporates mash that has previously been fermented.
You will also come across rye whiskies, which simply means that they are produced
using rye mash. In the United States, a brand must contain at least 51% rye in its mash
to be classified as rye. Other countries, including Canada, don’t have any specific
regulations regarding labeling a product as rye.
CLASSIFICATION OF WHISKIES
TYPES OF WHISKIES
SCOTCH IRISH AMERICAN CANADIAN JAPANESE INDIAN
WHISKY WHISKEY WHISKEY WHISKY WHISKY WHISKY
BOURBON TENNESSEE RYE RYE MALT MALT WHEAT CORN
WHISKEY WHISKEY WHISKEY WHISKEY WHISKEY WHISKEY WHISKEY
SINGLE SINGLE BLENDED BLENDED MALT / BLENDED GRAIN
MALT GRAIN SCOTCH VATTED MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
SCOTCH WHISKY
It is smoky and earthy.
Produced entirely in a single Scotland
based distillery.
Must be at least 40% ABV (80 proof) and
at most 94.8& ABV (190 proof)
The alcohol must be made from malted
barley.
It must be aged for at least 4 years in an
Oak cask bigger than 185 gallons (or 700
liters).
Have no added substances other than
water and caramel coloring (optional).
TYPES OF SCOTCH WHISKY
1. Single Malt
2. Single Grain
3. Blended Scotch
4. Blended Malt / Vatted Malt
5. Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Single malt Scotch whisky must have
been distilled at a single distillery as a
batch process using a pot
still distillation process and made
from a mash of 100% malted barley.
Single malt means that the whisky
has not been blended elsewhere with
whisky from other distilleries.
A single malt Scotch must be distilled
in Scotland and matured in oak casks
in Scotland for at least three years,
although most single malts are
matured longer.
SINGLE GRAIN SCOTCH WHISKY
Single grain Scotch whisky is a Scotch
whisky distilled at a single distillery but, in
addition to water and malted barley, may
involve whole grains of other malted or
unmalted cereals.
Grain whisky can be distilled continuously
in continuous stills or column stills.
"Single grain" does not mean that only a
single type of grain was used to produce
the whisky; rather, the adjective "single"
refers only to the use of a single distillery.
BLENDED SCOTCH
Blended Scotch whisky means
a blend of one or more single
malt Scotch whiskies with one
or more single grain Scotch
whiskies.
WHISKY REGIONS OF SCOTLAND
1. Highlands
2. Speyside
3. Islay
4. Campbeltown
5. Lowlands
6. Islands
HIGHLAND SCOTCH WHISKY
Most famous Highlands Whisky:
Dalmore and Glenmorangie
Number of distilleries: Over 25
Typical Highland flavours: Fruit
Cake, Malt, Oak, Heather, Dried
Fruit and Smoke
The Highlands is Scotland's largest
whisky-producing area, covering
anywhere from the north of Glasgow (the
Clyde estuary to the River Tay) to
Thurso in the north, not to mention the
east and west regions excluding
Speyside.
SPEYSIDE SCOTCH WHISKY
Most famous Speyside Whisky: Macallan,
Dalwhinnie, Glenlivet and Glenfiddich
Speyside's Glenfiddich is the World's
Best-Selling single malt whisky.
Number of distilleries: Over 60
Typical Speyside flavours: Apple, Vanilla,
Oak, Malt, Nutmeg and Dried Fruit.
The region of Speyside is located in the
northeast of Scotland, surrounding the River
Spey; it's a sub-region of the neighboring
Highlands because of the high density of
distilleries in the area.
ISLAY SCOTCH WHISKY
Most famous Islay Whisky:
Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and
Bruichladdich
Number of distilleries: Under 10
Typical Islay flavours: Seaweed, Brine,
Carbolic Soap, Apple, Smoke and Kippers
The Scottish island of Islay (pronounced
eye-luh) is located to the west of the
mainland and is the smallest Whisky
region in terms of area coverage
in Scotland.
The region is known for its peaty single
malts.
CAMPBELTOWN SCOTCH WHISKY
Most famous Campbeltown Whisky:
Glengyle and Springbank
Number of distilleries: Under 5
Typical Campbeltown flavours: Brine,
Smoke, Dried Fruit, Vanilla and Toffee
LOWLANDS SCOTCH WHISKY
Most famous Lowlands
Whisky: Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie
Number of distilleries: Under 5
Typical Lowland flavours: Grass,
Honeysuckle, Cream, Toffee, Toast and
Cinnamon
The Lowlands is the second biggest
whisky region in terms of area, but it's
currently home to fewer than five
distilleries.
