Scotland is famous for many things, but perhaps none more so than Scotch Whisky. Many have tried to recreate this famous beverage in other parts of the world, but only in Scotland can the perfect ingredients and environment be found to produce the perfect whisky. Understanding the origins, manufacturing process, and qualities of good single malt whisky adds to the pleasure of drinking this king of drinks.
History
The man credited with creating the first Scotch Whisky is Friar John Cor. It was called "aqua vitae" ("water of life") and was by order of the King. The written record of this dates to 1494 and, although distilling was an art practiced by the Vikings and ancient Persians, this is thought to be the first time whisky was produced in Scotland.
As whisky became more popular, and seeing an opportunity, Scottish governments created unreasonable taxes for whisky's production, resulting in many illegal stills. However, given whisky's popularity and out of control production, the Scottish Parliament created the Excise Act in 1823, making production more profitable. The modern Scotch Whisky industry was born.
Modern Production
Essentially, the distillation process hasn't changed in hundreds of years, but the method has. Modern distilleries are technologically advanced in order to maintain the unique qualities of each whisky, and to keep up with demand.
Malting
First, barley is soaked, or "malted", in water for around three days. Every ingredient in a good single malt must be the best, and the water is no exception. Pure, Scottish spring water is one ingredient that makes Scotch Whiskey unique.
The barley begins to germinate and releases enzymes essential to the distilling process. The barley is then dried over smouldering peat, and depending on the richness of the peat, the whisky will be more or less "smoky" and richer in colour.
Mashing
The barley is then mashed into flour called "grist" and added to hot water, where the starch in the flour is converted into sugars, which creates a very strong smelling liquid called "wort."
Fermentation
Next, yeast is added and here the fermentation process begins in a huge vessel called a"washback." The yeast reacts with the sugars to produce alcohol and, when complete the substance is called "wash."
Distillation
The wash is then transferred to copper pot stills to be distilled. Here, the wash is heated which boils off the alcohol. The alcohol vapour is collected in a condenser where it cools and returns to liquid form. The liquid is transferred in a second copper still and is distilled a second time.
In spite of being twice distilled, the liquid isn't yet whisky. It's known as "new-make spirit." This spirit must now be matured in oak casks for a minimum of three years, by Scots law.
Maturation
The maturation process has a profound effect on the spirit. As it ages, the alcohol level decreases and it absorbs the colour and flavours of the casks. As the casks are either old whiskey ones from America or sherry casks from Spain, they are chock full of flavour and rich colour which is transferred to the already flavoursome whisky. After years of maturation, the whisky is bottled and the maturation process stops.
Whisky and the Scottish Economy
The Scotch Whisky industry is among the top five manufacturing exports in the UK, adding about £800m to the Scottish economy and employing over 40 000 people. Although whisky production is the main money earner, distilleries contribute sizeably to the Scottish tourism industry. Most Scottish distilleries provide tours where visitors can see the process first hand, and, more importantly, taste a wee dram.
