Travel from Ireland to Japan without leaving your home…
by pouring a glass of whiskey. Here’s 13 types you should know about.
As the name might imply, Irish single malt whiskey comes from the emerald isle of
Ireland. And the name also might imply,
it must come from a single malt, rather than a blend of malts, according to Vinepair.
That is to say, when barley is malted in the whiskey production process, different malts are
sometimes put together in the same barrel to create complex or contrasting flavors.
In the case of Irish single malt — indeed, all single malts — only one may be used.
"Are you drunk?"
"I couldn't handle the pressure, Stewie. We Irish, we have a deep sadness."
In addition to these guidelines,
Irish single malt must also be aged in oak for at least three years before being bottled,
and all of this must happen at the same distillery, according to Master of Malt.
As far as tasting notes, these can vary widely depending on the distillery,
and how long it's aged the whiskey. Bushmills is probably the best known
Irish single malt on the market, and it is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world.
It often ages its whiskeys in sherry and port casks,
giving fruity aromas and flavors to many of its creations.
With single grain whiskey, the word "single" means something a
little different than it does with single malt. Somewhat confusingly,
single grain whiskeys can use one grain or a variety of grains, depending on the recipe.
But it must all come from one single distillery, and in the case of Irish single grain – and Scotch
too – it must be aged for a minimum of three years. It's also frequently triple distilled.
Single grains are more of an ingredient than a standalone product, often blended with single
malts and other whiskeys to create signature blends. You won't find a ton of them out there
for purchase, though Jameson's Black Barrel Proof is one example, as is Hyde's Cask Strength 8 Year.
Irish single grains are easy drinking and tend to skew on the sweeter side. They're aged in
used barrels as well, and avoid the smoky notes that whiskeys aged in charred barrels can have.
Irish Single Pot Still is Ireland's most unique whiskey, a form of single malt that
can only be produced in that country. The main differentiator between Irish single pot
still whiskey and regular Irish single malt is that it is made from unmalted,
or "green" barley, which gives it a grittier, grainier, almost earthy flavor.
The special-to-Ireland style is also made in a pot still — a copper still with a craned neck,
as opposed to a column still, the type used for clearer spirits like tequila and rum.
It's not abundantly common, especially in the United States market, but some
brands to look out for are Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength and Green Spot.
"Hey, Michael McCloud just invented a new kind of beverage in his basement."
"Hmm. Whiskey."
If you're good at stuff like deduction, you may have figured out that Scotch whisky is
from Scotland. But within that country you'll find
a number of distinct styles depending on the region where it was distilled.
The largest, and most varied, is Highland Scotch, which encompasses the northern part
of Scotland ranging from the mountains to the furthest islands, according to The Whiskey Wash.
This region became Hollywood-famous as the setting for films like "Braveheart"
and James Bond's "Skyfall," but it's fairly unpopulated today.
Most whiskys from this diverse region are single malts, meaning they came from a single distillery,
made from all malted barley. The region is vast, and because terrain varies throughout
the highlands, it's hard to drill down one specific flavor profile.
That said, Highland Scotch often has a peaty tone with a floral and silky smooth mouth feel,
though citrus and smoke are also prevalent in many varieties.
Common Highland Scotches you may find are Oban, Glenmorangie, and Talisker.
Lowland Scotch comes from the southern part of Scotland, a flatter, more agriculturally oriented
region of the country.. These Scotches are milder than their northern brethren,
the vast farmlands producing a whisky that's neither peaty nor hefty.
The abundance of corn and wheat in the region allows Lowland Scotches to use grains other than
malted barley, mostly corn and wheat. Lowland whiskys are also typically triple-distilled in
column stills, giving them a mild, smooth profile that's earned them the nickname, "Lowland Ladies."
This smoothness makes Lowland Scotches well suited to those new to whisky, and also makes them
popular in blends. Honeysuckle, cream, ginger, and toffee are the most commonly-cited tasting notes.
You won't find a ton of Lowland whiskeys on the shelf,
but if you can get your hands on some Ailsa Bay, give it a try.
Scotland boasts over 790 different islands and to stand out as THE Scottish island with its own
style of whisky, you've gotta be doing something right. Or, at least, something different.
Such is the case with Islay, an island of just over 3,000 people, according to Islay Info,
where nearly everyone is in the whisky business. Islay Scotches are known for their peat — an
earthy, mouth-puckering flavor. Some love it, some hate it. But Islay does it best.
Legend has it Islay is where the first Scotch whiskeys were made, though that's never been
confirmed and its creations are unlike anything else in the country. You'll find strong notes
of smoke, pepper, and earth in nearly every Islay Scotch, though some hit a lot harder than others.
They're nearly all complex, and few could be described as "easy
drinking." But if you're in for an adventure, try Laphoraig, Ardberg,
or Lagavulin, all of which are relatively easy to find in America.
Probably the most commonly-found Scotch whiskies are Speyside, originating from
a northeastern coastal section of the country. It's the most densely populated whisky region in
Scotland, and as such boasts over half the nation's distilleries and biggest brands.
Names like Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and Cardhu — Johnnie Walker's first distillery — all come from
Speyside. So if you've tried Scotch, odds are you've tried one of these.
Cardhu can be broken down into two varieties: sweet and grassy. These
notes are a result of the casks used to age the whiskeys. For a fruitier flavor,
distillers use oak casks. For the earthier, lighter flavor sherry casks are the move.
