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Whiskey Section - The History of Whiskey
THE HISTORY OF WHISKEY: In old Gaelic it was known as usque baugh, the water of life, and the ancient inhabitants of the British Isles implemented mass production of the liquid in the belief that it cured certain ailments.
Today the same liquid has grown to captivate the taste buds of legions around the world. Countries like India, Russia and Taiwan now produce their own variations of that wonderful golden spirit we now know as whiskey.
THE PROCESS:
Grinding- Grind grain into a course meal.- Mashing- Mash in ground malt barley, mix with water. This process also known as "sugaring”, the starch is converted into sugar resulting in liquid "wort".
- Filter the wort- Sieve the mash, saving the liquid. Any solids can be discarded.
- Fermenting- Add yeast. Fermentation, usually taking 2 to 3 days, beginning from once the yeast is added and should take place at about 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Distilling- The number of rounds to distill, once again, depends on the desired taste. Keep in mind that every run through the still increases the purity of the whiskey. Traditionally, the Scotch whisky is distilled twice and Irish whiskey thrice.
- Maturation- Matures the whiskey in oak casks. To be called a whiskey, the minimum maturation length is 3 years. During this maturation process the whiskey interacts with the barrel to gain color, smoothness and flavor. A portion of the alcohol evaporates during the aging process- a portion distillers call the "angels' share".
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DISTILLATION:
Methods of distilling whiskeys include the pot still method, where heat is applied directly to a pot containing mash. It is generally considered more inefficient since it doesn’t remove water quite as well as the more modern column still or coffrey still method.
TASTE:
Whiskeys from different countries and regions vary in taste for a number of reasons – the geological properties of the region, the quality and proportion of ingredients used in the whiskey production and the number of times a whiskey goes through the distillation process.
DEFINITION:
Malt- By definition, malt whiskey must be made of 100% pure malted (fermented) barley
Single Malt – from a single distillery, but unless specified as single cask, may contain a mixture from various casks in the distillery. This is done in order to achieve a flavor that is recognizable to a brand.
Grain- Grain whiskey may contain more than one type of grain including corn, wheat, malted or unmalted barley.
Vatted Malt- blended Malt whiskeys from various distilleries.
Blended Whiskey- contains a blend of grain and malt whiskies from various distilleries that is blended to create a flavor consistent with a brand.
WHISKY OR WHISKEY?
Scholars attribute the difference in spelling to the poor reputation of Scotch during the 19th century, when the market was flooded with inferior quality spirits. Wanting to set themselves apart, American distilleries incorporated the letter “e” in the spelling. Now products from America and Ireland are spelled whiskey whereas spirits from Scotland, Wales, Canada, Australia, and Japan are spelled whisky.
