A drop of the hard stuff - single malt, Scotch whisky

There’s absolutely no mistaking the fact that I’m a dyed-in-the-wool beer-lover and have been so since my late teens. Beer is my go-to drink, regardless of situation, location or occasion, with the obvious provisos that I don’t mix beer drinking with work, early mornings (the sun needs to be at least peering over the yard arm, before I reach for a glass), and I don’t have a beer either if I’m getting behind the wheel of a car – although I will partake of a single pint of low-gravity, bitter or pale ale, if I’ve driven to a pub where the surroundings and/or the beer demand it.

Occasionally, I will have the odd glass of wine – preferably red, although a decent white Burgundy will do instead, but these occasions are rare, and likely to involve posh dinners, or business lunches. There are other drinks that I seldom, if ever imbibe, and these include vermouth's (quite rare, these days), fortified wines (apart from port) and, of course, spirits.

Gin, vodka, brandy and bourbon, are virtually no-go areas for me, as are grain and blended whisky’s, but I make an exception for single malt whisky. I don’t wish to sound like a snob, but single-malt, Scottish whisky’s are up there amongst the giants, when it comes to the world’s greatest and most memorable drinks, but when you are aware of the skill involved, plus the care and time taken to produce these drinks, you realise the influence these factors play on the prices of a decent bottle of single malt whisky.

Before going any further, it’s worth noting that malt whisky can only be made from malted barley, whilst grain whisky can be produced from any grain, including un-malted barley, wheat, corn, and rye, and this is one of the main reason for the high price of malt whisky. In the initial stages of production, single malts, undergo a process that is very similar to beer making, whereby high-quality malting barley, is steeped in water, allowed to germinate before being kilned. Despite this commonality I have never visited a distillery, even though I've seen around in excess of 30 breweries, across two continents.

Highland water, fresh from the glens or the moors, is used to steep (soak) the grain, as well as later on in the brewing/distilling process, and given the location in the Scottish Highlands, where there is an abundance of peat, the latter material acts as fuel for the drying process. In doing so, the peat imparts a rich, aromatic, smokiness to the finished malt, which is carried over into the finished whisky. After drying, the kilned malt is crushed and mixed with the same pure Highland water and fed into a mash tun – very similar to those found in breweries, up and down the land.

Enzymes in the malt, convert the starch in the crushed grains, into sugars such as maltose and dextrin’s, and after sparging, the sugar-rich “wort” is run-off, via a chiller, into fermenting vessels, where yeast is then added. Those of you that have been paying attention, may well ask why there is no boil, but as the bittering and other flavouring compounds provided by hops are not wanted in whisky, boiling is unnecessary. Once cooled, yeast is added, and fermentation begins. This typically lasts 48-96 hours, and results in a wort with an abv between 7-10% and a diverse range of flavours that is related to the fermentation time and the type of yeast strain used.

The fermented liquid, now known as “wash”, is then distilled, a process which increases the alcohol content of the liquid and removes undesirable components, left over from fermentation. The wash passes through a series of stills (“wash” and “spirit” stills), that are typically made of copper, which supposedly helps remove undesired aromas and flavours. Most whiskies go through distillation twice, but some go through this process three times. A high-quality spirit results, but it cannot legally be sold as whisky until it has undergone a maturation process that involves ageing the product in wooden casks, that are typically made from oak. The casks give the whisky its colour as well as other characteristics. Casks are stored in cool and well-aerated warehouses for the whisky to mature.

By law, Scotch Whisky must be aged in oak casks for at least three years, prior to bottling, although other whiskies may have different minimum maturation requirements. Once it has matured, whisky is bottled at a minimum strength of 40% abv, although some might be bottled at a higher strength.

That’s probably more than enough technical information, and much more than I originally intended, but to conclude I want to recount some of my experiences relating to single malt, whisky, and explain why I’ve got four bottles of the stuff sitting on top of my bookcase, and why two of them are unopened.

I shall deal with that last point first, by running through what these whiskies are, and why I appear to be hoarding them. My favourite amongst these bottles is Laphroaig, as mentioned above. It also happens to be the only one of the four I bought for myself, even though I paid for two of the others. If you look at the two bottles in the blue packaging, in the top photo, you will see that both of them are Speyside malts. Glen Morray, from Elgin, is in the darker blue box, whilst Singleton, from Dufftown distillery, is packaged in pale blue, almost bordering on turquoise.

