Secrets of production. How to make whiskey

16.08.2019 Egg Dishes

Whiskey is a world famous noble alcoholic beverage. Its production is a laborious and rather long business. There are several varieties of this drink, which depend on the country of manufacture, since each one produces it in its own way and from different composite ingredients. Let's take a closer look at what whiskey is made of and what it is.

Whiskey classification

This drink is of three types: malt, grain and mixed. The first has three types: Barrel - a mixture of malt whiskey from different distilleries. Single malt - it is produced only by one distillery and can be with different multi-year exposure. Malt - taken from only one barrel. It can have a large strength or be diluted to a certain norm. Single malt whiskey is more popular than barrel whiskey, which is aged, like a mixed drink, in oak containers and has a strength of 40 degrees. The recipe was restored in Scotland in 1960. It was previously believed that whiskey should be weakened by blending, as it has a pungent smell and taste. As a result, new varieties were obtained, each of which has its own “highlight”.

Almost the whole grain form of the drink is used for blending, but a small part of it still goes on sale in a pure unchanged form. If additional purification is performed, then the drink is used to make gin and vodka. For the latter, it is distilled up to 5 times.

Mixed is obtained by blending grain and malt. The most popular drink is one where the proportion of pure whiskey is more than 90%, the remaining 10% are additional ingredients. The high content of the malt component is, for example, in the brand "Deluxe".

This drink is divided in Scotland itself into five different types, distinguished by strength and taste: single malt, grain, blended, malt blend and grain blend. From the very beginning, Scotland produced malt Scotch whiskey, for the manufacture of which barley was used. The malt was dried with hot air (with smoke from marsh peat), mixed with water to produce wort, fermented and distilled. The result was alcohol, which was aged in oak barrels. The taste is greatly affected by water, peat, a drink that was previously contained in this barrel, and the location of the distillery (near a swamp or the sea). All whiskey in Scotland is mostly blended, in its pure form is rare.

This drink is considered the oldest in Europe. For the most part, it has a triple distillation, and when drying malt, peat is used extremely rarely, and therefore there is no taste of smoke in it. It comes in four types: single malt, single grain, pure and blended. Depending on the variety, the exposure of the drink can be from eight to fifteen years. What are whiskeys made of? They make it from barley and malt. Cereals are added: wheat, rye, oats. Nevertheless, the main component in the drink is natural water. If there are additives, they are indicated on the label of the bottle. Only barley malt can be used, but produced from various varieties of this cereal. Or whiskey can be made from only one variety, but at the same time. Mixed species are the most common and most popular. Currently, Ireland uses seven steps in the manufacture of a drink.

Drying of the malt, aging of the drink, distillation, blending and other preparation takes place. At the final stage, the master determines the nature of the variety, while sometimes combining up to forty different ingredients. Then everything is filtered, diluted with water to the required strength and sent for bottling.

How to make whiskey overseas? The history of the Canadian drink originates in 1794, and in 1840 separate small distilleries appeared. And from the very beginning, Canadian whiskey was like light alcohol, not at all like the noble drink of Europe. Then it was finalized. For its manufacture use corn, rye and wheat. The technology is non-classical, so even the aftertaste is very different from drinks from other countries.

What are whiskeys made in America? The main type of this drink in the USA is bourbon, which is distinguished by its production, because corn is used for production, not barley. Whiskey is aged in oak barrels, which are burned inside using special technologies. It is due to this innovation that the drink has a unique taste and aroma that distinguishes it from European counterparts.

What are whiskeys made in Japan? This drink is the youngest in the whole world. Japanese whiskey is in fifth place in the world among the leaders of alcohol. And strangely enough, the inhabitants of this island state themselves drink the national drink sake much less often than it does. This whiskey is very close in style and manufacturing technology to the Scottish one. Most blended brands in Japan contain a different percentage of malt from the UK.

Nevertheless, Scotch whiskey and Japanese - the drinks are different. The difference is less “smoke”, because not so much peat is used in the manufacture. The production technology is similar to Scottish. In Japan there are both malt distilleries and a grain drink. They are also aged in barrels. Only the latest made from Japanese oak.

How classic whiskeys are made: barley is placed for a period of 2 to 4 days in special vats containing water. Briefly they are called "barley baths". Then the cereal goes to the dryer for 12 days. There they turn it over every day so that it sprouts. On the 13th day, it is dried over hot peat or fire, and then crushed with a special mill. In order for the sugar that forms during germination to dissolve in water, the resulting “flour” is poured with hot water. It turns out a liquid called a must. It is completely alcohol free and very sweet. Then yeast is added to it and insisted for a couple of days. During this time, fermentation begins and malt milk is obtained - the so-called low-alcohol liquid. Then distillation begins, for which different apparatuses are used. Moreover, their configuration greatly affects the resulting whiskey. After the process, the main usable portion of the distillate is separated. This whiskey production technology is used almost everywhere in the world. The resulting alcohol is diluted with water to the desired concentration and poured into barrels, where it costs from 3 to 15 years.

The benefits of whiskey

Everyone knows about the dangers of alcohol, but this alcoholic drink can also be beneficial if consumed in small quantities. For example, it perfectly relieves stress, protects against osteoporosis, prevents and treats colds. But only if whiskey is drunk in moderation.

Its production is a laborious and rather long business. There are several varieties of this drink, which depend on the country of manufacture, since each one produces it in its own way and from different composite ingredients. Let's take a closer look at what whiskey is made of and what it is.

Whiskey classification

This drink is of three types: malt, grain and mixed. The first has three types:

Barrel is a mixture of malt whiskey from different distilleries.
Single malt - it is produced only by one distillery and can be with different multi-year exposure.
Malt - taken from only one barrel. It can have a large strength or be diluted to a certain norm.

