Welcome to this weeks edition of Scotch Tips. No podcast this week but some definitions that should help you appreciate Scotch.
In order to enter and enjoy the world of Scotch, you must understand the basic terms used. So I thought I would start out with some of the basic terms and their definitions.
Malt: is a cereal grain partially sprouted to prepare it to release its fermentable sugars. It is then dried in a kiln. In the making of Scotch the cereal grain used is always barley.
Whisky: is a spirit drink originating in Scotland or Ireland. Notice there is no "e" after the "k" in Scottish whisky.
Malt Whisky: whisky made from malted barley only. Typically made in batches in a copper kettle or pot.
Single Malt Whisky: is a malt whisky made in a single distillery, not vatted or blended with whisky made in another distillery.
Scotch Whisky: whisky only made in Scotland and matured for at least three years. No other nation can produce "Scotch". Other nations can produce whiskey and malt whiskey but not "Scotch".
Single Malt Scotch Whisky: is a single malt whisky mad in Scotland.
Single Cask: a bottling made from just one cask.
Vatted Malt: malt whiskies from different distilleries are combined into one malt product.
Pure Malt: used to indicate a single malt or a vatted malt. Very confusing term and going out of use.
Blended Scotch Whisky: is a use of many different Scotch Whiskies together to make one product.
Grain Whiskey: produced form corn, wheat or raw barley. They are matured in oak for at least three years. Single Grain Whiskey: not seen very often.
Peating: when the producers kilned their grain over an open fire peat is often used. The malt takes up some of the flavor of the smoke. The amount of peat flavor found in the final product varies for multiple reasons.
Double and Triple Distillation: most Scotch is double distilled but there still are a few who triple distill their products. They do this to make their product lighter and cleaner.
Bourbon Ageing: all Scotch is matured at least three years. This maturation takes place in casks. One of the favorite casks to be used is a bourbon cask. The cask was first used in the making of Bourbon and then sold to the Scotch maker. A vanilla-like flavor is imparted to the scotch especially the first fill. As the cask is used multiple times, the amount of vanilla-like flavor imparted decreases with each use.
Sherry Ageing: is when a sherry cask is used for maturation of the Scotch.
I hope you have found these definitions helpful in understanding Scotch.
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Welcome to this weeks edition of Scotch Tips
Show Notes:
Recipes
Highland Cooler Recipe – http://brewersroundtable.com
1 oz Scotch Whisky
1 oz (fresh) Lemon Juice
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
4 oz Ginger Ale
1 tsp Powdered Sugar
Highland Cooler Directions
Pour the Scotch whisky, Angostura bitters, orange juice and sugar into a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes. Fill with ginger ale, and serve.
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Whisky Sour – http://drinks.lotsofgreatrecipes.com
1/2 ounce Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Powdered Sugar
2 ounces Blended Scotch Whisky
Shake and strain into a sour glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a cherry.
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Welcome to this weeks edition of Scotch Tips
Show Notes:
As new Irish and Scottish immigrants tried to settle on the American continent they brought with them the distilling methods of scotch whiskey. Finding the new raw materials different that what they were accustomed to, they lead the way for an evolution of American whiskey.
The stronger, fuller and sweeter taste found in the American whiskey is the result of the lack of smoke in the drying process of grains and/or corns. The six different categories that American whiskey is divided into is a direct result of the different aging times and adjusted amounts of grains used in each batch of whiskey.
The six different American brews are as follows:
Bourbon
Bourbon Is believed to be produced solely in Kentucky, which is a myth it has been produced in many states. Stipulations for bourbon are very simple. It must be made in the United States, should only be made from fifty-one percent corn, and can only be stored in charred oak barrels for a term no shorter than two years. The spirit in its raw form may not exceed eighty percent alcohol by volume.
Tennessee
There are a few differences between Tennessee and Bourbon. They are very closely related. Tennessee must always be filtered through sugar maple charcoal, and can only be produced in the state of Tennessee, hence its name.
Rye and Wheat whiskey
Generally rye whiskey is blended with other products to create other types of whiskeys. Only a very small portion of this whiskey is actually bottled. It must be made of at least fifty-one percent rye in order to be deemed rye whiskey. The distilling and storing conditions meet the same requirements as in Bourbon. Mostly made in the states of Indiana and Kentucky it is quite uncommon it has a slightly bitter and more powerful taste.
Corn
Due to the overwhelming surplus of corn, this was an obvious choice and is the predecessor of Bourbon. As assumed corn is the main ingredient with about eighty percent. The difference between corn and Bourbon is that corn does not have to be stored in wood. If it is to be aged it must be done in previous Bourbon barrels or barrels that have been uncharred
Blended American Whiskey
American whiskey only contains approximately twenty percent of rye and bourbon whiskey, a mass product industrial spirit, makes up the other eighty percent.
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