Single malt Scotch
Encyclopedia
Single Malt Scotch is whisky
made in Scotland
using a pot still
distillation process at a single distillery
, with malt
ed barley
as the only grain ingredient. As with any Scotch whisky
, a Single Malt Scotch must be distilled in Scotland
and matured in oak
casks in Scotland for at least three years (most single malts are matured longer).
Until the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009
(SWR 2009), the word "blended" only appeared (in the context of Scotch whisky) on bottles of whisky that contained a mixture of both barley and non-barley grain whisky, but this is no longer the case. When reading a label it is important to distinguish between "Blended Scotch Whisky" and "Blended Malt Scotch Whisky". Under the terminology established by the SWR 2009, a "Blended Malt Scotch Whisky" is a mixture of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, not a mixture of malted barley whisky and non-barley whisky. The term "blended malt" was previously called a "vatted malt" under the prior labelling conventions.
Scotch goes through a similar batch production
process, as outlined below. At bottling time various batches are mixed (or vatted) together to achieve consistent flavour from one bottling run to the next. Even so, some variation does occur (both intentionally and otherwise), and some distilleries may produce more consistent expressions than others. Distillers may choose to change expressions in some way to attract more buyers or a different kind of buyer, and may even choose to include batch-to-batch variation as a feature
of their marketing strategy, as was done by Edradour
in 2002 when the distillery was too small to maintain batch consistency.
and water
are the only ingredients required in the production of single malt Scotch. The only additive allowed is colouring (see below).
, it is mixed with ground barley grist to create a mash and it is used to dilute most whisky before maturation and once again before bottling.
Most distilleries use different water sources in the various steps.
Most new-make malt whisky is diluted to about 62.5% before it is placed in casks to mature. Many distilleries are now using distilled water for diluting whisky before it is casked as well as for diluting the whisky to bottling strength (40–46% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)) after maturation. Others, like Jura
or Bruichladdich, use water from local burns or springs to dilute new-make before it is casked. Much new-make whisky is shipped in tanker trucks to central warehouses where local tap water is used to dilute it before casking, and again at bottling time.
Since large amounts of water are used during the process of whisky production, water supplies are a key factor for the location of any distillery.
The barley used to make the whisky is "malted" by soaking the grain in water for 2–3 days and then allowing it to germinate to produce the necessary enzymes required to convert starch into fermentable sugars.
Traditionally each distillery had its own malting floor where the germinating seeds were regularly turned. Most of the distilleries use commercial "maltsters" who prepare each distillery's malt to exact specifications, but the "pagoda roof" (many now false) which ventilated the malting floor can be seen at nearly every distillery.
The germination is halted (by heating) after 3–5 days, before the starch begins to be converted into the fermentable sugars. The method for drying the germinated barley is by heating it with hot air produced by an oil, coal or even electric heat source.
In most cases, some level of peat
smoke is introduced to the kiln to add phenols
, a smoky aroma and flavour to the whisky. Some of the more intensely smoky malts from Islay have phenol levels between 25 and 50 parts per million (ppm). The three smokiest/peatiest malts, in order of phenol concentration, are Ardbeg
, Laphroaig
, and Lagavulin
, all from Islay
. More subtle malts can have phenol levels of around 2–3 ppm.
), and added to hot water to activate the enzymes which will convert starches to fermentable sugars. Long starch chains are broken into glucose, maltose, and maltriose, which yeast is able to ferment.
The extraction is done in a large kettle (usually made of stainless steel) called a mash tun. At first, the hot water activates the enzymes by providing an optimal temperature for activity in the grist. The enzymes act on the starch to convert it into sugar, and producing a sugary liquid called wort
.
Yeast
is added to the wort in a large vessel (often tens of thousands of litres) called a washback. Washbacks are commonly made of Oregon Pine
or stainless steel. The yeast feeds on the sugars and as a by-product produces both carbon dioxide
and alcohol
; this process is called fermentation
and can take up to three days to complete. When complete, the liquid has an alcohol content of 5 to 7% by volume, and is now known as wash
. Up until this point the process has been quite similar to the production of beer.
Under Scotch Whisky Regulations, Single malt Scotch must be distilled using pot still
s.
The wash is then pumped into a copper
pot still
, known as the wash still, to be distilled
. The wash is heated, boiling off the alcohol
, which has a lower boiling point
than water; the vapour is collected in a condenser which has been submerged in cool water. The lower temperatures cause the vapour to condense back into a liquid form.