Single malt whiskey is more popular than barrel whiskey, which is aged, like a mixed drink, in oak containers and has a strength of 40 degrees. The recipe was restored in Scotland in 1960. It was previously believed that whiskey should be weakened by blending, as it has a pungent smell and taste. As a result, new varieties were obtained, each of which has its own “highlight”.

Scotch whiskey is one of the most popular

This drink is divided in Scotland itself into five different types, distinguished by strength and taste: single malt, grain, blended, malt blend and grain blend.

From the very beginning, Scotland produced malt Scotch whiskey, for the manufacture of which barley was used. The malt was dried with hot air (with smoke from marsh peat), mixed with water to produce wort, fermented and distilled. The result was alcohol, which was aged in oak barrels.

The taste is greatly affected by water, peat, a drink that was previously contained in this barrel, and the location of the distillery (near a swamp or the sea). All whiskey in Scotland is mostly blended, in its pure form is rare.

Irish whiskey is one of the leaders

What are whiskeys made of? They make it from barley and malt. Cereals are added: wheat, rye, oats. Nevertheless, the main component in the drink is natural water. If there are additives, they are indicated on the label of the bottle. Only barley malt can be used, but produced from various varieties of this cereal. Or whiskey can be made from only one variety, but at the same time. Mixed species are the most common and most popular. Currently, Ireland uses seven steps in the manufacture of a drink.

Whiskey made in the USA and Canada

How do whiskey overseas? The history of the Canadian drink originates in 1794, and in 1840 separate small distilleries appeared. And from the very beginning, Canadian whiskey was like light alcohol, not at all like the noble drink of Europe. Then it was finalized. For its manufacture use corn, rye and wheat. The technology is non-classical, so even the aftertaste is very different from drinks from other countries.

Japanese whiskey

Classic whiskey technology

Then yeast is added to it and insisted for a couple of days. During this time, fermentation begins and malt milk is obtained - the so-called low-alcohol liquid. Then distillation begins, for which different apparatuses are used. Moreover, their configuration greatly affects the resulting whiskey. After the process, the main usable portion of the distillate is separated. This whiskey production technology is used almost everywhere in the world. The resulting alcohol is diluted with water to the desired concentration and poured into barrels, where it costs from 3 to 15 years.

The benefits of whiskey

07.04.2014 / 421

Whiskey. This drink is a real cultural dominant of Western civilization, especially the Anglo-Saxon part of it, which has now largely won the status of the number one global strong drink.

This happened largely due to the fact that whiskey is really worthy in every way “strong man”. But do not neglect the marketing myth of whiskey, as an indispensable attribute of Western alcohol culture, which allowed through many powerful brands to implant in the consumer's mind a love of the ancient Celtic drink on all continents.

A brief excursion into history

The word “whiskey” itself is a tracing-paper from the Celtic language uisce beatha / uisge beatha (in the transcription it sounds like “uishke beyatha” and literally means “water of life” - tracing-paper from the Latin expression aqua vitae.

It is believed that the art of distilling low-alcohol mash was brought to Scotland by Christian missionaries who had to replace grapes with barley in the British Isles. Having passed the chain uisge - uisce - fuisce - uiskie, as well as a number of technological and taste improvements, and finally becoming whiskey, the drink began to subjugate the tastes of the local population.

However, the copyright for the invention immediately began to challenge the Irish. According to them, a similar process on the Emerald Isle was launched by St. Patrick, who began to smoke immediately after the completion of the baptism of pagan Ireland.

Both peoples made a significant contribution to the development of the drink: the Irishman Enes Coffey significantly improved the distillation distillation cube in 1830, while the very first such installation was built by the Scot Robert Stein.

It was their joint work that caused the revolution in production in the second half of the 19th century - distilleries got the opportunity to significantly increase production volumes, it became possible to talk about the emergence of a new industry in the structure of the British and Irish economy.

It was then that the first large companies specializing in this segment appeared, and used a huge space for creativity, provided by new technologies for the production of whiskey drinks, regional traditions and a variety of ingredients.

It was then that the first experiments began on mixing various brands of barrel whiskey to create unique aromas and tastes.

But, like any technological revolution, the process had a flip side - the word “whiskey” was legally allowed to call young, three-year-old alcohols, and producers began to replace barley with wheat and corn, adding malt varieties “for taste” to reduce costs.

It is these processes that have led to the abundance of varieties, brands and brands that make up the real galaxy of whiskey today.

Whiskey happens ...

In modern English, you can find two spellings of the word whiskey - that is produced in Scotland, Canada and Japan, usually referred to as whiskey.

Drinks from Ireland or America are most often referred to as whiskey. The addition of “e” took place at the end of the 19th century to highlight its products - that is, a purely marketing move that says nothing to us about the taste and quality of the product.

The standard strength of whiskey varies in the range of 40-50%, but nobody limits the scope for creativity of the creators of drinks, so you can also find varieties with a strength of 60%.

First of all, whiskey is malt (malt) - the drink is obtained from pure barley malt and aged, not mixed with other types of whiskey, such as grain.

The most ideological pure whiskey of this kind is single malt whiskey produced by one distillery, sometimes they mix different years of aging of one grade. This, in fact, is the gold standard of whiskey, the original.

Single malt whiskey is a gourmet delight offering a huge selection of original flavors, many of which will be appreciated only by people with very specific preferences. At the same time, single malt plants contain a rich layer of interesting drinks that can give many pleasant moments to the taste buds of a connoisseur.

This is the real soul of Scotland, drinks that require a thoughtful attitude to consumption, savoring either in the company of trusted people who will not distract from the process, or even alone.

The most famous brands are Laphroaig, Maccalan, Glenfiddich, Isle of Jura, Tallisker, Highland and many others, abundantly presented on the shelves of numerous Irish and English pubs and bars, as well as in alcoholic supermarkets in the Russian Federation.

