whisky
Whisky is the noblest spirit made out of cereals, which enthusiasts like to sip smooth, except for some who prefer to add some pure water drops.
The differences between one type and the other lie both in the cereal used such as barley, corn, rye, oats and wheat, and in factors such as water used for mashing, the area and production techniques, barrel wood, and aging methods.
The origins of this spirit have long been debated between Scots and Irish. The term itself is proof that neither one nor the other can affirm their primacy: the name comes from Gaelic "uisge beatha”, translation of the Latin acqua vitae, which in the 18th century became usky and then whiskey, with an English pronunciation.
Tasting:
The first step is to use the right glass. The right glasses are those for classic spirits, tulip or pear-shaped or even closed ones. These are glasses that keep the aromas inside much longer and facilitate the tasting process by directing the aromas on a narrower surface. In order to keep the aromas, enhance them or make them stand out, it is not advisable to use ice. Ice distorts and reduces the richness of both the aromas and the flavour of the distillate. Whisky is served and drunk neat and at room temperature. Some even drink a glass of fresh water separately, also for cleaning the nose and mouth during tasting and savouring whisky aroma to the fullest.
Let''s start with the olfactory analysis: the first sniff should be small and fast just to prepare the nose for the aromas, which are sometimes very strong. After this, you can do it a second and third time, inhaling the spirit for a longer time, but without exaggerating, to avoid overloading your tasting experience.
The last phase is the gustatory analysis: a first sip, short, to hold in your mouth for a few seconds, and then proceed with longer sips and alternate with a little water. One step that is allowed (not mandatory) in this phase is to add a few drops of water to the glass of Whisky, to open the aromas and enhance the essence.
Production method:
All raw materials used for the production of whisky are rich in starch and require a process whereby this is transformed into fermentable sugar. The whisky production method is divided into five main phases: malting, infusion, fermentation, distillation and maturation (or aging).
The malting process consists in macerating the ripe and dry barley grains in tanks of water for about 3 days. Once the excess water has been eliminated, the barley will be placed on large ventilated surfaces and turned several times, depending on the distillery, either with mechanical systems or by hand with the help of shovels. This way, the grains sprout and the starch is transformed into maltose, thanks to enzymes. The budding is blocked with hot air obtained from the combustion of the peat, which will give whisky its typical smoky aroma.
Once the grains are dried, they are ground, obtaining a sort of flour which, together with hot water (about 70 °), will be infused in special vats called "underback", where the compound will be mixed until complete extraction of the sugars soluble.
The wort is cooled and transferred to large tanks ("washback") in which the fermentation process starts when the yeasts are added, in which the sugars are turned into alcohol.
At the end of the fermentation, a low alcohol content liquid is formed, the "wash" which will undergo distillation. For malt whiskys, a double distillation in copper stills, the pot stills, takes place. With their unique shape, they also influence the character of the Whisky and for this reason many distilleries tend to keep and use their original stills over the years. In the largest still, called wash still, the first distillation takes place and the result will be a liquid with about 20-24% alcohol, the low wine, which, in the second distillation, carried out in a smaller still, becomes low wine still. In this process, distiller''s skills are fundamental as it will be he/she who will have to supervise the process. Another distillation method is the one carried out for cereal whiskeys: in this case we speak of continuous distillation which takes place in a rectification column, the coffey still. This column is powered all the time.
At the end of the second distillation, the alcohol content is reduced with water and maturation begins, i.e. it is aged in oak barrels often already used for Sherry, Porto or for another Whisky or Bourbon, enhancing the aromas.
The most important types are Whisky obtained exclusively from barley malt, from which the most famous Single Malt is obtained; then there is whisky obtained from other cereals and in particular from corn and oats, the Grain Whiskey, which is less complex and structured than the first, both for the raw material used and also for the production method and is often used for blended; the so-called blended Whisky is obtained from mixing different cereal distillates.
Production areas
The term Whisky is used to indicate those Scottish and Canadian spirits, whereas spirits in Ireland and the United States are Whiskey. Whisky in all its forms and spellings evokes Scottish moors, green, wide Irish meadows and long roads with signs in Gaelic, but this spirit is also made in other countries, including the United States, Canada, Alaska and Japan. The most famous, however, is certainly the one made in Scotland, called Scotch Whisky, by international agreement. Japanese Whisky takes inspiration from the Scottish one, while in the United States the special malt bourbon and Rye Whiskey from rye are produced. Canadian production focuses on Blended made from rye and other cereals.
In Scotland, the world of Whisky expresses in all its forms and each type has its own special characteristics. In general, Scotch Whisky has two distinctive characteristics: the sweetness of the malt and the dry fragrance of the peat. Besides this more or less strong smoky scent, there is also the one given by barrel aging. Each production area, however, strongly influences the particular characteristics of the Whiskey: on the Isle of Islay the result is a spirit with iodized and brackish notes, dry and pungent; also those from Campbeltown have brackish hints and are instead softer, more delicate, almost without the typical peaty notes of the Lowlands. The Highlands offer a great variety of Whisky production which, as the crow flies, are more complex and full-bodied, enchanting and with a lovely smoky scent, sometimes made even stronger by the Sherry that had been aging in barrels. In the Islands area, very smoky and peaty whiskeys are born, with unique iodized and brackish notes, while in Speyside softer and sweeter whiskys are made. Scotch Whiskey (appellation allowed only for Whisky made in Scotland and with specific characteristics) requires barrel aging for at least three years before bottling, although the best Scottish admirers claim that the ideal aging period is between 10 and 12 years, 15 years or even decades.
In Ireland, the spirit is called Whiskey and not Whisky, obtained from malted and unmalted barley, possibly containing other cereals. Peat is not used for Irish Whiskeys. This is because they strive to keep barley aromas, the softness of the malt and the aromas given by barrel aging. In Ireland, Whiskey is generally obtained through continuous distillation or with a triple distillation for a cleaner and richer spirit.
European migrants brought this spirit to the United States, when America was discovered, alongisde fermentation and distillation techniques. The great classics are: Rye Whiskey, obtained from rye for at least 51% with aging in new charred oak barrels; Corn Whiskey, obtained from 81% corn; Bourbon, made from a blend of at least 51% corn and named after the County of Kentucky, if aged there, or Tennesse Whiskey, if produced in the homonymous state and filtered in maple charcoal.
Canadian Whiskys are mainly obtained from rye and small parts of corn and other cereals, with the addition of neutral alcohol which makes it lighter. According to regulations, aging period for Canadian whisky should be at least 3 years and in small or medium-sized wooden barrels previously used for fortified wines aging, which enhances the typical vanilla scent.
Despite being similar to Scottish whisky, in both production techniques and in the raw materials used, Japanese whiskey has a more nuanced and delicate aroma and scent, leaving room for malt aroma.