This year sees the 10th anniversary of World Whiskey Day, but do you know the difference between whiskies? Here are some quick facts about Whiskies to ponder over whilst you have a wee dram.
The word ‘whisky’ comes from the Gaelic phrase, ‘UisceBeatha’ which means the Water of Life, hence why whisky is called ‘The Water of Life’.
A 25ml shot of whisky only contains 64 calories.
Scotland exports 42 bottles of whisky every second.
What makes a Scotch Whisky?
Scotch whisky must be made in Scotland. The manufacturing, bottling and labelling is governed by the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009.
The five most common regions of whisky in Scotland are
o Campbeltown
o Highlands and Islands
o Islay
o Lowlands
o Speyside
There are also five different types of Scotch whisky:
o Single Malt Scotch Whisky: this must be distilled at a single distillery.
o Single Grain Scotch Whisky: this must also be distilled at a single distillery, but it is made from cereal grains as well as malted barley.
o Blended Scotch Whisky: this is a blend of two or more single malt Scotch Whiskies from different distilleries.
o Blended Malt Scotch Whisky: this is a blend of two or more single malt Scotch Whiskies from different distilleries.
o Blended Grain Scotch Whisky: this is a blend of single grain Scotch Whiskies that have been distilled at more than one distillery.
Scotch Whisky Versus Irish Whisky
Firstly, note the spelling. Scotch Whisky has no ‘e’ in it.
Scotch Whisky is made from malted barley.
Irish Whiskey is made from unmalted barley.
Scotch Whisky is distilled twice.
Irish Whiskey is distilled three times, making it much smoother.
Scotch Whisky has a fuller, heavier taste.
Irish Whiskey has a lighter and smoother flavour.
So now you know your whiskies, why not pop along to the show to sample some of the great tastes and blends from the whisky makers, including:
Spirit of Yorkshire. http://www.spiritofyorkshire.com
Alternative Liqueurs Ltd
Jackandgins Many