Single malt whiskeys are usually the most expensive drinks compared to other whiskey classes. The production of many single malts is a small business, at least in comparison with the popular brands of widespread and more understandable blended varieties - the capacities are lower, the volumes of production are more modest, the production cycle is longer: all this in total is the reason that a good single malt starts cost from 1,500 rubles per bottle, and there are no limits to this indicator at all.

There is a class of collection single-maltsoviks of very long exposure, but in bars and shops it is extremely difficult to find them - these are gift drinks for very wealthy citizens.
One of the varieties of single malt drinks is single cask. Malt whiskey from a single barrel, not miscible with anything. That is, how they poured, how they left for aging, they also opened and bottled them, adding nothing and changing nothing.

There is a quarter cask whiskey - the same single cask malt whiskey, but from a smaller barrel, usually stronger (up to 50% - the so-called barrel strength - cask strength, which also indicates the originality of the drink and the absence of encroachments on its integrity).

There is also a mixed malt whiskey - blended malt, which is a mixture of malt whiskey from various distilleries. By and large, this same singlemolt - at least in taste. Only very big connoisseurs and deep domain experts will be able to distinguish mixed "mols" from the originals.

This technology allows you to get original tastes, combine in one bottle the best of several varieties of single malt drinks.

The place of manufacture of whiskey should generally be given the closest attention - for example, varieties made on the island of Islay are historically very different from most other varieties.

A lot of smuggled whiskey was driven on the islands, and to speed up the production process, barley was dried on smoke from peat burned, the taste of the finished drink received, first of all, notes of smoke, the signature “smoked taste”, as well as marine, bright iodine aromas that cannot be confused either with what. This is a purely Scottish "chip", not used in Ireland. The malt for Irish whiskey is dried in the ovens, and the drink passes through a triple distillation - the necessary softness is reported, which is not characteristic of most Scottish “singlemolts”.

In general, Scotland's singlemolts are divided into regions into Highland Single Malts, Speyside Single Malts, the mentioned Islay Single Malts, Lowland Single Malts and Campbeltown Single Malts.

Grain whiskey - the so-called “technical” whiskey — is not to be confused with technical alcohol. The term means only the fact that the drink is almost never used in its pure form for sale, but is produced for further blending purposes.

If you try, you can find single grain whiskey for sale - pure grain whiskey by analogy with single malt, but the task is not one of the simple ones due to the specificity of the drink (the almost complete absence of smell and pronounced taste characteristic of classic whiskey). It should be understood that by grain we mean the same grains of malt, which are simply not germinated, as in the case of classics.

In Scotland, there are only four brands of pure grain whiskey in bottles: Glen Wolf, Black Barrel, Glen Clyde and Invergordon.

Blended whiskey - blended or blended whiskey. The most popular and common type of whiskey in the world. According to various estimates, today it accounts for up to 90% of global production. Not to be confused with the blended malt described above - the varieties of blended whiskey include different alcohols - malt, grain, wheat, rye - while blended malt is always a mixture of only malt alcohols.

The very concept of “whiskey” is associated with blended whiskey varieties among inexperienced consumer masses. It is the blend that fills supermarket shelves at an affordable price and misleads many alcohol lovers about the whole kingdom of whiskey. “I drank this your whiskey, rare rubbish,” says the average consumer in the Russian Federation, who tried some cheap “compote” of young spirits worth 499 rubles per bottle of 0.7 liters.

Brands John Dewar's, Johnnie Walker, Jameson, White Horse, Famous Grouse and many, many others (“thousands of them”) are the brightest representatives of this class, sometimes also called “table” or “consumer whiskey” (something like “homemade wine” "- affordable, high-quality drink without frills).

Nevertheless, there is a certain gradation inside blended whiskye - brands such as Red Breast or Chivas Regal are distinguished by a high content of high-quality malt alcohols in their composition, which leads to a very high level of drink quality and price. The addition of "Deluxe" (Deluxe) may be added to the name of such varieties.

The same Johnny Walker ranges from Red Label, a very modest drink by the standards of connoisseurs in taste, to quite high-quality by the standards of the same connoisseurs of Green, Gold, Blue or Platinum Label - extremely expensive and tasty whiskeys.

As a rule, in the production of blended whiskey in modern conditions, the traditional technology, aging time and many other nuances of the old distilleries are violated - the drinks are impersonal, standardized and indistinguishable from one another, but otherwise the world demand cannot be met.

Finally, bourbon is an American corn whiskey produced using special technology (aging in oak barrels burnt from the inside). Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniels and numerous Canadian varieties. An honest drink for adequate money, but not as exquisite as the Old World varieties, and in Great Britain or Ireland they do not consider it for whiskey.

Two other important characteristics of the drink are aging time and, taking into account what has been said about the prevalence of blended whiskey, the actual blending process.

Excerpt

Whiskey is aged in oak barrels. Ideally, in sherry barrels.

If there are none (and it just physically cannot be enough for everyone today), then they are kept in containers made of American white oak, which previously contained bourbon, or simply processed with sherry. The barrel is the most important factor for the maturing of the future whiskey: in it, he gains strength and receives the very recognizable taste and bouquet of aromas.

By law, Scotch whiskey must be aged for at least 3 years. This is the minimum period after which the malt distillate after two or three times distillation gets the right to be called the proud word - whiskey.

As a rule, such “youngsters” are used for blending needs, after passing through which the cheapest temporal brands come into being, they are consumed with pleasure as part of “whiskey and cola” cocktails, or those sold are sold under the “three bottles for two” promotion for 500 rubles and so on.

What goes on to create high-quality and elite varieties - single malt whiskeys are aged for at least 10 years. Classic - 10-12 years of aging, and then up to 21 years. These are already exclusive varieties, and if we talk about exotic, you can find 30-50 year old brands.

