Ten things you should know about whiskey
What is whiskey?
Whiskey is a gold-coloured spirit made from three ingredients: cereal grain, water and yeast. Malted barley is the most common cereal used but some Irish whiskeys, such as Single Pot Still, use a mix of malted and unmalted barley. Scotch and Japanese whisky both use malted barley. Rye whisky uses rye, and bourbon is made from at least 51 per cent corn. In the past, oats and other wheat were also used.
What is malt?
Malting is a process by which barley is soaked in water and then dried and ground. The flour, which contains sugar, is then fermented into a wort, which is then distilled.
What is a single malt?
A single malt is a whiskey made exclusively in one distillery.
What is single pot still whiskey?
A single pot still whiskey is made from a mix of malt and unmalted barley, all distilled in one distillery.
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What is blended whiskey?
A blended whiskey can mean one made using whiskey from a variety of distilleries. It can also mean a blend of different kinds of whiskey, or different ages of whiskey. They are usually the least expensive, but not always. It depends on the quality of whiskey used in the blend.
What is the difference between Scotch and Irish?
The two are spelled slightly differently (whisky in Scotland and whiskey in Ireland) but are both very similar. Scotch must be made from spirit distilled and aged in Scotland, and Irish whiskey is distilled and matured exclusively in Ireland. It is often said that Irish whiskey is smoother because it is triple distilled, whereas Scotch is only double distilled. In fact some Scotch whiskey is also triple distilled. Many people think that Scotch is peaty but Irish isn't. But Irish whiskey can be peated, and a few are, while only some Scotch whisky has those peaty flavours.
Are there other whiskeys?
Yes, bourbon is an American whisky. The Canadians make whisky, and the Japanese produce excellent whisky. Lots of other countries try too.
Can I add water or ice to my whiskey?
Yes, you can. Some whiskeys, such as cask strength, can be 50% abv or more (standard whiskey is 40%) and are difficult to drink by themselves. A few drops of water can actually bring out the aromas and flavours of a whiskey. Standard strength whiskey has been watered down a little before bottling to bring it down from cask strength.
Can I make cocktails with my whiskey?
It's your whiskey so you can do as you please. There are lots of whiskey cocktails, an Old-Fashioned or Manhattan being the most popular.
Is whiskey gluten free?
Yes. The gluten is removed during the distillation process.
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