This spirit, known as low wine, has an alcohol content of about 20 to 40%. The low wines are then pumped into a second pot still, known as the spirit still, and distilled a second, (and in the case of Lowlander, Auchentoshan, a third) time. The final spirit, called new make spirit, generally has an alcohol content of 60 to 70%.
Much of the body, or mouth feel, of the final whisky is believed to come from the size and shape of the stills used in its production. When a still wears out and has to be replaced, or when a distillery decides to expand the number of stills it operates, precise measurements of the existing stills are taken to ensure the new stills are exact reproductions of the old. There are urban legends (mostly untrue) of master distillers having dents placed in brand new stills so that they matched those in the old still. Another urban legend states that one distiller refuses to allow the cobwebs to be cleaned off his stills for fear of altering the whisky.
s to mature. By law
, all Scotch whisky must be aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks in Scotland, though many single malts are matured much longer. The whisky continues to develop and change as its time in the wood, and maturation periods of twenty years or more are not uncommon. Each year in the wood decreases the alcohol content of the whisky. The lost volume from evaporation is known as the angel's share.
The selection of casks has a profound effect on the character of the final whisky. Scotch whisky is typically aged in used casks. The most common source of casks is American whiskey
producers, as U.S. law requires several types of American whiskey (specifically, all American whiskey labelled as malt, rye malt, rye, wheat, bourbon
, or straight whiskey) to be aged in new oak casks. Bourbon casks import a characteristic vanilla flavour to the whisky. This practice arose because sherry
used to be shipped to Britain from Spain in casks rather than bottles, and the casks were expensive to return empty and were unwanted by the sherry cellars. Sherry casks are more expensive than bourbon casks, and account for only seven percent of all casks imported for whisky maturation. In addition to imparting the flavours of their former contents, sherry casks lend maturing spirit a heavier body and a deep amber colour. For this reason, single malt Scotches that have been matured in sherry casks are especially prized by blenders, as they give a blend a roundness and richness. Stainless steel shipping containers, however, have reduced the supply of wooden sherry casks, to the extent that the Macallan Distillery builds casks and leases them to the sherry cellars in Spain
for a time, then has them shipped back to Scotland
. Other casks used include those that formerly held port wine
and madeira
, while experiments with used red wine, rum
and cognac
casks are being performed.
, or a blended malt. Single malts can be bottled by the distillery that produced them or by an Independent Bottler
.
Many single malt aficionados enjoy experimenting by "home vatting" two or more single malt whiskies. While some purists may condemn this practice, it allows the consumer to contribute her or her own creative processes to tailor a unique malt whisky that is truly his or hers.
If malt whisky is mixed with grain whisky
, the result is a blended Scotch whisky regardless of whether the malt is from a single distillery, although commercially available blended whisky almost never contains the product of a single distillery.
Usually, a bottling contains a mixture of malts from different casks, of different ages, to create a consistent house style. This mixing is called "vatting" and the result is often called "vatted malt".
On occasion the product of a single cask of whisky may be bottled.
", or undiluted, whisky (often having an alcohol content as high as 60%) has recently become popular, the vast majority of whisky is diluted to its "bottling strength" — between 40% and 46% ABV — and bottled for sale.
It should also be noted that for whisky, unlike wine
, the maturation process does not continue in the bottle. Therefore a whisky bottled twenty years ago after ten years in cask is still a "ten year old". The high prices often seen for a whisky bottled many years ago therefore reflects its rarity value to collectors, rather than any enhanced flavour.
People who add ice to whisky may be unaware that the subsequent cloudiness is perfectly natural. Therefore, for cosmetic reasons, most whisky is processed to remove the esters before bottling. This process is called "chill filtering
" because the esters are precipitated by chilling, then removed by filtering.
Many experienced whisky drinkers feel that the removal of the esters detracts from the taste. Therefore, whisky bottled for this market is not usually processed in this way.
, which do not allow additives in "straight" whisky. The use of the caramel additive must be disclosed when the whisky is sold in some jurisdictions, although not in Scotland itself.
buy casks of single malts and either bottle them immediately or store them for future use. Many of the independents began as stores and merchants who bought the whisky in bulk and bottled it for individual sales. Many distilleries do not bottle their whisky as a single malt, so independent bottlings are the only way the single malt gets to market. The bottling process is generally the same, but independents generally do not have access to the distillery's water source, so another source is used to dilute the whisky. Additionally, independents are generally less concerned with maintaining a particular style, so more single year and single cask bottlings are produced.