In the rest of the world, everything is simpler: good “Ireland” is maintained for an average of 5 years, “Canada” - at least 6 years, of course, there are exceptions (12-year-old Jameson, for example).
After the aging is over, either the time comes to bottle it with subsequent sale, or mix it into new varieties through blending.

Different varieties of blended whiskey can mix different varieties of malt (from 15 to 50 varieties) and grain (3-4) whiskeys of different aging periods (again, at least 3 years).

After receiving the necessary mixture, the time comes to age whiskey again - but here we are no longer talking about years, there is enough time from several weeks to several months of aging.

The meaning of blending is to use cheap grain whiskey, get a product of standard quality and combine the best properties of different varieties of malt whiskey in one ready-made drink.

The first blended whiskey in the world is Old Vatted Glenlivet, and was developed by Andrew Usher in 1853.

There are two types of blending: various varieties of malt and grain whiskey are mixed in special vessels, where they are kept for 24 hours. This mixture is then placed in barrels and bottled after a few weeks. Thus, cheap whiskey is obtained (the one that is widely known for thanks to Famous Grouse, Johnny Walker Red Label, White Horse and others).

Another approach - blended mixtures are kept for 6-8 months in oak barrels. This period is called the "wedding." Thus produce a more expensive high-quality blended whiskey (Chivas Regal, RedBreast).

Brands Actually

10. Ballantine’s - A very common brand of Scotch whiskey, under which 7 different varieties are sold - Finest, Limited, 12 year old, 17 year old, 21 year old, 30 and 40 years old. In principle, within the line of this brand, you can explore all the main varieties, from the simple blended whiskey to the collectible 21-40 year old singlemolts. The basis of the ingredients is a bank of 50 singlemolt alcohols, four grain varieties. The brand is widely known for sponsoring sports competitions.

9. Imperial Blue - Whiskey produced in India by the same company that makes Ballantine’s, one of the most popular among the audience with an average monthly income. Very few malt alcohols are used in the preparation, the base is molasses.

8. Jack Daniel’s - The best-selling American bourbon in the world. Frank Sinatra is buried with a bottle of this drink. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 is the most popular type of this bourbon, although the manufacturer is trying to distance itself from this class, claiming that the drink is filtered using a maple filter made of charcoal, which distinguishes it from the rest of the bourbons and makes it closer to traditional whiskey ..

7. Original Choice Is another indian brand. Despite the prevalence within the borders of India, it is a premium product aged in real American oak barrels.

6. Old Tavern - Another "Indian". Very soft drink at an extremely affordable price.

5. Royal Stag. And again, an Indian drink from Pernod Ricard (Imperial Blue and Ballantine’s). This is a blended variety of Scottish malt spirits and local material - molasses.
The taste is completely atypical for whiskey, but it is popular both at home and abroad.

4. Bagpiper. Yes Yes. India again. Exported to 10 countries, the official Bollywood drink ..

3. McDowell’s No.1 - whiskey with the scent of vanilla wood, reveals when you add a few drops of water. The most popular drink in the Middle East.

2. Officer’s Choice. Another and the last representative of India, not much different from his fellow tribesmen.

1. Johnnie Walker, sold wherever a man’s foot stepped, even in distant Central African powers. 18 million boxes in 2012 say a lot (box - a measure of the volume of sales of strong alcohol, 9 liters).

Green Label blend won three gold medals at the World Spirits Competition from 2005 to 2007, an excellent whiskey offering everything from the simplest “table-top” to exquisite varieties.

As we can see, there are only a couple of scotch in the ranking with the complete absence of Irish whiskey and exquisite singlemolts from Scotland. The vast majority of drinks presented in the ranking are sold in the markets of India, China, Latin America and the Middle East, as well as in Eastern Europe.

If we are talking about countries with an established national culture of consumption of whiskey, the picture will be completely different - in the USA Jack Daniels holds a confident first place, in Glenfiddich in Scotland, and Jameson in Ireland.

And if you do not take Indian whiskey into account, and look at sales of only Scottish brands, then for obvious reasons the already mentioned Johhny Walker and Ballantines will be found in the leaders, in third place are Chivas Regal, J&B Rare, Grant's, Famous Grouse, Dewar's, William Lawson's, Label 5, and finally Bell's.

Despite the fact that the lines of many of these brands sometimes feature excellent single malt varieties of classical aging, the main sales of Scotch tape also provide unpretentious running blended brands. The same situation in Irish whiskey.

These are the market realities determined by the culture of drinking: people want to consume simply, without ceremony: poured, drank, or poured, diluted cola, drank. And for this, refined whiskey is not required, it is only necessary that the drink, according to taste and strength, meet the average ideas and expectations.

Actually, this is where the watershed by brands passes - if a consumer wants something in the style of a party, to drink quickly and have the main effect of achieving fast alcoholic intoxication - these are brands of the same category. As a rule, inexpensive (or slightly above average) lens hoods solve the problem once or twice.

If a person appreciates the process of researching tastes, bouquets, relishes the drink in accordance with the culture of consumption - you need completely different brands that satisfy the high gourmet aspirations of the individual.

Whiskey a la Russe

In Russia, relations with whiskey are special. Every year, they drink it more and more - and every year the proportion of counterfeit products increases in a growing volume.
Now its share is about 30% (data from the Center for Research on Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets (CIFRRA)).

The Synovate Comcon Research Center found that in 2012, 9.8% of Russians over 18 years old used whiskey. For comparison: in 2000 - 1%, in 2006 - 3.1%.
According to the National Alcohol Policy Development Center, the most fake whiskey brands in Russia are Johnnie Walker: Red Label and Black Label, as well as Jack Daniels. A bottle, which in the original costs 1-2 thousand rubles, can reduce the cost to only 200-500.

Actually, this is all you need to know about whiskey in Russia: fake what is popular. For the vast majority of compatriots, there is no knowledge about what whiskey can be and how it is drunk - it is the same drink as vodka, which you need to drink in one gulp, or mix it with a sweet carbonated drink a la Cuba Libre.

