Single malt Scotch: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:03, 7 July 2006

Revision as of 20:04, 8 July 2006

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'''Single malt Scotch''' is a type of [[Scotch whisky]], distilled by a single [[distillery]], using [[malt]]ed [[barley]] as the only grain ingredient.

This is in contrast to a blended Scotch whisky which consists of a mixture of single malt Scotch(es) whiskies and Scottish grain whisky(ies) created from corn (maize), wheat, and/or unmalted barley.

A blend that uses only single malt whiskies is known as a "blended malt", "pure malt", or "vatted malt".

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[[Image:Sjb whiskey still.jpg|left|thumb|200px|The ''wash'', 5%–7% [[alcohol]], is distilled in [[copper]] [[Pot still|pot stills ]], boosting the alcohol content to 60%–80%.]]

The wash is then pumped into a [[copper]] [[pot still]], known as the ''wash still'', to be [[distillation|distilled]]. The wash is heated, boiling off the [[alcohol]], which has a lower [[boiling point]] than water; the vaporvapour is collected in a ''condenser'' which has been submerged in cool water. The lower temperatures cause the vaporvapour to condense back into a liquid form.

This spirit, known as ''low wine'' has an alcohol content of about 20 to 40 %. The low wines are then pumped into a second pot still, known as the ''spirit still'', and distilled a second, (and in the case of Auchentoshan and [[Irish Whisky]], a third) time. The final spirit called "new make spirit" generally has an alcohol content of 60 to 80 %.

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The "new-make spirit", or unaged whisky, is then placed in oak [[cask]]s to mature. By law, all Scotch whisky must be aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks; though the vast majority of single malts are matured for much longer. The whisky continues to develop and change as it spends time in the wood, and maturation periods of twenty years or more are not uncommon. Each year spent in the wood reduces the alcohol content of the whisky, as the alcohol evaporates through the porous oak; the lost alcohol is known as the [[angel's share]].

The selection of casks has a profound effect on the character of the final whisky. Single malt ScotchWhisky is too delicate to be aged in new oak casks, as new oak would overpower the whisky with [[tannin]] and [[vanillin]], making it overly astringent. Thus used casks are needed. The most common source of casks is [[United States|American]] whiskey producers, as U.S. laws require that [[bourbon whiskey|bourbon]] and [[Tennessee whiskey]] be aged in new oak casks. Bourbon casks impart a characteristic vanilla flavour to the whisky. An important minority of whisky maturation occurs in [[sherry]] casks. This practice arose because sherry used to be shipped to Britain from Spain in the cask rather than having been bottled, and the casks were expensive to return empty and were unwanted by the sherry cellars. Sherry casks are more expensive than bourbon casks, and account for only seven percent of all casks imported for whisky maturation. In addition to imparting the flavours of their former contents, sherry casks lend maturing spirit a heavier body and a deep amber colour. For this reason, single malt Scotches that have been matured in sherry casks are especially prized by blenders, as they give a blend a roundness and richness. Stainless steel shipping containers, however, have reduced the supply of wooden sherry casks, to the extent that the [[Macallan Single Malt|Macallan]] Distillery builds casks and leases them to the sherry cellars in [[Spain]] for a time, then has them shipped back to [[Scotland]]. Other casks used include those that formerly held [[port wine]] and [[madeira wine|madeira]], while experiments with used [[rum]] and [[Cognac (drink)|cognac]] casks are being performed.

===Bottling===

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== Regions ==

Flavour, aroma, and finish will differ widely from one single malt to the next.

Single Malt Scotch whisky can be categorizedcategorised into the following regions, although the region the malt is from is a poor indicator of general character and flavorflavour

* [[Highland Single Malts]]