Both were purchased as Christmas presents for young master Matthew, with the aim of weaning him off the cheap, rot-gut scotch that he pours his coke into. He is notoriously difficult to buy Christmas presents for – hence the single malts (both on offer, in different years, at Tesco), but purchased with the aim of broadening his horizons, by giving his taste buds a treat. All to no avail though, and he hasn’t noticed (so far, at least) that I have moved the bottles from the sideboard, downstairs, and up into my room.

Seeing as these bottles remain unopened, let’s take a look at what the experts have to say. First, the Singleton of Dufftown Malt Master's Selection Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Hints of honey and vanilla, on the nose coupled with fresh pear on a faint base of wood ash. As far as taste is concerned, Its smooth flavour make it the perfect gift for new single malt whisky drinkers.

Second, Glen Moray Elgin Classic. Glen Moray started life as a brewery, before being converted into a distillery in 1897. Glen Moray Classic is the distillery's entry-level single malt, aged for an average of seven years in ex-bourbon casks, of which a high percentage are first fill - easy drinking, honeyed and excellent value. Those end statements confirms that I chose well for young master Matthew, but if he doesn’t open one of these bottles soon, I might have to take back ownership.

The fourth bottle, a 12-year-old, single malt whiskey from the Tobermory Distillery, on the Isle of Mull, has a rather sad tale attached to it. The bottle was given to me by my late brother-in-law, David’s girlfriend. He had purchased the whisky, during a visit to Mull, as part of a Round-Britain Cruise. It was David and Lynn’s first and, as it happened, only cruise because the following Christmas David was struck down by a bad bout of Shingles, which left him in a lot of pain. He was hospitalised, and the care he received whilst there, was less than exemplary – stuck on a trolley, in a hospital corridor, for a day and a half, whilst waiting for a bed. Two weeks later, he passed away, the official cause of death being atherosclerosis, although Eileen and I are convinced that his brush with shingles, didn’t help the situation.

David had gone to some lengths to secure that 12-year-old bottle of Tobermory whisky, and had been looking forward to cracking it open over Christmas. I therefore felt rather honoured and also humbled, to be opening and sampling the contents, on his behalf, and in his memory. Tobermory is described as light, delicate and herbal with a malty barley grainy base. There is only one distillery on the island and that is Tobermory. The distillery produces a peated version and a non-peated version. The latter is marketed as Tobermory whilst the peated version is sold under the brand name of Ledaig.

I would probably prefer the Ledaig, as I am quite partial to a touch of “smoke” in my drink -as witnessed by my fondness of the smoked “Rauchbiers” of Bamberg, and my enjoyment of the heavily peated Laphroaig, from the island of Islay. However, that bottle of Tobermory was a generous gift, and every time I pour myself a dram of it, I am reminded of Eileen’s brother, in happier times.

Now it’s not that often that I pour a dram of any of these whiskies, and I have to be in the right frame of mind, when I do so. The best time is when I’m feeling contemplative, because at these moments, a glass of single malt whisky is the perfect accompaniment. I’m also partial to a drop of single malt, when I’ve either got a cold, or can feel one coming on. There’s more than a hint of truth in the saying “for medicinal purposes” because the warming mouthfeel, along with the accompanying and equally important aromas, does make one feel better, even if there is no real scientific or medicinal basis behind this effect.

Finally, if you’re considering dipping your toes into the single-malt whisky scene, it’s worth noting that there are five Scotch Whisky regions - Speyside, Lowland, Highland, Campbeltown, and Islay. Each offers a different take on Scotch Whisky, as these guidance notes from the trade, demonstrate.

Speyside is the most densely populated of the Scottish whisky regions, famous for fertile glens and the River Spey. Its whiskies are known for being frugal with peat and full of fruit. Apple, pear, honey, vanilla and spice all have a part a role in expressions from this region, which are commonly matured in Sherry casks.

Lowland malts are characterised by both their softness and smoothness, and whiskies from this region, offer a gentle, elegant palate reminiscent of grass, honeysuckle, cream, ginger, toffee, toast and cinnamon. The whiskies are often lighter in character and perfect for pre-dinner drinks.

Highland this region, which also takes in the islands, has a huge diversity of flavours and characters. From lighter whiskies all the way through salty coastal malts, the Highlands offers a Scotch for all palates.

Campbeltown whiskies are varied and full of flavour. Hints of salt, smoke, fruit, vanilla and toffee mingle in whiskies of robust and rich character.

Islay (pronounced "eye-luh") is an island where the majority of its population are involved in whisky production. Famous for fiery, heavily peated whiskies, and home to my favourite distillery, Laphroaig.

I trust you’ve enjoyed this whistle-stop tour around the world of single-malt, Scotch whisky, and if you want to learn more, there are plenty of books, and online information to guide you, so in the meantime, Slange Var.