Whisky – from the Gaelic ‘uisce beatha’ meaning ‘water of life’.

As you welcome in the New Year with a traditional Scottish dram, have you ever considered exactly where your whisky came from and why there are so many variations? The answer is very simple, it depends on the region where it was distilled or whether it is a blend of different whiskies. Regional water plays a large part in the final taste of mature whisky.

 

 

If it is a true Scottish distilled whisky it will have come from one of the 5 different whisky producing regions in Scotland. The location of a distillery means that every whisky will look, taste and smell different.

 

 

Lowland single malt whiskies are light and delicate due to most of them being triple distilled. A single malt whisky must be made from malted grain and will come from only one distillery where it will have been kept in an oak cask for a minimum of three years before being sold though many are matured for much longer. The only ingredients of a single malt whisky are barley, yeast and water. There are presently only four distilleries in the area currently producing whisky but more new distilleries are poised to enter the market including the Kingsbarns Distillery in Fife.

 

 

Speyside in North Eastern Scotland, defined as the area around the banks of the River Spey, is well known for its sweet single malts which contain very little or no peat taste at all. It is here that some of the world’s most reknowned whiskies are produced such as Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Glen Grant and The Macallan. The region is famed for its Speyside Whisky Festival when enthusiasts from around the globe are invited to discover the passion vented for Speyside malt whiskies. A full programme of around 500 events takes place over the first weekend of each May each year.

 

 

The Highland Region is Scotland’s largest whisky producing area, and covers the land from north of Glasgow all the way to Thurso and runs from east to west of the country excluding Speyside. As it is such a large area, the whiskies produced here tend to be very diverse in flavour so do not have one distinct taste but tend to be full-bodied and rich in the north, smoky and peaty in the west and light and fruity in the south.. The water used in the distilling process runs through volcanic rocks and is the purest in Scotland. Highland distilleries produce 25% of all whiskies made in Scotland. The islands surrounding the Scottish mainland have no set sub-regional name but also play their part in producing unique and different whiskies. Islands such as Orkney, Scapa, Lewis & Harris, Mull, Jura and Arran all produce whiskies that have their own individual flavours of peatiness and salinity.

 

 

Campbell Town, a small Kintyre town, is the smallest single malt producing region boasting only three distilleries but what makes it worthy of a regional recognition is the unique flavour of its whisky due to the peat bogs, coal mines and barley growing farms found in the surrounding area. At one time in its past, Campbeltown was known as the ‘whisky capital of the world’. This area became a victim of its own success and was unable to keep up with demand, leading to a decline in the quality of the whiskies produced. Today, only three distilleries remain in this area.

 

 

Islay. It is believed that whisky was introduced to Scotland from Ireland via the small island of Islay. Whisky distilled here is known for its distinctive peaty, briny malts. It is the peat which has developed over years in the local bogs and wetlands from decaying vegetation and the continual salt spray from the surrounding waters that gives Islay whisky its unique taste. There are eight active distilleries on the island today but in the past it was well known as ‘whisky land’ until the excise laws of the 17th Century were introduced forcing the distilling of whisky to move into hidden glens and caves. Islay whiskies are much sought after by connoisseurs of this ‘water of life’.

 

 

Wherever you might be celebrating raise your glass and toast another year with the Gaelic greeting “Slange Var”. Wishing you all a very happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year.