Established independent bottlers include Duncan Taylor
, Master of Malt
, Murray McDavid
, Douglas Laing & Co
, Signatory, Hart Brothers, Cadenhead's, and Blackadder
.
."
In the following centuries, the various governments of Scotland began taxing the production of whisky, to the point that most of the spirit was produced illegally. However, in 1823, Parliament
passed an act making commercial distillation much more profitable, while imposing punishments on landowners when unlicensed distilleries were found on their properties. George Smith was the first person to take out a licence for a distillery under the new law, founding the Glenlivet Distillery in 1824.
In the 1830s, Aeneas Coffey
refined a design originally created by Robert Stein for a continuous still which produced whisky much more efficiently than the traditional pot stills, but with much less flavour. Quickly, merchants began blending the malt whisky with the grain whisky distilled in the continuous stills, making the first blended Scotch whisky. The blended Scotch proved quite successful, less expensive to produce than malt with more flavour and character than grain. The combination allowed the single malt producers to expand their operations as the blended whisky was more popular on the international market. , over 90% of the single malt Scotch produced is used to make blended Scotch.
Most distilleries in Scotland are not owned by Scots. The Japanese beverage company Suntory
owns Morrison-Bowmore, while other international companies, such as LVMH
& Pernod-Ricard (France), and Diageo
(England), own the majority of distilleries. The largest distiller to remain under Scottish ownership is William Grant & Sons
, owned by the Grant family, with headquarters in Motherwell, Scotland. Other distilleries owned by Scottish companies/families are Glenfarclas, Bruichladdich, and Bunnahabhain.
Flavour, aroma, and finish differ widely from one single malt to the next.
Single Malt Scotch whiskies are categorised into the following whisky-producing regions.
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
made in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
using a pot still
Pot still
A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the wash or wine . This is called a batch distillation ....
distillation process at a single distillery
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
, with malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
ed barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
as the only grain ingredient. As with any Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
, a Single Malt Scotch must be distilled in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and matured in oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
casks in Scotland for at least three years (most single malts are matured longer).
- "Malt" indicates that the whisky is distilled from a single "malted" grain. Several types of grains can be malted (for example, barleyBarleyBarley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, ryeRyeRye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
and wheatWheatWheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
are all grains which can be malted); however, in the case of single malt Scotch, barleyBarleyBarley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
is always the (only) grain used. - "Single" indicates that all the malts in the bottle come from a single distillery. Multi-distillery malts are usually called "blended malt", "vatted malt" or "pure malt".
Until the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009
Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009
The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 is a Statutory Instrument that regulates the production, labeling, advertising and packaging of Scotch whisky. The regulations were laid before the Parliament of the United Kingdom on October 30th, 2009 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II...
(SWR 2009), the word "blended" only appeared (in the context of Scotch whisky) on bottles of whisky that contained a mixture of both barley and non-barley grain whisky, but this is no longer the case. When reading a label it is important to distinguish between "Blended Scotch Whisky" and "Blended Malt Scotch Whisky". Under the terminology established by the SWR 2009, a "Blended Malt Scotch Whisky" is a mixture of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, not a mixture of malted barley whisky and non-barley whisky. The term "blended malt" was previously called a "vatted malt" under the prior labelling conventions.
Production - Summary
All single maltMalt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
Scotch goes through a similar batch production
Batch production
Batch production is a technique used in manufacturing, in which the object in question is created stage by stage over a series of workstations. Batch production is common in bakeries and in the manufacture of sports shoes, pharmaceutical ingredients , inks, paints and adhesives. In the manufacture...
process, as outlined below. At bottling time various batches are mixed (or vatted) together to achieve consistent flavour from one bottling run to the next. Even so, some variation does occur (both intentionally and otherwise), and some distilleries may produce more consistent expressions than others. Distillers may choose to change expressions in some way to attract more buyers or a different kind of buyer, and may even choose to include batch-to-batch variation as a feature
Unique selling proposition
The Unique Selling Proposition is a marketing concept that was first proposed as a theory to explain a pattern among successful advertising campaigns of the early 1940s. It states that such campaigns made unique propositions to the customer and that this convinced them to switch brands...
of their marketing strategy, as was done by Edradour
Edradour
Edradour is a Highland single-malt whisky made in Pitlochry, Perthshire, from the distillery of the same name, which is reputed to be the smallest in Scotland....
in 2002 when the distillery was too small to maintain batch consistency.