On the other hand, among economically successful people, the culture of consumption of whiskey is undoubtedly developing - in the premium alcohol segment, whiskey confidently bypasses expensive varieties of vodka.

Bars and pubs are developing, in the lines of which you can find varieties for every taste and color - from pure Black Beast cocktail whiskey (it’s difficult to say it in pure form) to sophisticated Laphroaig Quarter Cask 10 year or Ardberg 10 year.

The staff of the institutions in a large number of cases is well versed in the types and grades of whiskey, will tell you where to start acquaintance, will give tips on proper consumption.

True, there is no need to talk about the displacement of vodka yet - the cumulative consumption of whiskey, rum, tequila, gin in the Russian Federation is insignificant against the background of consumption of vodka, which drinks about 1 billion liters a year.

So, it’s difficult and simple to sort out a host of brands at the same time. It is unrealistic to learn them all - only 2,500 items (!!!) are sold in Scotland alone.

You are determined with a goal. If this is a feast, holiday and entertainment format of the evening, then take simple, understandable blends / blends. As we have already indicated, there are a great many of them, and in their mass they are quite similar, both in terms of characteristics and price.

The varieties of Bushmills Original, Feckin, Finian "s, Jameson, Kilbeggan, Merry" s, Power and Son, Tullamore Dew, Paddy, as well as Scottish blends Ballantines Finest, Cutty Sark, Dewars White, Grant "s 8 can do an excellent job. year, J&B, Lauder "s, Chivas 12 year, Famous Grouse 12 year, Highland Harvest Organic, Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Bourbons of Similar Flight Height - Gentleman Jack, George Dickel No. 12, Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Black Label, George Dickel Special Barrel, Jack Daniels Single Barrel, Ancient Age, Benchmark, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Early Times, Jim Beam White, Ten High, Wild Turkey 101, Baker "s 7 year, Basil Hayden" s, Blanton "s Single Barrel, Bulleit, Four Rose" s Single Barrel, Jim Beam Black, Knob Creek Small Batch, Maker "Mark, Old Rip VanWinkle 15 year and Woodford Reserve.

Canadian varieties - Canadian Club Classic 12 year, Canadian Mist, Black Velvet, Forty Creek Barrel Select, Mountain Rock, Pendelton, Windsor Canadian, 8 Seconds, Canadian Club Sherry Cask 8 year, Crown Royal, Forty Creek Three Grain, Tangle Ridge Double Cask .

All this is an honest “canteen”: that is, a good, even table whiskey / bourbon, for which it is not a pity to give even more money than requested. It is also not at all shameful to pour cola into it and add ice and citrus fruits. Get high-quality Cuba Libre or Old Fashion and get a quick hop.

Next, there are more elegant drinks - Bushmills Black Bush, Clontarf Single Malt, Jameson 1780, Michael Collins Single Malt, The Irishman The Original Clan, Tullamore Dew 12 year, Connemara Cask Strength Peated Single Malt, Greenore Single Grain, Jameson 18 year, Red Breast 12 year, The Tyrconnell 10 year Single Malt.

Beautiful whiskey, which is not ashamed to put on the table for an anniversary, a wedding or other special occasion.

Bushmills 1608, Bushmills 21 year, Middleton Very Rare, Jameson Rarest Vintage, Ambassador 25 year, Buchanan 's 18 year, Johnnie Walker Green, Tomintoul Oloroso 12 year, Chivas 18 year, Compass Box Hedonism, Wild Scotsman, Ballantine' s 30 year , Chivas Regal 25 year, Johnnie Walker Blue, Kings Crest 25 year, The Antiquary 21 year, Booker "s Small Batch, Eagle Rare 17 year, Jefferson" s Reserve, Michter "s 10 year, Noah Mill" s 15 year, AH Hirsch 16 year, Longrow Cask 10 year, Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 year, Willet 28 year.

More or less luxury drinks are made in Canada - Seagrams VO, Wisers Deluxe 18 year, Crown Royal Special Reserve, Glen Breton Rare Single Malt, Canadian Club 30 year, Crown Royal XR, J.P. Wiser "s Red Letter - all this is already an elite, despite the popular brands, the drinks of the most serious, gourmet class, suitable for savoring in the quiet office or at the bar counter.

And remember - only for such a relish are Scottish singlemolts suitable. Let's list the main ones: Deanston 12 year, Glenfiddich 12 year, Speyburn 10 year, Aberlour 10 year, Ardmore Traditional Cask, Glenlivet 12 year, Highland Park 12 year, Laphroaig Quarter Cask 10 year, Macallan Fin Oak 12 year, Scapa 14 year, Ardberg 10 year year, Bowmore 16 year, Bruichladdich 15 year, Glendronach 12 year, Highland Park 18 year, Old Pulteney 17 year, Scapa 16 year, Glenfarclas 25 year, Highland Park 40 year, Macallan 25 year, Springbank 15 year, The Glenrothes 1975, Aberfeldy , Balblair, Ben Nevis, Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Glen Ord, Glenmorangie, Oban, and Old Pulteney, Arran, Jura, Tobermory, and Talisker, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin.

They need to drink. On purpose. Not in the bite. Not in one gulp, without diluting any Coke (for a decent pub you can earn the bartender's contempt for eternity). Not getting drunk (or doing it extremely slowly and elegantly).

Singlemolts, unlike the simpler American, Irish or Canadian varieties, drink according to the rules - the Irish traditionally do not dilute their whiskey (it is extremely soft - Jameson, Paddy as vivid examples), while some scotch tape is flavored with ice or refreshed with several drops of water are recommended (otherwise they may stand in the throat).

Singlemolts are poured into special tulip-shaped glasses, as it is believed that it allows you to better reveal the aroma of the drink.

