Single Malt Scotsh Whiskey

If you like single malt scotch whisky or are possibly thinking of buying some, then hopefully you will find this quick guide to be of some use. As a Scot, I am very fond of our single malt scotch whiskey. Whisky is spelt without the “ey” in Scotland and Canada, and in Ireland and USA it is spelt “Whiskey”. The name Whisky originates from Gaelic, meaning “water of life”.Whisky is made from malted barley, which, once distilled is left to mature in sherry or whiskey casks. If you’re selecting a single malt Scotch whisky then you should choose one which has had at least 10 years or so to mature in its cask.

If you’re searching for a single malt scotch whisky then it can be difficult to decide on what type to buy. Firstly I should mention that in Scotland whisky is served with water (in roughly equal measures) and not ice. The following list details the various regions and their associated whiskies:

Islay (pronounced eye-la) - This Island lies about half way up (maybe a wee bit more) Scotland, and is one of the Inner Hebrides. The Whiskies from here are my favourite, they are dark in colour and characterised by their strong peaty taste with a definite smokey, seaweed aroma. Distilleries to look out for include Laphroaig (la-froyg), Lagavulin(lag-oo-vulin) and Ardbeg.

skye - Although skye has a few distilleries, Talisker is by far the most popular single malt Scotch whisky produced on the island. Talkisker has a similar peaty, seaweed taste to the Islay malts but is not quite as strong (in flavour). Talisker malt whisky is my favourite whisky.

Oban - A small town on the west cost of Scotland with ferry links to many of the Islands, Oban malt whisky is very popular and is one of the classic malts.

Speyside Single Malts - It is said that over half of Scotland’s Whisky distilleries on and around the beautiful river Spey, these include Aberlour, Cardu, Glenlivet and Macallan. There is a wide variation in the colours, flavours and aromas or the various Speyside whiskeys. The water used to make the whisky is often taken from the various springs instead of from the river itself.

Highland Malts - These malts are often pale in colour with a dry and delicate taste. Glenmorangie, probably the most popular whisky from the region, also has an excellent range of whiskies which have been matured in different types of casks. I particularly like the port cask whisky, its like whisky but with just a hint of port. Lovely.

I hope that this quick tour of some of Scotland’s most popular distilleries has been help full. If you have difficulty getting single malt Scotch whisky locally, then I’m sure all of them can be bought online (probably for a lot cheaper than at your normal shop). I recently found a single malt scotch pronunciation guide at the university of edinburgh website which has helped me out when buying some of the more obscure whiskeys.

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