Ingredients
Barley, yeastYeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
and water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
are the only ingredients required in the production of single malt Scotch. The only additive allowed is colouring (see below).
Water
Water is used in all phases of the production of whisky. It is added to the barley to promote germinationGermination
Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
, it is mixed with ground barley grist to create a mash and it is used to dilute most whisky before maturation and once again before bottling.
Most distilleries use different water sources in the various steps.
Most new-make malt whisky is diluted to about 62.5% before it is placed in casks to mature. Many distilleries are now using distilled water for diluting whisky before it is casked as well as for diluting the whisky to bottling strength (40–46% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)) after maturation. Others, like Jura
Isle of Jura Single Malt
Isle of Jura Single Malt is a Scotch whisky distilled at the Isle of Jura Distillery located on the island of Jura located off the West Coast of Scotland...
or Bruichladdich, use water from local burns or springs to dilute new-make before it is casked. Much new-make whisky is shipped in tanker trucks to central warehouses where local tap water is used to dilute it before casking, and again at bottling time.
Since large amounts of water are used during the process of whisky production, water supplies are a key factor for the location of any distillery.
Malting
Traditionally each distillery had its own malting floor where the germinating seeds were regularly turned. Most of the distilleries use commercial "maltsters" who prepare each distillery's malt to exact specifications, but the "pagoda roof" (many now false) which ventilated the malting floor can be seen at nearly every distillery.
In most cases, some level of peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
smoke is introduced to the kiln to add phenols
Phenols
In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group...
, a smoky aroma and flavour to the whisky. Some of the more intensely smoky malts from Islay have phenol levels between 25 and 50 parts per million (ppm). The three smokiest/peatiest malts, in order of phenol concentration, are Ardbeg
Ardbeg
Ardbeg Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the south coast of the isle of Islay, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides group of islands. The distillery claims to produce the peatiest Islay whisky and uses malted barley sourced from the maltings in Port Ellen. It is one of the...
, Laphroaig
Laphroaig
Laphroaig , is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery and brand name. It is named for the area of land at the head of Loch Laphroaig on the south coast of the Isle of Islay...
, and Lagavulin
Lagavulin Single Malt
Lagavulin Single Malt is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky produced at Lagavulin on the island of Islay, United Kingdom. The whisky has a powerful, peat-smoke aroma, and is described as being robustly full-bodied, well balanced, and smooth, with a slight sweetness on the palate.The standard...
, all from Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
. More subtle malts can have phenol levels of around 2–3 ppm.
Mashing
The malt is milled into a coarse flour (gristGrist
Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a grist mill. Its etymology derives from the verb grind....
), and added to hot water to activate the enzymes which will convert starches to fermentable sugars. Long starch chains are broken into glucose, maltose, and maltriose, which yeast is able to ferment.
The extraction is done in a large kettle (usually made of stainless steel) called a mash tun. At first, the hot water activates the enzymes by providing an optimal temperature for activity in the grist. The enzymes act on the starch to convert it into sugar, and producing a sugary liquid called wort
Wort (brewing)
Wort, , is the liquid extracted from the mashing process during the brewing of beer or whisky. Wort contains the sugars that will be fermented by the brewing yeast to produce alcohol.- Production :...
.
Fermentation
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
is added to the wort in a large vessel (often tens of thousands of litres) called a washback. Washbacks are commonly made of Oregon Pine
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
or stainless steel. The yeast feeds on the sugars and as a by-product produces both carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
; this process is called fermentation
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
and can take up to three days to complete. When complete, the liquid has an alcohol content of 5 to 7% by volume, and is now known as wash
Wash (distilling)
In the production of distilled beverages, the term wash is used to refer to the liquid produced by the fermentation step, which is the input to the distillation process which concentrates the alcohol.-See also:...
. Up until this point the process has been quite similar to the production of beer.
Distillation
Pot still
A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the wash or wine . This is called a batch distillation ....
s.
The wash is then pumped into a copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
pot still
Pot still
A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the wash or wine . This is called a batch distillation ....
, known as the wash still, to be distilled
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
. The wash is heated, boiling off the alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, which has a lower boiling point
Boiling point
The boiling point of an element or a substance is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the environmental pressure surrounding the liquid....
than water; the vapour is collected in a condenser which has been submerged in cool water. The lower temperatures cause the vapour to condense back into a liquid form.
