The History and Characteristics of Whisky
What is whisky, exactly — and where did it all begin? The story starts with alchemy in Mesopotamia. It was later Irish and Scottish monks who shaped the whisky we know today, and from there it grew into a spirit enjoyed worldwide. Whisky was once called “uisce beatha” — Gaelic for “water of life.” There is a fairly reasonable hypothesis as to why people gave it that name. In an era with no concept of disinfection, pouring high-proof whisky over a wound kept it from festering, and the patient survived — and so, the story goes, people began calling it the water of life.
Made and refined over centuries, whisky spread beyond Ireland and Scotland to the United States, Canada, India, and Japan, developing enormously along the way and giving rise to the five great whisky-producing nations. Thanks to this, even within the same category of whisky, the flavors and aromas now vary enormously depending on ingredients, distillation methods, and maturation. Today, with science and technology advancing at a dazzling pace, some distilleries are grafting new techniques onto the craft to produce creative, ambitious whiskies, while countries that never had a distillery are gradually opening their own. I believe we will be enjoying an even wider range of flavors and aromas in the years ahead.
As a distilled spirit, whisky is inherently strong. To be precise, it carries a minimum strength of 40% ABV. Standards differ from country to country, but the minimum-strength rule is the same everywhere. There is a reason for this restriction. When a cask is opened after maturation and the alcohol is measured, it typically comes out between 55% and 70% ABV. Due to the “Angel’s Share” — the portion that gradually evaporates during production — a long-matured cask can lose more than half its contents. From the distillery’s perspective, the more it can sell, the more profit it makes, so water is added to increase the volume. This lowers the strength and lightens the flavor — but it also makes the whisky that much easier to drink. Dilute it too far, however, and the whisky loses its essence, which is why anything below 40% ABV cannot be called whisky. So 40% is the floor when water is added to the maximum, and many distilleries release at exactly 40% for the sake of profit. That said, plenty of high-end whiskies are sold just as they come out of the cask, undiluted.
Types of Whisky
Whisky can be classified by ingredients and by country.
Let me start with ingredients.
Whisky did not begin with dedicated distilleries. Barley-farming households would take the barley left unsold each year, turn it into malt, and distill “malt whisky.” At some point, farmers realized that distilling their barley into whisky earned more than selling the grain itself — so they stopped selling barley and made whisky instead. Naturally, this left less barley for people to eat, and the government responded by imposing heavy taxes on whisky made from malt. As a workaround, distillers began using other grains in place of barley, and whisky made this way came to be called “grain whisky.” Grain whisky had the advantage of being cheap, but its taste fell well short of malt whisky. So people blended the expensive-but-delicious malt whisky with the cheap-but-plain grain whisky in suitable proportions, creating “blended whisky” — decent taste at a decent price.
There are broadly two conditions that put the word “blended” on a label: mixing different ingredients, or mixing whiskies from different distilleries.
To sum up:
- Whisky made from malt alone at a single distillery is a “single malt whisky.”
- Whisky made from grain alone at a single distillery is a “single grain whisky.”
- Malt whiskies from different distilleries, mixed together, make a “blended malt whisky.”
- Grain whiskies from different distilleries, mixed together, make a “blended grain whisky.”
- Malt and grain whiskies from different distilleries, mixed together, make a “blended whisky.”
As mentioned earlier, grain whisky often lacks flavor, so single grain and blended grain whiskies are hard to find on the market. That said, some producers — Compass Box, for example — handle grain remarkably well.
Single malt whisky, made from malt alone at a single distillery, has a strong character — and strongly divided opinions to match. In whisky’s early days, general stores would often collect whiskies from various farms, blend them to their own liking, and sell the result under the shop’s name. Many of the shops that earned a reputation for good blends back then are the forerunners of whisky brands everyone knows today. With the arrival of Glenfiddich, however, a single malt boom took off — and it continues to this day.
Finally, blended malt whisky and blended whisky. Blended malt does exist — Johnnie Walker Green Label is one example — but it is not a commonly sold category. Blended whisky, by contrast, has little individual character; for that very reason it divides no one, and its affordable price makes it a favorite among whisky beginners. Because so many whiskies are mixed together, though, pinpointing its flavors and aromas can be rather difficult. Most people buy it for smoothness rather than for careful appreciation.
