| |
Below,
you'll find extensive information on leading sky tv
articles and products to help you on your way to success.
Some Facts About Whiskey Or Whisky
By Darcy O'Neil, Tue Jan 10th
When discussing whisky the first thing that needs to be know isthat there are two legitimate spellings. The Scotts andCanadians spell whisky without the "e", while the Irish andAmericans spell it with an "e" as in whiskey. This should be thefirst indication that the world of whisky is a very complicatedone and has many regional differences in taste and production.This is part of what makes whisky such an interesting andenjoyable spirit. Historically it is believed that the Irish were the first tomake whiskey, however the Scotts have also laid claim to beingthe first whisky producers. The Irish used the term "uiscebeatha" ("Water of Life" in Gaelic) to describe whiskey, so itmust have been important. Both the Scottish and Irish make whiskey the same way, exceptfor the malting and distillation process. In Scotland the maltedbarley is roasted over open peat fires to dry, this results inthe grain picking up the peat flavour. In Ireland, the maltedbarely is dried in closed ovens, and is never exposed to thesmoke. The process of mashing and fermentation is much the samefor both countries. In the distillation step, the Irish, most ofthe time, distill their product three times, which results in avery pure distillate which makes Irish whiskey exceptionallysmooth. The Scottish distill their product twice and thisresults in more flavour in the spirit.
In North America there is Canadianwhisky and American whiskey, which has a number of regionalclassifications including Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. Eachproduct in North America is unique and is regulated by thegovernment. Canadian whisky is the number one imported spiritinto the United States and is second in consumption only tovodka. American whiskey has a number of regulation depending on thedefinition of the product. Bourbon must be made from fermentedmash of not less than 51% corn, rye, wheat, malted barely ormalted rye grain. It cannot be distilled at a proof
higher than160 and must be stored in new oak barrels at a proof of 125 orless. Blended American whiskey must be made from at least 20%whiskey aged two or more years with the remainder made fromunaged neutral grain spirit. American corn whiskey must be madefrom a minimum mash of 80% corn. Tennessee whiskey follows thesame regulations as Bourbon, but is charcoal filtered (LincolnCounty Process), so it does not qualify as a bourbon. Canadianwhisky must be ages for at least three years, but for themost part the Canadian government allows the expertise of thedistiller to define the characteristics of the final product sothere are no limits on distillation proof or barrelrequirements. Any Canadian whisky that is aged for less thanfour years must have the age listed on the bottle. Most Canadianwhisky is aged for six or more years. Canadian whisky isgenerally a blended spirit. The term "blended" means that thefinal product is made from a number different types of distilledproduct. For example, a Canadian whisky may be composed of corn,barely, wheat and rye distillates that have been aged inselected used or new oak barrels. Some Canadian producers putall of the grains in one vat and ferment them as a whole andpre-blend and age the distillate. Other producers ferment eachgrain individually and age each distillate separately and thenblend a final product from a mixture of spirits. Most Canadianwhisky is distilled twice. This article has only scratched the surface of the whisk(e)yworld. There are many regional characteristics of whisky andmany other counties are producing this fine spirit. It wouldtake a lifetime to explore the complete world of whisky, but itwould be a worthy attempt. About the author:Darcy O'Neil is a bartender with a formal education inchemistry. His motive for becoming a bartender was part bychance and partially to fulfill his culinary desires. Darcycurrently works as a bartender in London, Ontario and spends histime writing about his mixology andbartending experiences.
|
BlinkList
Delicious
Digg
Facebook
Fark
Furl
Google Bookmarks
Livejournal
Newsvine
Reddit
Spurl
Stumbleupon
Yahoo My Web
Wists
Ma.gnolia
Netvouz
Read
More