This spirit, known as low wine, has an alcohol content of about 20 to 40%. The low wines are then pumped into a second pot still, known as the spirit still, and distilled a second, (and in the case of Lowlander, Auchentoshan, a third) time. The final spirit, called new make spirit, generally has an alcohol content of 60 to 70%.
Much of the body, or mouth feel, of the final whisky is believed to come from the size and shape of the stills used in its production. When a still wears out and has to be replaced, or when a distillery decides to expand the number of stills it operates, precise measurements of the existing stills are taken to ensure the new stills are exact reproductions of the old. There are urban legends (mostly untrue) of master distillers having dents placed in brand new stills so that they matched those in the old still. Another urban legend states that one distiller refuses to allow the cobwebs to be cleaned off his stills for fear of altering the whisky.
Maturation
Dilution prior to aging
Most new-make malt whisky is diluted to about 62.5% a.b.v. before it is placed in casks to mature.Ageing
The "new-make spirit", or un-aged whisky, is then placed in oak caskCASK
Peripheral plasma membrane protein CASK is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CASK gene. This gene is also known by several other names: CMG 2 , calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase 3 and membrane-associated guanylate kinase 2.-Genomics:This gene is located on the short arm of...
s to mature. By law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, all Scotch whisky must be aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks in Scotland, though many single malts are matured much longer. The whisky continues to develop and change as its time in the wood, and maturation periods of twenty years or more are not uncommon. Each year in the wood decreases the alcohol content of the whisky. The lost volume from evaporation is known as the angel's share.
The selection of casks has a profound effect on the character of the final whisky. Scotch whisky is typically aged in used casks. The most common source of casks is American whiskey
American whiskey
American whiskey is a distilled beverage produced in the United States from a fermented mash of cereal grain.The production and labeling of American whiskey are governed by Title 27 of the U.S...
producers, as U.S. law requires several types of American whiskey (specifically, all American whiskey labelled as malt, rye malt, rye, wheat, bourbon
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
, or straight whiskey) to be aged in new oak casks. Bourbon casks import a characteristic vanilla flavour to the whisky. This practice arose because sherry
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
used to be shipped to Britain from Spain in casks rather than bottles, and the casks were expensive to return empty and were unwanted by the sherry cellars. Sherry casks are more expensive than bourbon casks, and account for only seven percent of all casks imported for whisky maturation. In addition to imparting the flavours of their former contents, sherry casks lend maturing spirit a heavier body and a deep amber colour. For this reason, single malt Scotches that have been matured in sherry casks are especially prized by blenders, as they give a blend a roundness and richness. Stainless steel shipping containers, however, have reduced the supply of wooden sherry casks, to the extent that the Macallan Distillery builds casks and leases them to the sherry cellars in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
for a time, then has them shipped back to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Other casks used include those that formerly held port wine
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
and madeira
Madeira wine
Madeira is a fortified Portuguese wine made in the Madeira Islands. Some wines produced in small quantities in California and Texas are also referred to as "Madeira", or "Madera", although those wines do not conform to the EU PDO regulations...
, while experiments with used red wine, rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
and cognac
Cognac (drink)
Cognac , named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime....
casks are being performed.
Vatting and Blending
To be called a single malt Scotch, a bottle may only contain whisky distilled from malted barley produced at a single distillery. If the bottle is the product of single malt whiskies produced at more than one distillery, the whisky is called a vatted maltVatted malt
A blended malt, formerly called a vatted malt, or pure malt, is a blend of different single malt whiskies from different distilleries. These terms are most commonly used in reference to Scotch whisky....
, or a blended malt. Single malts can be bottled by the distillery that produced them or by an Independent Bottler
Independent Bottlers
It has become customary for distilleries to sell barrels of whisky to blenders and independent bottlers as a means of making additional income. In fact, some distilleries exist solely to serve independent bottlers, and do not market any brands themselves....
.
Many single malt aficionados enjoy experimenting by "home vatting" two or more single malt whiskies. While some purists may condemn this practice, it allows the consumer to contribute her or her own creative processes to tailor a unique malt whisky that is truly his or hers.
If malt whisky is mixed with grain whisky
Grain whisky
Grain whisky ordinarily refers to any whisky made from at least some grains other than malted barley, such as whisky made using maize , wheat or rye....