ISLANDS SCOTCH WHISKY
Most famous Islands Whisky: Highland
Park, Talisker and Jura
Number of distilleries: Under 10
Typical Island flavours: Smoke, Brine, Oil,
Black Pepper and Honey
Talisker is currently the largest Island
distillery in Scotland, with a capacity of 2.6
litres; you'll be sure to find a bottle of this
in most bars around the World.
BLENDED MALT / VATTED MALT
Blended malt Scotch whisky
means a blend of two or more
single malt Scotch whiskies
from different distilleries.
BLENDED GRAIN SCOTCH WHISKY
Blended grain Scotch whisky
means a blend of two or more
single grain Scotch whiskies
from different distilleries.
IRISH WHISKEY
Triple Distilled and aged in Ireland.
Must be less than 94.8% ABV.
Made from yeast fermented cereal grains.
Aged for at least 3 years in wooden casks
no bigger than 700 liters (185 gallons).
Brands: Jameson, Bushmills
AMERICAN WHISKEY
American whiskey is whiskey produced in
the United States.
It is a distilled beverage produced from a
fermented mash of cereal grain.
TYPES OF AMERICAN WHISKY
Bourbon Whiskey:- Bourbon is a type of barrel-aged American whiskey made
primarily from mash that consists of at least 51% corn (maize). Brands: Wild
Turkey, Jim Beam, Michter’s, Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve.
Rye Whiskey:- Made from mash that consists of at least 51% rye. Rye Whiskey
can refer to two different types of whiskey: American Rye & Canadian Whisky.
Brands: Michter’s Straight Rye, Sazerac Rye, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye.
Rye Malt Whiskey:- Made from mash that consists of at least 51% malted rye.
Brands: WhistlePig 18YO Double Malt Rye, WhistlePig 18 YO Double Malt Rye
Barrel Select.
Malt Whiskey:- Made from fermented mash that consists of at least 51% malted
barley. Brands: Westward American Single Malt.
Wheat Whiskey:- Made from mash that consists of at least 51% wheat. Like other American
styles, a wheat whiskey may be labelled as a "straight" if it is aged for at least two years in
new, charred oak barrels Brands: Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey.
Tennessee Whiskey:- All Tennessee whiskey is from Tennessee, but not all whiskey from
Tennessee is "Tennessee whiskey". Tennessee whiskey must be produced in the state of
Tennessee. It also must be made from a mashbill that is at least 51 percent corn. Other
grains, including barley, rye, and wheat, can constitute the remainder. The whiskey is
distilled no higher than 80 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 160 proof) and cannot be
barreled over 125 proof. It needs to be bottled at a minimum of 80 proof, though some barrel
strength whiskeys are bottled as high as 125 to 140 proof. Brands: Jack Daniel, Gentleman
Jack.
Corn Whiskey:- Made from mash that consists of at least 80% corn. Brands:
Mellow Corn, Balcones Baby Blue Corn, Balcones Brimstone.
CANADIAN WHISKY
Completely made in Canada (mashed,
distilled, aged).
Must be aged at least 3 years in
wooden barrels no bigger than 700
liters and must be at least 40% ABV.
The most popular Canadian whiskies
are blends that contain a high ration of
corn, and are generally lighter and
smoother.
Brands: Crown Royal, Canadian Club.
JAPANESE WHISKY
Japanese whisky is a style
of whisky developed and produced
in Japan.
Whisky production in Japan began around
1870, but the first commercial production
was in 1923 upon the opening of the
country's first distillery, Yamazaki.
The style of Japanese whisky is more
similar to that of Scotch whisky than other
major styles of whisky.
Brands: Hibiki, Hakushu, Chita, Yamazaki,
Suntory, Nikka
INDIAN WHISKY
Distilled alcoholic beverages that are
labelled as "whisky" in India were
commonly blends based on neutral
spirits that are distilled from
fermented molasses/grain with only a
small portion consisting of traditional
malt whisky, usually about 10 to 12
percent.
Brands: Indri, Rampur, Kamet, Amrut.
WHISKY BASED CLASSIC COCKTAILS
1. Old Fashioned
2. Whisky Sour
3. Sazerac
4. Manhattan
5. Godfather
6. Penicillin
7. Rob Roy
8. Irish Coffee
9. Boulevardier
10. Mint Julep
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