No glasses, shots, piles, bowls - only old fashion or a toggle switch. For cooling whiskey, it is considered good practice to use, in addition to ice, which still affects the taste, diluting the whiskey with cubes of the so-called soapstone (good luck finding it in bars in Moscow or St. Petersburg).

Singlemolts are expensive drinks: a shot in a pub will cost 400-500 rubles (however, there are varieties ranging from 300-350 rubles), and a bottle will cost from 2.5 to 15-16 thousand (we do not consider the super-elite segment of 30 and above years of aging, these are presidential drinks, and even then not all presidents of the world probably had the good fortune to try them).

You need to understand that for this money you do not always (far from always) get what you like. Singlemolts are often very original drinks that only very big connoisseurs and lovers will appreciate, so paying money quite large by the standards of modern salaries in modern Russia for tasting experiments, with the goal of just relaxing after a working day, is probably unreasonable.

But if you want to pamper yourself with something like that, destroy your alcohol routine and open up a new space for research, study and compare - then singlemolts are an excellent subject area for such tasks.
It is worth remembering that the world of whiskey brands is not a static hierarchy, where nothing new happens and everything froze in the eternal harmony of peaceful coexistence.

New brands appear - Japan is very worthy (for a long time, but in our menu of bars the famous Suntory is not so easy to find, though they are sold in stores), many Canadian varieties become a pleasant discovery in terms of price / quality ratio (completely untwisted brands save on marketing and do not raise the price tag for a big name, offering a quality drink practically for nothing), manufacturers are trying to improve the existing varieties, to create something original based on the classics.

In the end, well-known varieties in the West are making their way to the Russian market - not so long ago the excellent Scottish singlemolt AnСnoc appeared - it is not in the bars, and in the shops an excellent drink is sold for unexpectedly low money with excellent quality of the softest taste of the real Scottish single malt.

And such surprises - for the most part pleasant - are full of whiskeys in the world.

You can treat alcohol in different ways, but you cannot judge it from only one point of view. Alcohol, especially high-quality, is not only strong, but also rich in taste. Of course, it all depends on the ingredients used, the method of preparation and the exposure time. Especially difficult and interesting is the production of Scotch whiskey. This amazing drink has a strength of 40 degrees and above. In addition, it is completely natural and contains corn, barley, rye and clean water. Can whiskey be considered an elite drink? And is it really possible to cook it at home?

From market leaders

Perhaps it is worth highlighting some varieties of the drink and based on those describe the production of whiskey. An example would be JackDaniels. This is a delicious drink that has proven itself.

Issue "Jack" in the distilleries of the town of Lynchburg. Its strength is classic 40 degrees, and this is with a completely natural composition, in which 80% is corn, about 12% is rye and about 8% is barley. All this goes in tandem with delicious spring water. The product is of high quality, due to the use of distillation and filtration methods in production. Such methods allow you to remove sugar, glucose and fusel oils from the drink. Maple coals are used for filtering, which gives the drink a unique taste with its softness.

JackDaniels appeared in 1875 and was named for the founder of the distillery, Jasper Newton, Daniel. Daniel used his entrepreneurial talent in full and was able to establish the production of whiskey, spending a lifetime on it, namely 50 years.

Daniel founded his distillery at age 20. He applied slow filtering methods using a layer of coal. The process was carried out before the drink was bottled in barrels, and this gave the taste a softness. The production of whiskey was not random in the town of Lynchburg, since in this area there is a spring with tasty and clear water. With such a base, the drink acquires a unique taste, and therefore it has become profitable to produce whiskey.

Initially, “Jack” was bottled in clay bottles and closed with cork from oak bark. In 1895, branded packaging became square. The reason for this upgrade was the visit to the city of a salesman conducting a presentation of a non-stereotyped bottle with a twisting stopper.

Whiskey production technology

Naturally, making a good drink is not so easy. So will true connoisseurs have to abandon the preparation of whiskey at home ?! Not at all! The most important thing in whiskey is its taste and aroma, and these two characteristics are affected by the method of malting, the quality of the grain and its grade, the water used, the filtration method and, of course, the construction of the still cube.

If you have everything you need at home, then the production of whiskey at home will not at all complicate you. In the manufacturing process, the barrel in which the drink will be aged is important. Ideally, it is worth keeping an eye on a barrel in which port, madeira or sherry has been aged. If you pour whiskey into other barrels for several years, you can create complex flavoring compositions, thereby changing the shades of aroma and taste.

Different countries have their own whiskey production technology and the results, respectively, vary significantly. There are two main areas that are called classic. This is Scottish and Irish technology.

Details of classic manufacturing algorithms

So, the production of whiskey in Scotland is characterized by the use of peat in the drying of malt. This provides a special smack of smoke. For Irish technology, peat is excluded, but triple distillation is used, because of which the whiskey becomes soft to such an extent that it can be drunk without dilution.

Take a closer look at Scotch whiskey. This is truly a national product, having the category of name, enshrined geographically in law. The name of the drink comes from the Gaelic phrase "water of life." It turns out that initially the drink was compared with a medicine and recommended for prolonging life.

Scotch whiskey production involves the use of barley malt and barley. To get the wort, malted barley is required. Previously, an imitation of spring warming occurs, so that the grain begins to germinate. The malting process is stopped by drying. Collected malt is dried with hot, dry air with swamp peat smoke. Mostly Scotland produces blended whiskey, obtained by mixing malt and grain whiskey (in a ratio of 1: 2).

And how are they?

Irish whiskey is completely different in taste and preparation method. Production differs from Scotland by triple distillation. When drying, peat is used extremely rarely, and therefore the drink is obtained without the smack of smoke.

Irish whiskey dates back to the fifth century AD, when, according to legend, missionaries brought the art of distillation to the island. This is a legend, but historical records tell of the first licensed distillery Old Bushmills and its owner Walter Taylor. Already in the 19th century, the largest beverage manufacturing companies were formed, which conducted international trade. The aroma and taste of Irish whiskey has been appreciated internationally.