Speysides are a little peatier than Lowland whiskies,
but not quite as strong as those from Islay.
In America, bourbon and whiskey are often used interchangeably when describing a grain spirit,
typically originating somewhere in the South. And while that's somewhat correct,
it's not entirely accurate.
Bourbon is a very specific type of whiskey,
so referring to your Wild Turkey as "whiskey" is all good. But throwing any
old brown spirit into a glass and calling it bourbon isn't always going to hold up.
"I have freighted iron stones up harder grades than this."
First thing's first: For a whiskey to call itself bourbon, it has to be made with 51% or more corn.
It can use other grains too, but to achieve the desired sweetness it has to be over half corn.
Then, the spirit needs to be aged in never-used charred oak barrels for at least two years.
This is why you often see American bourbon barrels when you tour distilleries in
Scotland — each barrel can only be used once, so they've gotta go somewhere,
and they're often sent on to second lives aging liquors like Scotch, rum, and tequila.
Further, the original mash has to be distilled to 160 proof, then aged until it's 125 proof or less.
Finally, bourbon must be diluted to 80 proof, or about 40% Alcohol By Volume.
Bourbon usually swings to the sweet side, with strong influences from oak, caramel, and vanilla.
Tennessee Whiskey is a special style of bourbon that can only be produced in Tennessee – in a
process by which every whiskey must be charcoal filtered before it's bottled.
This gives it a slightly different flavor than other bourbons,
and accounts for the distinct notes you'll find in names like Jack Daniel's.
Like all bourbons, Tennessee whiskey is overwhelmingly sweet with vanilla,
caramel, and oak overtones. But you may also notice a bit more smoothness in this variety,
thanks to its extra charcoal filtering.
Rye is a form of American whiskey, made from 51%
or more rye grain. Rye follows most of the same production rules as bourbon does, too,
requiring an initial proof of no more than 160 that's diluted down to 125 proof or less – yes,
it's a science! It is also aged in brand new charred oak barrels. But rye differs in that
it must be aged at least two years, and it cannot be mixed with any other spirit to be called rye.
But just because rye whiskey uses a similar grain to the bread you use
for a pastrami sandwich, don't expect the flavor to be even remotely similar.
Rye whiskey is a lot sharper than bourbon, credited to the different grain.
Beyond that, flavors really depend on which one you're drinking.
George Dickel, Bulleit, and Wild Turkey are some of the brands you may commonly see.
"You know this is a bar, you can't bring in your own bottle."
"You carry Bulleit bourbon?"
"No."
"Yeah, well I do."
American Single Malt is sort of the wild west of American spirits,
as the relatively new genre doesn't really have anything regulating what it has to be.
In its essence, American Single Malt is a U.S. take on the Scotch and Irish original,
a malted barley whiskey aged in sherry or bourbon casks and aged for different amounts of time.
But because whiskeys age differently in America depending on where they're
located — a whiskey in Arizona will age very differently than one in
Seattle — there's no aging minimum, nor even a claim to a whiskey's age.
According to ScotchWhisky.com, the relatively-new American Single Malt Commission has proposed
some guidelines for the young category, suggesting a 100% malted barley mash,
distilled at no more than 160 proof and bottled at no more than 125 proof.
Flavors generally mirror Scotch and Irish whiskeys to a point,
the malted barley giving many a smoky, toasted flavor. If you're up for trying some,
Stranahan's from Colorado and Balcones in Texas are known for their single malts.
Where American whiskey styles like bourbon and rye have strict regulations as to the types of grains,
barrels, and filtering used in the production process,
in Canada the only rule is pretty much as follows:
"It has to come from Canada."
Ok, so that's not completely true. A Canadian whiskey must be made up of
cereal grain products – wheat, rye, corn, rice, oats, barley, and sorghum – be aged
in wood barrels of under 700 liters for a minimum of three years. In addition,
"[It must] possess the aroma, taste, and character generally attributed to Canadian whisky."
Pretty vague, yes, especially since Canadian whiskeys are also allowed to use caramel coloring
and up to 9.09% flavoring. Most are wheat-based,
since the country has an abundance of that particular grain.
Because the rules are all over the place, so are flavors.
But Canadian Club and Crown Royal are the two brands you'll probably encounter most.
Japanese Whisky might be the hottest new kid on the block, with one study reporting
the global market for it has been growing steadily, and is projected to keep growing.
If you've tried it you probably know why, as the Japanese took a cue from
the Scotch and have crafted their take on the spirit in much the same way.
Many distilleries import their ingredients from Scotland and nearly all of the
country's dozen or so distilleries make a single malt, as reported by TimeOut.
Interestingly, demand for the stuff grew so much that Japanese distilleries weren't able to keep
up, and they began using imported base spirits in their blends to increase production. As a result,
in 2021 Japan finally passed guidelines for what can constitute a Japanese whisky.
By 2024, all Japanese whiskeys must be fermented, aged, and distilled inside Japan.
They must contain some malted grain, use water sourced in Japan, be aged a minimum of three
years, and be bottled in the country. Though it will be a couple of years before you can
guarantee authenticity, you'd still be well served to try Suntory or Nikka if you see it in a bar.
Japanese whisky generally tastes like Scotch, with less peat and more of a nutty flavor.
"For relaxing times, make it Suntory time."