A gentleman’s liquor cabinet should be a thing of pride. It can tell of travels, anniversaries and late-night shopping mishaps, but at the heart of it all should be whiskey. Always whiskey. End the day with whiskey, celebrate with whiskey, sit down with whiskey for a spiel, give gifts with whiskey. As Paul Newman, playing pool hustler and liquor salesman Fast Eddie Felson, says in the opening sequence of Scorsese’s The Color of Money, “It has an effect on you like nothing else can. You just want to lie back and let it roll over you.”
There’s a time and place for just about any amber liquid, and it pays to know a little bit about it. You may have always believed in the mantra “the older the better,” which is a good (and often expensive) place to start, but there are as many nuances to quality as there are tasting notes in the glass. Let’s start with some basics.
How to Drink Whisky
It’s all very well ordering a glass or two of the best whiskey you can afford, but if you don’t understand how to taste it, you won’t be able to fully appreciate it. Once you learn the basics, it’s easier to determine what you like and don’t like, which is key to developing a taste.
“Make sure your palate is clear – so take a sip of ice water before you taste,” says Georgie Bell, global brand ambassador for Craigellachie. “I like to taste it in a tulip-shaped sniffing cup, although a rocks glass will work too. Bring the liquid to your nose and take a short, sharp sip, keeping your mouth open as you sniff, to get your blood flowing.
“Focus on the flavors you taste and think about the clues given on the bottle. If it’s matured in bourbon casks, you might taste notes of vanilla, toffee, fudge and coconut. If it’s matured in sherry casks, you might taste chocolate and rich fruit.
“Then take a sip and think not only about the flavour but also the finish: how the whisky feels in your mouth (smooth or harsh) and how long the flavour lingers.” Memorise a few key adjectives from each whisky you’ve tasted previously to reference for future purchases: sweet, peaty, smooth, round and honeyed will all help the bartender guide you in your selection.
The Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Whisky is the first spirit, produced in the Scottish Highlands. The first mention of uisge beatha (ancient Gaelic for “water of life”) dates to the 15th century, but many believe Scottish farmers were distilling whisky-style drinks from surplus barley hundreds of years earlier. The Scots have been doing it the longest, and many believe they’ve done it the best.
“There are a lot of differences between bourbon and whiskey, but the most common ones are geographical differences,” says Jason Glynn, bar manager at the whiskey specialist Iron Stag in Hoxton, London. “Bourbon is made in the US, while whiskey is mainly made in the UK, Ireland and Japan, but there are now a wide range of whiskeys from all over the world. Different styles and countries have different regulations for whiskeys, such as alcohol content and the proportion of grain in the mash bill. [the ingredients list]For a spirit to be called bourbon, it must contain at least 51% corn and be aged in new American oak barrels.”
Scotch whisky, on the other hand, has a much wider variety. It is divided into five categories: single malt whisky, single grain whisky, blended malt whisky, blended grain whisky, and blended Scotch whisky. All of these whiskies must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years. Any number you see on the bottle is called an “age statement,” which refers to the youngest whisky used in the blend, or the youngest age the liquid has spent in the barrel.
Variety is king – types of Scotch whisky
Single Malt Whisky
Most people consider this to be the highest quality whisky – made from only water and malted barley in the stills of the same distillery. As it is only produced in one region, it is considered the purest expression of whisky produced in this specific region and therefore commands a higher price. The Macallan has always produced excellent single malt whiskies.
Single grain
Single grain whisky is the inferior version of single malt whisky. Single grain whisky must be produced by the same distillery, but confusingly, it is not necessarily from a single grain. Single grain whisky is usually made from wheat or corn, or a blend of the two. David Beckham’s Haig Club is a good example of a single grain whisky.
Blended Whisky
According to Scotch Whisky regulations, blended Scotch whisky must be a blend of two or more single malt whiskies that have been distilled at more than one distillery. Royal Salute produces excellent blended whiskies at a variety of affordable prices. We love this 21 year old whisky.
Blended malt
Blended malt whisky, once known as “cask malt” or “single malt”, is a blend of single malt whiskies from different distilleries. Johnnie Walker is arguably the best-known representative of top-quality blended malt whiskies. Blended grain whisky is a blend of two or more single grain Scotch whiskies distilled at multiple distilleries. Compass Box’s blended grain whisky is one of the best examples.
So what is best?
All whisky experts agree that “best” is entirely subjective. “Basically, you need a good distiller who knows what he’s doing and understands the process,” says Tristan Stephenson, co-founder of whisky subscription service Whisky-Me and award-winning bar Black Rock.
“Good casks are a big factor,” says Elliott Davies, bar manager at Genuine Liquorette in London. Keep in mind the casks your drink came from, whether it’s sherry, port, rum or wine casks. The flavour profile will remain similar regardless of the age and price of the spirit, which is a good starting point for deciding what you like.
The best Scotch whisky
It’s a big category and everyone has their favorites. “For Scotch boys, I like to recommend Lagavulin 8-Year-Old,” Davis said. “It’s a great way to get started.”
Peated is a common word used to describe the flavour of Scotch whisky, and whether you like it or not, you can tell pretty quickly. Basically, it’s a smoky flavour that lingers on the palate. “Peaty whisky is mainly produced on Islay, the southernmost island in the Inner Hebrides,” says Green.
“They are peaty from the very beginning of production. During the malting process, the maltster adds peat (decomposed plant matter) to the fire during the drying process, which will impart a smoky flavour to the final whisky. The more peat you put on the fire, and the longer you leave it on, will determine how peaty your whisky will be,” Bell says.
This creates a certain level of smoky flavour, known as phenol parts per million, or PPM. Laphroaig 10 Year Old has a PPM of 45, making it one of the most peated beers on the market. If you find the smokiness too much, you can opt for a less peated beer, just check the PPM rating and choose that.
The best bourbon
Today, the category is about the same size as Scotch. In the early days of bourbon production, travelling Americans brought back whiskey from England and tried to copy it, but the quality was poor. The Scots insisted that non-Scotch whiskey should be spelled “whiskey”, using the “e” as an indicator or lower-grade spirit. However, the craft in America is now just as sophisticated as Scotland’s. “I really like Angel’s Envy bourbon,” says Bell of Craigellachie. “It’s finished in port wine casks, so it has rich notes of vanilla toffee, dark chocolate and ruby fruit. I like to drink it straight up, or stir it in a Manhattan cocktail. It’s a great everyday drink.” Be warned, though, it’s not easy to buy in the UK, but it does make a great gift for whisky lovers.
The best Irish whiskey
“If you put a gun to my head, I would say Bushmills 16 is the best whiskey I’ve ever had,” says Iron Stag’s Glynn. “It’s aged in bourbon barrels, with port pipes on the still, and sherry casks. It’s smooth and easy to drink, and I’ve used it many times as an example of an approachable whiskey to get people into it.” Irish whiskey is traditionally smoother than Scotch and bourbon, largely due to its triple distillation process, where it’s filtered three times.
In the late 19th century, Irish whiskey was the world’s most popular spirit, with many distilleries producing around 2 million gallons of whiskey per year. By comparison, Scottish distilleries produced about 5% of that amount at the time. Most Irish distilleries closed in the early 20th century due to low production capacity, trade wars with Britain, and Prohibition. Bushmills was the only distillery to survive. It’s only in the last 50 years that Irish producers have returned to their roots, driving a renaissance in the spirit. Irish whiskey is always less peaty and often has more caramel notes than Scotch and American whiskeys.