But the twentieth century, streaked with war, almost wiped Irish whiskey from the market. As a result, only the Irish themselves consume domestic whiskey, and from hundreds of distilleries there remained a miserable handful. There are only three major beverage producers in Ireland, and almost a hundred in Scotland. But the varieties of the drink in Ireland are truly unique. In particular, single malt and single-grain whiskeys are produced here, as well as pure from distilled cube. The latter variety is really unique, as it contains green ungrown barley.

Become in order!

The correct production order of Scotch and Irish whiskey is very difficult for the amateur, and industry masters are in no hurry to destroy the halo of mystery surrounding their work. In the process, masters have to go through seven key stages before revealing their creation to the world. So, the main components of Irish whiskey are barley, barley malt, spring water and cereals, among which are wheat, rye and oats.

At the first stage, the grain is soaked in water for a couple of days, and it is necessary to lay out a thin layer so that the seeds can germinate. Part of the grain starch is then converted into sugar.

At this stage, the production order of Scotch and Irish whiskey is identical. Then the grains are sent to special ovens to preserve the soft malt flavor without extraneous aromas. The Scots at this stage dry the grain with hot peat smoke. They consider this moment the most important in production, as the drink gets a characteristic "smoked" taste. Different regions of production of whiskey use their peat, which sometimes smells of algae and iodine, and in other places - heather and honey. These nuances significantly affect the aroma of the drink.

Next, the mixture of malt and barley must be ground and pour boiling water in special vats to dissolve the remaining starch and sugar. For Scotch whiskey, the aging time is limited to 12 hours, and for Irish wort it is aged for two days. The liquid from the grain sediment is separated. During infusion, sugar turns into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

In the fourth stage, the Irish begin the triple distillation process in copper distillation cubes. The first two distillations add a degree to the drink, but the third finally purifies the alcohol. In Scotland, at this stage, the light 5% mash obtained from the wort is distilled (one or two), and then diluted with water to 50-60% and sent to the last stage.

At the finish line

By the fifth stage, the drink is, in fact, ready, but the most painstaking and careful work begins - pouring into oak barrels. In absolute darkness and peace whiskey is aged for at least three years. During this period, the bouquet and taste are finally formed, and the drink acquires a golden color. Each grade has its own aging time, after which the barrel is printed, and specialists taste the drink.

Finally, the mixing stage begins. The fact is that the nature of each sort of whiskey is determined by the master, who can decide to combine up to forty varieties of whiskey in a barrel. After the drink is once again filtered and the Irish are diluted with water to the desired strength, and then bottled. The correct production order of Scotch whiskey differs little from Irish. The aging should be at least three years, and ideally, when other alcoholic beverages were already stored in the used barrels. In such containers, the taste of adhesive tape is enriched.

By the way, there is a culture of making whiskey in the USA. Residents of America because of an acute deficit of barley learned to combine corn, rye and wheat. The drink was called "Bourbon". By the way, according to a similar recipe, whiskey is made in Canada, and the Japanese add millet and rice to corn. An interesting fact is that the production of Scotch whiskey involves the use of certain barley grown in only a few areas. Thus, the original taste and aroma of the drink is preserved.

In secret about the main thing

So, whiskey has become a fairly popular drink, and therefore it is not surprising that it is made in many parts of the world. The most expensive and high-quality, however, remains products from Ireland and Scotland. It is these countries that account for the majority of bottles sold worldwide, since the original recipe and production technology have been preserved here. It turns out that it reached our times through four centuries.

Outlined toast!

Good company, properly set table and elite alcohol - you must admit that it is very difficult to resist such a bait! It remains only to find a few reasons for the solemn toast, and in the morning there will be no remorse.

Start with the fact that whiskey does not contain fats and carbohydrates, which means that your figure will not suffer from libations. But keep yourself within the bounds of decency, because with excessive use your liver and appearance will suffer. Do you really hope that in the morning after a stormy feast your eyes will be wide and clear, and the bags under the eyes will not be honored with their visit ?!

Continue the feast with the idea that whiskey is the "water of life". You can give yourself up to fantasies that you drink real living water. A luxurious thought, especially if you drink “living water” with feeling, with good sense and with arrangement. A glass of whiskey with ice and soda will not stir up your mind, but it will cause a pleasant feeling of slight disorientation, relaxation and tranquility. From this point of view, whiskey can really become living water, because the drink literally wakes you craving for life.

Further, you can recall the distant 18th century, which we know only by hearsay. Then whiskey becomes the equivalent of currency. The drink was exploited with might and main for cooking, medicine, and drinking. Such loyalty to whiskey led to the rebellion of farmers in 1794, when rising taxes and fees could bring to the complete elimination of whiskey. The fight was worth it, but it is so nice that today a favorite drink cannot just pick up and disappear from the shelves!

If you are worried about your health, then relax and boldly pour yourself a portion of whiskey, because this drink can help prevent cancer. This was announced in 2005 by Dr. Jim Swan, when he presented at a conference in Glasgow the results of studies on a group of people using single malt whiskey. It turned out that whiskey contains more ellagic acid than red wine. Such an acid is present in many fruits and is an antioxidant that absorbs cancer cells in the body.

Also, drinking whiskey can save you from a stroke, however, if you know the art of moderate alcohol consumption, which is about a couple of piles of 50 grams per day.

A sip of whiskey after a hard day can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, as confirmed by a 1998 study. Also, from such a dose of the drink, the body's defenses against many diseases are mobilized by increasing the level of antioxidants in the body.

And finally, boldly object to anyone who dares to reproach you with the lack of quick wit when drinking alcohol, because six piles of whiskey a week protect you from senile dementia. This version has a medical justification; special studies by the Israeli medical center showed that the risk of developing dementia is lower among those adults who moderately consumed alcohol.