Let me briefly run through whisky characteristics by country.
First, the most famous of all: Scotch whisky. Scotch is whisky made at a Scottish distillery by saccharifying, fermenting, and distilling grain, then maturing it for at least three years, bottled at 40% ABV or above.
The detailed requirements are:
- Fermentation must take place at a distillery in Scotland, using water and malted barley.
- The fermented material must be distilled to no more than 94.8% ABV.
- The distilled spirit must mature in Scotland for at least three years, in oak casks of 700 liters or less.
- Water and caramel coloring may be added; nothing else is permitted.
- The finished whisky must be at least 40% ABV.
Next is America’s whiskey: bourbon. Bourbon is distilled from a mash of at least 51% corn and matured for at least two years in virgin (unused) oak casks.
The detailed requirements are:
- The mash must contain at least 51% corn, combined with barley and rye, before distillation.
- Distillation is carried out in a continuous still.
- Maturation must last at least two years in charred virgin oak casks.
Next, from the land of beautiful autumn maples: Canadian whisky. Canadian whisky is the mildest of the five great whiskies, with a soft, gentle flavor and aroma.
Then comes Irish whiskey, from Ireland — the country locked in a long-running dispute with Scotland over whisky’s origins. Irish whiskey is distilled three times in pot stills and matured for at least three years.
The detailed requirements are:
- The malt is dried without the use of peat.
- It is distilled three times in pot stills.
- It matures for at least three years.
Last is Japanese whisky, from our neighbor Japan. Riding a global boom in recent years, Japanese whisky follows a production style similar to Scotch. Its hallmark is skillful maturation, which yields outstanding, smooth flavors and aromas — and that very reputation has sent prices soaring.
How to Taste Whisky
Honestly, I believe there is no single right answer when it comes to whisky — and so there is no fixed way to taste it, either. Still, having a guideline makes things easier when you are just starting out. In my case, I visited many bars and watched many people’s tasting methods on YouTube, trying them out until I found what suited me. Let me share my routine — give it a try, and I hope you can shape it into a method of your own.
I start with a whisky tasting glass — the Glencairn being the classic example. I pour 1 oz (30 ml) into the glass and begin swirling. Swirling — rotating the glass — loosens up the flavors and aromas that have tightened while the whisky sat in the bottle. If the bottle has been open for a while, about 30 seconds is enough. If it was just opened, the flavors and aromas are still tightly bound and the alcohol is sharp, so a longer swirl of 4 to 5 minutes is advisable. Then give a short, quick puff into the glass to push out the harsh alcohol trapped inside. Swirl again for about 10 seconds, hold the glass up to the light, and tilt it to around 45 degrees. Now watch the whisky flow down the glass. The streaks running down the inside wall are called “legs.” The thicker the legs and the slower they fall, the fuller the whisky’s body, the higher its strength, and the sweeter it is likely to taste.
Next, look at the color. Caramel coloring is common these days, so this may not mean much — but assuming the color is natural, a pale whisky was likely matured in bourbon casks, and a dark one in sherry casks.
Now it is the nose’s turn. Bring your left nostril to the glass and smell; then do the same with the right. Then push your whole nose into the glass — really bury it — and take in the aroma. At first, the high alcohol may make you cough, but you will get used to it. In this way, sight and smell give you information about the whisky before you have taken a single sip.
Finally, taste. Rinse your mouth with cold water, then let a single drop of whisky fall on the tip of your tongue. Savor it as it spreads, then take a proper sip. Savor again, and finish the rest of the pour over two or three more sips. Then shake the last few drops left in the glass onto your palm, rub your hands together, and smell them. Your body heat releases the aromas, and you may catch scents you missed earlier.
One more tip: if you plan to taste another whisky, I recommend rinsing your mouth with cold water first.
And because food eaten beforehand can interfere with a proper tasting, I avoid everything except water for five hours before tasting whisky — snacks included. Even brushing my teeth, I find, lets the taste of toothpaste get in the way. Of course, this is not good for your health, so please take it as reference only.
Next up: How to Store Whisky: Shelf Life, Location and Temperature, Storage Methods
Thank you for reading.
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