AN INTRODUCTION TO WHISKY
Written by: Diogo Pestana | Posted: 26 September 2018 | Modified: 12 November 2018
With the rumours running around about whether Idris Elba is the new James Bond or not, we’d like to clear a few things up in the realm of alcohol references. The secret agent heartthrob is solely known for enjoying a classic Martini ‘shaken, not stirred’, well, we’ve got some bad news. Throughout the original books, by Ian Fleming, he has showcased Mr. Bond enjoying a scotch.
In order to give the spirit, the Hollywood recognition it deserves - let’s dive deeper into the world of Whisky, after all our Whisky Collection is one of our most popular and we want to give you a brief overview on this versatile spirit.
What are the main ingredients in whisky?
Whisky is made from grain mash, this is a mixture of grain and water. The types of grain really do vary between countries and what their desired taste.
Whisky can be made from a variety of different grains: barley, rye, corn and wheat.
Good Scotch whisky are mainly made from barley due to their geographical location.
When creating Bourbon, the distillers must be very precise when resting their mixture, it must contain at least 51% corn and the rest is made up of barley to complete the fermentation process.
How is whisky made?
The earliest recorded Scotch whisky distillation process was in 1494. As mentioned above, the grain mash is created by mixing the barley with water and then spread out to help it germinate – producing the sugars that will create the alcohol later on in the process.
The mixture is then heated in a kiln, this gives the spirit it’s smoky flavour in some types of Scotch. Once the malt is dry, it is all mixed together with hot water and transferred to a washback – here is where the magic happens.
The yeast is added to cause the chemical reaction and create the alcoholic liquid, the distillation process begins.
The whisky is then kept in aged wooden casts, which are made from charred wide aged oak wood. Once the fermentation process has begun the Whisky starts to age for a minimum of 3 years to be legally called ‘Scotch’ and form a beautifully smooth spirit for everyone to enjoy.