Wine drinkers are, by nature and temperament, restless souls, endlessly searching for that new taste experience. Syrah, Albarino, Pinot Grigio, Petite Sirah, aged Cognac and Sherry; the adventure never stops.
The latest drink to attract the wine crowd is single malt Scotch whisky,
the complex super nova grain-based spirit with many parallels to the finest aged grape wines. Both drinks rely on simple ingredients (grape or grain), vary stylistically based on regionality and develop complexity and depth from aging in oak barrels.
To understand the basics, you need to know for starters that single malt whisky, as it is commonly known, is made from malted barley and pure water. Originally an artisan spirit distilled from hand-malted locally grown barley, single malt whisky today is distilled throughout Scotland. All but a handful of distilleries purchase their malted barley from a maltings house which custom malts barley to the distilleries individual specifications. A few distilleries, like the Balvenie, have their own malting floor. Malting is the process where fresh barley is germinated (malting), dried and then “peated” or smoked in a kiln, fueled by logs of organic peat. The peatiness of a whisky is measured in parts per million, with Islay malts like Cao Ila and Ardbeg considered the peatiest, both carrying a hefty measure of pungency that many liken to iodine or seaweed.
Today, there are over 100 malt distilleries scattered throughout Scotland, although the number changes with the economy. Single malts can be divided into the lighter weighted lower peated Lowland whiskies, the medium to heavy weight Highland malts with varying amounts of peatiness and the distinctive, often heavily peated Island malts, such as those from Islay, Orkney and Skye. A more traditional division also includes Campbeltown malts, reflecting a small group of distinctive single malts from the southwestern Kintyre Peninsula. Of the original 21 distilleries, only Springbank and Glen Scotia continue to operate.
The largest concentration of distilleries is along the River Spey in the Highlands producing whiskies known popularly as Speyside malts. Some groupings list single malts from the northern islands (Orkney, Skye) as Northern Highland Single Malts, while other classifications divide the Highlands into Northern Highlands, Speyside and Southern Highlands. Consumers, especially those wine fans new to single malts, are advised to use the groupings only as a guide, letting your personal preference define your favored style.Critical to the style of any single malt whisky is the source of the water used in the distillation. Generally, soft, low-mineral water comes from an unpolluted stream, often owned or controlled by the distillery, although artisan wells are used by some distilleries. Another key factor defining style is the size and shape of the still used. All single malt
whisky is twice distilled in a copper pot still, while grain whisky and other spirits are usually processed in a continuous still. The length and angle of the condensing pipe or worm that sits on top of the pot still also influences the style and density of the final spirit. Many whisky experts believe that when a still needs repair or a worn panel needs to be replaced, every dent and depression must be hammered into the new panel to match exactly the surface of the old panel. The slightest change in the still, some say, can profoundly change the character of the whisky.
Single malt whisky is aged in oak, traditionally once-used Bourbon barrels. In recent years, the practice for a large number of malt distilleries was to age the malt whisky first in Bourbon wood, followed by a second maturation in oak barrels previously used to age different types of wines, such as Sherry, Port, Madeira, Bordeaux red and Sauternes, to name a few. Single malts carry an age designation but rarely a “vintage.” Popular malts are aged 12 Years, 18 Years, 24 Years and older.
For many years, large drinks companies with a popular brand of blended Scotch whisky like Chivas or Johnny Walker, owned the majority of the malt whisky distilleries, using single malts as essential components in their blended whiskies. But the popularity of single malts caught on and sales rose, then fell when demand decreased, eventually causing many of Scotland’s single malt distilleries to close.
By the late 1980s, single malts made a comeback and today the market for a wide range of malt whisky is strong and getting stronger. As the demand increases, shuttered distilleries are re-opening and brands that had long-laid dormant are experiencing new life.
Popularity of single malt whisky is strong in today’s market, due in large part to the innovation of what is called double-wood aging. In the next part of this blog on single malt whisky, I’ll address the various double-wood aged malts.
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