, the result is a blended Scotch whisky regardless of whether the malt is from a single distillery, although commercially available blended whisky almost never contains the product of a single distillery.
Usually, a bottling contains a mixture of malts from different casks, of different ages, to create a consistent house style. This mixing is called "vatting" and the result is often called "vatted malt".
On occasion the product of a single cask of whisky may be bottled.
Dilution
While "cask-strengthCask strength
Cask strength is a term used in whisky-making to describe the level of alcohol-by-volume strength that is used for a whisky during its storage in a cask for maturation – typically in the range of 60–65% abv....
", or undiluted, whisky (often having an alcohol content as high as 60%) has recently become popular, the vast majority of whisky is diluted to its "bottling strength" — between 40% and 46% ABV — and bottled for sale.
It should also be noted that for whisky, unlike wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, the maturation process does not continue in the bottle. Therefore a whisky bottled twenty years ago after ten years in cask is still a "ten year old". The high prices often seen for a whisky bottled many years ago therefore reflects its rarity value to collectors, rather than any enhanced flavour.
Chill filtration
Whisky will often turn temporarily cloudy when stored at cool temperatures, or will go cloudy in the glass when ice or very cold water is added by the drinker. This is caused by the precipitation of natural fatty acid esters which are less soluble at low temperatures.People who add ice to whisky may be unaware that the subsequent cloudiness is perfectly natural. Therefore, for cosmetic reasons, most whisky is processed to remove the esters before bottling. This process is called "chill filtering
Chill filtering
Chill filtering is a method in whisky making for removing residue. In chill filtering, whisky is cooled to between -10 and 4 degrees Celsius and passed through a fine adsorption filter...
" because the esters are precipitated by chilling, then removed by filtering.
Many experienced whisky drinkers feel that the removal of the esters detracts from the taste. Therefore, whisky bottled for this market is not usually processed in this way.
Additives
E150A caramel colouring may be added to Scotch single malts prior to bottling, to give the whisky a more rich and well-aged appearance. No other additives are allowed in Scotch whisky. This contrasts with the rules governing Canadian whiskey production, which allow the addition of other flavourings as well as caramel, and with the rules governing American whiskeyAmerican whiskey
American whiskey is a distilled beverage produced in the United States from a fermented mash of cereal grain.The production and labeling of American whiskey are governed by Title 27 of the U.S...
, which do not allow additives in "straight" whisky. The use of the caramel additive must be disclosed when the whisky is sold in some jurisdictions, although not in Scotland itself.
Independent Bottlers
Independent bottlersIndependent Bottlers
It has become customary for distilleries to sell barrels of whisky to blenders and independent bottlers as a means of making additional income. In fact, some distilleries exist solely to serve independent bottlers, and do not market any brands themselves....
buy casks of single malts and either bottle them immediately or store them for future use. Many of the independents began as stores and merchants who bought the whisky in bulk and bottled it for individual sales. Many distilleries do not bottle their whisky as a single malt, so independent bottlings are the only way the single malt gets to market. The bottling process is generally the same, but independents generally do not have access to the distillery's water source, so another source is used to dilute the whisky. Additionally, independents are generally less concerned with maintaining a particular style, so more single year and single cask bottlings are produced.
Established independent bottlers include Duncan Taylor
Duncan Taylor
Duncan Taylor is an independent Scotch whisky bottler located in Huntly, part of Speyside, Scotland’s largest whisky producing region.- History :...
, Master of Malt
Master of Malt
Master of Malt is a retail seller and independent bottler of Scotch whisky and other alcoholic beverages. The company was founded in 1985, and is based in Crowborough, East Sussex, England. It began as a retail shop in the nearby town of Tunbridge Wells in west Kent.-History: Master of Malt was...
, Murray McDavid
Murray McDavid
Murray McDavid is an independent bottler of single malt Scotch whisky. Its bottlings are usually diluted-strength , and blended from multiple casks . They are not chill-filtered, nor do they have any coloring added.Murray McDavid was established in 1996...
, Douglas Laing & Co
Douglas Laing & Co
Douglas Laing & Co is a Glasgow-based independent bottler and blender of Scotch whisky. The company was founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, and it has remained in Laing family control ever since. Today the company is run by brothers Fred and Stewart Laing....
, Signatory, Hart Brothers, Cadenhead's, and Blackadder
Blackadder (whisky bottler)
Blackadder is an independent bottler of single malt Scotch whisky. It was founded in 1995 by Robin Tucek and John Lamond, and named after historic Scottish figure Bishop John Blackadder...
