A Journey Of Distillation
At the center of any Scotch whisky, whether it’s single malt, blended or single grain, is the spirit that was first distilled from malted and other cereals, typically barley. That spirit is traditionally distilled a minimum of two times – sometimes more – in copper stills of varying shape and size. The shape of the stills affects the character of the finished whisky.
The copper reacts with the alcohol vapor and strips away impurities, giving Scotch whisky its unique character and smooth taste. Distillation also concentrates the alcohol content. Before the spirit enters cask and begins the maturation process the alcohol content is between 72 and 75% abv.
The Process Of Maturation
Once distilled, the whisky is ready to be aged in oak casks that previously held Scotch whisky. The extra character, caused by the cask, is critical for the final product, so only Scotch whisky casks are used for the maturation process.
The casks are filled with distilled whisky, ready to mature, and then stored in cold, damp, dark warehouses. There, the whisky develops its distinctive flavor, colour and aroma. Fermentation, the process that turns sugary liquid into alcohol, takes place in the cask.
It typically takes between three to twelve years for the whisky to reach maturity and before it is ready to be bottled. Once mature, the whisky is ready to be tasted and the cask is emptied.
Finishing Touches
At this point, the whisky enters the finishing process. The whisky is placed into one or more other casks, meaning that a little more of the cask’s character is added over a few months or years.
Once that’s done, it’s time to bottle the whisky ready for sale, when finally the consumer gets to enjoy a dram and enjoy the fruits of the whisky journey. At this point, the whisky has been distilled at least twice, matured in wooden casks, blended and finished.
How Scotch Impacts and Enhances the Drinking Experience
Once the Scotch is in its bottle, it gains particular personality and character through the entire production process. Imbibers can expect a unique whisky experience and drinking Scotch can be particularly rewarding.
The overall Scotch drinking experience is enhanced through a range of things, from the aromas released from the whisky glass, to the soft flavours that slowly emerge. The unmistakably smoky taste of many popular varieties of Scotch is a unique attraction for the whisky drinker.
The unique character of Scotch whisky is the result of many years distillation and maturation processes, with each whisky boasting its own distinct flavour due to the local ingredients used, and from the inimitable capitalisation on the spirit’s cask aging.
What a Bottle of Scotch Tells Us
Through its journey – from the barley fields, through to the distillery, barrels and finally the glass – each bottle of Scotch whisky tells us a story. Once poured into a glass a single malt speaks of its production, the peat bog that the whisky-maker drew its ingredients from, the years of maturation in dark casks and the final mix of art and science that creates the final product.
As each bottle is hand-crafted, it also tells its own unique story – from the copper stills, to the cask, before being bottled and enjoyed as part of a special occasion. Every Scotch has a unique story, character, and style, and with each sip a new layer of the story is unveiled.
For the whisky enthusiast, the journey of a single bottle of Scotch is long and complex, and all of these stages – almost 500 years of whisky development – culminate in a smooth and special drinking experience.
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