Or maybe home?

Good question, will your own whiskey look like the original? Is home production relevant or is it better to trust industry professionals? Of course, it will be difficult to create greatness on the basis of ordinary cans and vials that any person has at home. There are a million reasons to replenish your home bar, but you will probably have to devote a lot of time to finding all the necessary tools. So it’s worth immediately abandoning the idea of \u200b\u200bgetting an original drink within the same apartment. In this case, the vat can be replaced with a volumetric pan, find an analogue of a cube for distillation among kitchen utensils and filter the drink using your favorite strainer. But it’s better to insist on alcohol in a wooden container. Find this one? Then you can get a good substitute, but, in principle, you can try to get by with bottles for the first time, although you should not expect an original aroma and taste in this case.

Barley can be sorted and cleaned, and then soaked in the pantry. After that, you can "forget" about him for a week and a half. If the grain does not germinate during this time, then the whiskey will turn out to be grain. Next, the grain must be dried, and using not peat, as in Scotland, but smoke from charcoal and beech shavings. In the apartment this will not work, so get to the cottage.

Next, use a mixer or a normal pusher to grind the malt and mix it with water. Do not forget about aging to make sugar. To the wort obtained in this way, add yeast and leave to ferment for a couple of days. The distillation stage for ordinary homemade alcohol can be omitted, but not for whiskey, so a copper apparatus like a retort is required. Aging and blending the drink at home can be done exclusively by eye.

Beautiful ending!

It is not in vain that such specific equipment for the production of whiskey is required, because this drink deserves respect and reverent attitude. At the tastings, the masters demonstrate the correct method of bottling, beautifully describe the taste of the drink, managing to find notes of raisins, nuts or honey in it. Scots and Irish people are very attentive to their whiskey technology and do not stop arguing about who became the pioneer in the release of the drink. Even the spelling of “whiskey” varies. In Scotland, whiskey is written in bottles. And in other countries - whiskey.

But in any case, whiskey is recommended to be slightly diluted with water in order to feel a rich aroma. Ideally, you need to prepare bacon for an appetizer, which will not allow you to quickly get drunk, and also stock up on a glass of apple juice, which perfectly sets off the taste of whiskey.

Whiskey is a world-famous strong alcoholic beverage made from grain. Because of the right to be called his homeland, two countries argue - Scotland and Ireland, however, despite this small conflict, both Scotch and Irish whiskey are popular. Also, this drink is produced in some other countries - America, Canada, Japan. Whiskey is made from wheat, barley, rye and corn. The color of this alcoholic product ranges from light golden to amber brown.

What is whiskey

There are several main varieties of whiskey:
1. "Malt whiskey" - malt whiskey. It is obtained from barley malt. Distinguish:
- "single malt" - one-malt, made on one distillery;
- "single cask" - malt taken from one barrel;
- "quarter cask" - malt taken from one smaller barrel, stronger and more saturated;
- "vatted malt" - a mixture of malt whiskey made in different distilleries.

2. "Grain whiskey" - grain whiskey. This drink is usually made for further blending. In Scotland, it is made from corn with malted barley. Grain whiskey has almost no flavor and is usually not found on sale.
3. "Blended whiskey" - blended or blended whiskey. This drink is obtained by mixing malt and grain whiskey.
4. Bourbon - American whiskey made from corn.

How to make whiskey

The production of whiskey from barley includes the following stages:
1) The state of barley, that is, the preparation of a malt from barley. Grains are sorted, cleaned and dried, and then soaked and scattered on the floor in a special room - a malt house - for a week or longer for germination. Germinated grains - this is malt. It should be noted that barley is not germinated to obtain grain whiskey.

2) Drying the malt. After malting, the barley is dried. In Scotland, at this stage, hot smoke is used from burning charcoal, peat and beech chips - the result is "smoked grain". In other countries, in the production of whiskey, smoke is not used during the drying of malt.
3) Getting a wort. Malt is ground into flour and mixed with hot water. Then, the resulting mixture is kept for 8-12 hours, after which a wort is obtained - a liquid with a sweetish taste.

4) Fermentation (fermentation). Yeast is added to the wort and the mixture is left to ferment at a certain temperature for a couple of days. It turns out mash - a low-alcoholic drink that resembles beer.
5) Distillation of mash into alcohol. The mash obtained as a result of fermentation is distilled two or three times in special apparatuses. The taste of the finished drink depends on the shape and size of the distillation apparatus. Each distillery has its own distillation systems, and therefore the taste of whiskey varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The alcohol obtained by distillation is diluted with water so that its strength is about 50-63.5% vol.
6) Extract in oak barrels. For the production of high quality whiskey barrels are used after aging sherry. Barrels after bourbon or simply processed with inexpensive sherry can also be used.

During aging, whiskey acquires its noble shade, taste and aroma. The aging times for different varieties vary:
- Malt whiskey is not for blending aged from 5 to 20 years;
- Original whiskeys can withstand 10-12 years;
- collection (exclusive) - for 21 years;
- especially rare - 30-50 years old.
Scotch whiskey is aged for at least three years, Canadian - at least six years, and Irish - five years.

7) Blending - the stage necessary to obtain a "Blended whiskey". There are two methods of blending:
- to get cheap whiskey, different varieties of malt and grain whiskey are mixed, aged for a day, then poured into barrels, kept for several weeks and bottled;
- to obtain high-quality whiskey, several varieties of malt whiskey are taken, which are mixed with grain and aged in oak sides for six to eight months.
8.) Bottling. Aged whiskey is filtered or cleaned in a special mechanical way, and then diluted with spring water to the desired strength and bottled. Some whiskeys are filtered before aging. If on the label you see the inscription "De luxe" - this means that a significant proportion of the blend is old whiskey, aged 12 or more years. The age of the drink indicated on the bottle means the age of the youngest whiskey from the blend.