.
Labelling
- The age statement on a bottle of single malt Scotch is the number of years the whisky spent maturing in cask. As very few whiskies are bottled from a single cask the age statement reflects the age of the youngest malt in the mix.
- Whisky which has not been chill filtered is usually labelled as un-chill filtered or non chill filtered.
- Whisky bottled from a single cask is usually labelled as a "Single Cask" (sometimes called a "single single").
- Whisky undiluted at bottling is usually labelled as "cask strength".
History
Distillation of whisky has been performed in Scotland for centuries. The earliest written record of whisky production in Scotland from malted barley is an entry on the 1494 Exchequer Rolls, which reads "Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor, by order of the King, wherewith to make aqua vitaeAqua vitae
Aqua vitae, or aqua vita, is an archaic name for a concentrated aqueous solution of ethanol. The term was in wide use during the Middle Ages, although its origin is undoubtedly much earlier having been used by Saint Patrick and his fellow monks to refer to both the alcohol and the waters of baptism...
."
In the following centuries, the various governments of Scotland began taxing the production of whisky, to the point that most of the spirit was produced illegally. However, in 1823, Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
passed an act making commercial distillation much more profitable, while imposing punishments on landowners when unlicensed distilleries were found on their properties. George Smith was the first person to take out a licence for a distillery under the new law, founding the Glenlivet Distillery in 1824.
In the 1830s, Aeneas Coffey
Aeneas Coffey
-Biography:Coffey was born in Calais, France, where he spent his early years. His family returned to Dublin , where he was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He entered the excise service around 1799–1800 as a gauger...
refined a design originally created by Robert Stein for a continuous still which produced whisky much more efficiently than the traditional pot stills, but with much less flavour. Quickly, merchants began blending the malt whisky with the grain whisky distilled in the continuous stills, making the first blended Scotch whisky. The blended Scotch proved quite successful, less expensive to produce than malt with more flavour and character than grain. The combination allowed the single malt producers to expand their operations as the blended whisky was more popular on the international market. , over 90% of the single malt Scotch produced is used to make blended Scotch.
Most distilleries in Scotland are not owned by Scots. The Japanese beverage company Suntory
Suntory
is a Japanese brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now offers everything from soft drinks to sandwich chains...
owns Morrison-Bowmore, while other international companies, such as LVMH
LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A., better known as LVMH, is a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris, Île-de-France, France. The company was formed after the 1987 merger of fashion house Louis Vuitton with Moët Hennessy, a company formed after the 1971 merger...
& Pernod-Ricard (France), and Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
(England), own the majority of distilleries. The largest distiller to remain under Scottish ownership is William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons Ltd. is an independent, family-owned Scottish company which distills Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is now run by the descendants of the founder. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky...
, owned by the Grant family, with headquarters in Motherwell, Scotland. Other distilleries owned by Scottish companies/families are Glenfarclas, Bruichladdich, and Bunnahabhain.
Regions
Single Malt Scotch whiskies are categorised into the following whisky-producing regions.
- Highland Single MaltsHighland Single MaltsHighland Single Malts are single malt Scotch whiskies produced in the Highland region of Scotland. This categorization includes the whiskies produced on the islands around the perimeter of Scotland , except for Islay...
- Island Single MaltsIsland Single MaltsIsland Single Malts is a general term for single malt Scotch whiskies produced on the islands around the perimeter of the Scottish mainland. The exception is Islay, which is considered a separate whisky producing region...
A sub-section of the Highland region - Speyside Single MaltsSpeyside Single MaltsSpeyside single malts are single malt Scotch whiskies, distilled in Strathspey, the area around the River Spey in Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey, in northeastern Scotland....
The northeastern coastal area of the Highland region
- Island Single Malts
- Islay Single Malts
- Lowland Single MaltsLowland Single MaltsLowland Single Malts are single malt whiskies distilled in the lowlands of Scotland.The region now only has three currently producing distilleries: Glenkinchie, near Edinburgh; Auchentoshan, near Clydebank; and Bladnoch in Galloway....
- Campbeltown Single MaltsCampbeltown Single MaltsCampbeltown Single Malts are single malt Scotch whiskies distilled in the burgh of Campbeltown, on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. Once a major producer of whisky with as many as 28 distilleries, and claiming the title "whisky capital of the world", production has markedly declined...