The whiskey began being classified as a medicinal drink, aquavitae or "water of vitality". But it soon gained popularity and today it can be said that it is the king of spirits.
Mark Twain said "Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is hardly enough."
So that, like Mark Twain, you can enjoy a good whiskey to the fullest, we are going to introduce some of the basic concepts about the spirit itself, the different styles, the alcohol levels, how to choose a bottle, etc.
Whiskey and its types
Whiskey is an alcoholic beverage that is extracted from fermented cereal grains, most often corn, rye, wheat, and barley (malted and unmalted). Once the mash has been fermented and distilled, it is aged in wooden barrels, usually oak.
Whiskeys can be differentiated by the type of cereal that composes them . The main ones are:
- Malt Whiskey : it is made from malted barley and is aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 3 years. In turn, it can be Single Malt (it is the one that is made with malted barley in a single distillery) or Pure Malt (it is made with malted barley whiskeys but from different distilleries).
- Blended Whiskey : is the whiskey obtained by mixing various malt and grain whiskeys. The usual proportion of the blend is 60% grain whiskey and 40% malt whiskey. It is the most consumed type of whiskey.
- Grain Whiskey : is made with corn, wheat or rye instead of malted barley. It is the most used whiskey in cocktails due to its fresher and fruitier aromas.
And they can also be differentiated by country of origin. They are the following:
- Scotch Whiskey : it is known as "Scotch" and is produced in different areas of Scotland. It matures in oak barrels for a minimum period of 3 years, which gives it a marked character and robustness.
- Irish Whiskey : it is called "Whiskie" and is the one made in Ireland, considered the country where the first whiskey originated and which is still the largest producer of whiskey in the world. It is made by the triple distillation system and that gives it more smoothness than Scotch whiskey.
- American Whiskey : it is made from the distillation mainly of rye and corn. The Rye type is the one that is made with a minimum of 51% rye. The Bourbon type is the one that is made mainly with a minimum of 51% corn.
- Japanese Whiskey: it is made from mixtures of different types of malted barley. Then they mature it in barrels of different types. This combination of malts and barrels give the whiskey very varied aromas and flavors: floral, fruity, smoky, sweet, spicy,...
- Canadian Whiskey : Perhaps the smoothest and least bodied of the whiskeys. It is made with malted rye and a mixture of other cereals such as corn, barley and wheat.
The good thing about whiskey is that it is very diverse and appeals to a wide variety of palates, so choose your favorites. Once the whiskey has been chosen, we will choose the best container to drink it.
whiskey and glasses
There are some containers that are better at enhancing flavor than others. It does not taste the same in a ceramic glass or cup, or in a metallic one -as the miners drank it in the 1800s-, or in a crystal glass.
We will start by always choosing a crystal glass and the type of glass may vary depending on how we are going to drink the whisky.
we will choose a long glass if we are going to drink the whiskey with ice, soda, ginger ale or water. This type of glass allows a lot of ice, make mixed drinks and use the mixer. It will bring us a cool and long drink.
We will choose a Jerez-type glass if we are going to drink the whiskey alone. This bowl-shaped glass concentrates the aromas through the slightly narrow rim, its long stem prevents us from contaminating the aromas with the smell of our hands and the contents from heating up. This traditional Spanish glass has become the choice of master distillers and true whiskey connoisseurs Worldwide.
Whiskey has its own official glass, the Glencairn Cup . it's a drink in the shape of a tulip that was designed in Scotland in 2002 and is endorsed by the Scotch Whiskey Association. It is recommended to take high-end whiskeys , especially malt. Its short, solid base and narrower edge is ideal for learning to make swirling the whiskey , a practice commonly used to open up the aromas of the whiskey for full appreciation.
The short thick glass is the standard glass for serve whiskey for its versatility. Both can be used to drink the whiskey alone, add ice or even make a cocktail.
whiskey tasting
Now that we have the container and the whiskey, let's begin the tasting process.
- Help yourself a little and smell it 2 or 3 times before trying it, you will be able to appreciate its wood, spices and all its nuances.
- Try a little of it in its purest form in a small sip and move it around your tongue. This will not only give you a better idea of the flavor and aroma of the whiskey, but it will also help you decide if you really want to blend it or not.
- If you don't like the taste in your first sip, don't give up right away. The first sip may taste overwhelmingly alcohol-like, but you'll likely start to notice other flavors by your second or third sip. It takes a bit of time to truly appreciate the complex flavors and aromas of whiskey, but with a little practice you're sure to get there.
- You can add a few drops of fresh, clean water to your whiskey, then mix quickly. This will tone down the harshness of the alcohol and bring out the other, more subtle flavors of the whisky. And while whiskey purists might say that the only thing to add to whiskey is more whiskey, numerous studies support the benefits of adding a little water.
- If what you want is to drink your Whiskey with ice , a large ice cube or an ice ball is recommended, made with very clean, crystalline water and without any type of flavor. Larger pieces of ice will melt more slowly than smaller ones, so they won't dilute the drink as quickly.
- you can also use whiskey stones refrigerated, which chills the whiskey without diluting it. These must be made of natural stone, we recommend the Swedish Taljsten stones , renowned for their high quality.
- If what you want is to drink it with soda, ginger ale, water or cocktail, let your imagination run wild and enjoy it.