Scotch whisky is a distilled spirit produced in Scotland. It is made from water and malted barley, with a minimum alcohol content of 40%. The spirit must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years.
History
The earliest records of distillation in Scotland date back to 1494, mentioned in tax records that mention giving eight bolls of malt to a monk named John Cor to produce 'water of life'. The Gaelic name for whisky, uisge beatha, translates to 'water of life', similar to the Latin aqua vitae. Production methods improved significantly during the 16th and 17th centuries.
How it is made
Scotch whisky production begins with malted barley, which is dried with hot air, sometimes using peat smoke. The malt is mixed with water to create a mash, which is then fermented and distilled. The resulting spirit is aged in oak barrels that previously held other alcoholic beverages. Factors affecting the final flavor include the peat composition, water source, previous contents of the barrel, and the distillery's location.
Types and styles
By law, Scotch whisky is categorized into five types: Single Malt (from one distillery), Single Grain (from one distillery but with other grains), Blended (mix of single malts and single grains from multiple distilleries), Blended Malt (mix of single malts from multiple distilleries), and Blended Grain (mix of single grains from multiple distilleries). Scotland has over 100 distilleries across six main regions: Highland, Speyside, Lowland, Campbeltown, Islay, and the Islands.
How it is served
Scotch whisky is served in various ways, including neat, with a few drops of water, or in cocktails. Popular cocktails on this site that use Scotch whisky include Penicillin, Highball, Bobby Burns, Whisky Mac, and many others. The number of cocktails on this site that use Scotch whisky is 68.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Шотландский виски, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Kinds of Scotch whisky
- Single malt Scotch (33 cocktails)
- Johnnie Walker (1 cocktails)
Well-known brands
- Black & White (Scotland)
- Black Dog (Scotland)
- Cutty Sark (Scotland)
- 100 Pipers (Scotland)
- Dewar's (Scotland)
- Grant's (Scotland)
- Teacher's Highland Cream (Scotland)
- Haig (Scotland)
- Buchanan's (Scotland)
- Caol Ila distillery
- Grand Old Parr
- William Lawson's (Scotland)
- Hankey Bannister
- Label 5
- Black Bottle
- Bailie Nicol Jarvie
- Old St Andrews
- Killyloch