Want to learn more about whisky? Here you'll find everything you need to know about that wonderful golden nectar we obsess about so much!
Whisky. variants or whis·key. ˈhwis-kē, ˈwis- plural whiskeys or whiskies. : a liquor that is distilled from the fermented mash of grain (such as rye, corn, or barley) and was formerly used medicinally as a sedative and vasodilator.
James Joyce famously said, “The light music of whiskey falling into a glass – an agreeable interlude.” And we couldn’t agree more. But where did this golden spirit that has travelled the world and fallen in glasses for centuries past come from? Our very own Head of Experience, Tommy Isaksson has put together a brief history of whisky and tells us how it made its way around the globe to land in Mallorca in the form of WhiskyReligion.
The origins of whisky, or whiskey depending on the region, are deeply intertwined with human history, echoing through the hills of Scotland, the valleys of Ireland, and beyond. While the exact birthplace of this beloved spirit is debated, its journey begins in ancient civilisations where distillation techniques were being explored in the simplest of ways.
The earliest records of distillation date back to Mesopotamia, around 2000 BCE, where fermented beverages were distilled to create potent elixirs.
It's believed that the art of distillation spread through trade routes to Europe, where monks in medieval monasteries refined the process, both for medicinal and recreational purposes. These early experiments laid the groundwork for what would eventually become whisky.
Scotland lays claim to the earliest written records of whisky production, with references dating back to the late 15th century. Scottish distillers, faced with a surplus of barley and harsh climates unsuitable for winemaking, turned to distillation as a means of preserving their grain harvests. The rugged landscape and abundant natural resources led to the birth of Scotch whisky, a whisky renowned for its complexity and character.
Meanwhile, just over the water in Ireland, Irish monks were also perfecting their version of uisce beatha, the water of life, which would later become known as whiskey. Irish whiskey, with its smoother, lighter profile, gained popularity throughout Europe, becoming a staple export.
The light music of whiskey falling into a glass - an agreeable interlude.
As waves of immigrants crossed the Atlantic, they brought their distillation traditions to the New World. In the hills of Appalachia, settlers distilled grains into what would become American whiskey, a diverse category encompassing bourbon, rye, and Tennessee whiskey.
Today, whisky is produced on every continent, each region infusing its own unique traditions into the spirit. From the peaty shores of Islay to the cornfields of Kentucky, the story of whisky continues to evolve, a testament to the enduring human quest for flavour and craftsmanship.
Whisky boasts diverse styles reflecting their regions of origin. Scotch whisky, renowned for its smoky complexity, hails from Scotland. Meanwhile, Irish whiskey, known for its smoothness, obviously traces its heritage to Ireland. American bourbon and rye whiskies offer bold flavours distinctive to the United States. But what is the difference between these different whiskies?
Each type of whisky presents a unique sensory journey, reflecting the rich tapestry of culture and tradition from which it originates.
The process of making whisky can be explained in six different steps. All steps are important for creating each distillery's unique character and style, yet all distilleries use the same whisky-making process.
Some people in the whisky industry explain it too simply, “whisky is actually distilled beer without the hops”. However, it is not that simple and all the steps that you read about here are equally important to create a unique whisky.
What makes whisky taste like whisky can be difficult to answer with certainty. The location of the distillery can have a big impact on flavour, the water source, type of malt or grain, shape of the still, cask selection and the number of years it's been matured are some of the factors that create each type of whisky its unique character.
There are several stages that go into making a malt whisky. Each one as important as the last one to end up with that golden nectar loved all over the world.
Best quality barley is first steeped in water and then spread out on malting floors to germinate. It is turned regularly to prevent the build-up of heat. Traditionally, this was done by tossing the barley into the air with wooden shovels in a malt barn adjacent to the kiln.
During this process, enzymes are activated which convert the starch into sugar when mashing takes place. After 6 to 7 days of germination the barley, now called green malt, goes to the kiln for drying. This halts the germination. The heat is kept below 70°C so that the enzymes are not destroyed. Peat may be added to the fire to impart flavour from the smoke.
The dried malt is ground into a coarse flour or grist, which is mixed with hot water in the mash tun. The water is added in 3 stages and gets hotter at each stage, starting around 67°C and rising to almost boiling point.
The quality of the pure Scottish water is important. The mash is stirred, helping to convert the starches to sugar. After mashing, the sweet sugary liquid is known as wort. The spent grains – the draff – are processed into cattle feed.
The wort is cooled to 20°C and pumped into washbacks, where yeast is added and fermentation begins. The living yeast feeds on the sugars, producing alcohol and small quantities of other compounds known as congeners, which contribute to the flavour of the whisky. Carbon dioxide is also produced and the wash froths violently. Revolving switchers cut the head to prevent it from overflowing. After about 2 days the fermentation dies down and the wash contains 6-8% alcohol by volume.
The shape of the pot still affects the character of the individual malt whisky, and each distillery keeps its stills exactly the same over the years. A short and wide still will create a more fat and oily liquid and a tall still will create a more citrus character on the newmake.
In distillation, the still is heated to just below the boiling point of water and the alcohol and other compounds vaporise and pass over the neck of the still into either a condenser or a worm – a large copper coil immersed in cold running water where the vapour is condensed into a liquid.
The wash is distilled twice – first in the wash still, to separate the alcohol from the water, yeast and residue called pot ale – the solids of which are also saved for use in animal feeds.
The distillate from the wash still, known as low wines, contains about 20% alcohol in volume and then goes to the spirit still for the second distillation. The more volatile compounds which distil off first – the foreshots, and the final runnings called feints where more oily compounds are vaporised, are both channelled off to be redistilled when mixed with the low wines in the next batch.
Only the pure centre cut, or heart of the run, which is about 68% alcohol in volume is collected in the spirit receiver.
All the distillates pass through the spirit safe – whose locks were traditionally controlled by the Customs & Excise. The stillhouse worker uses all their years of experience to test and judge the various distillates without being able to come into physical contact with the spirit.
The newly distilled, colourless, fiery spirit reduced to maturing strength, 63% alcohol in volume, is filled into oak casks which may have previously contained Scotch whisky, bourbon, port wine or sherry, and the maturation process begins. To be able to write the word whisky on the label you have to mature the whisky for a minimum of three years, until then it's called new-make spirit.
Today whisky makers have more different casks to choose from, now we can find interesting red wine and other sweet wine casks like Sauternes. Now that the cask selection isn't so heavily regulated we will see some very interesting new whisky styles in the future. This is something we at WhiskyReligion are looking forward to and will always be in search of new and interesting whisky expressions.
1. Scotch grain whisky is usually made from 10-20% malted barley and then other unmalted cereals such as maize or wheat. The starch in the non-malted cereals is released by pre-cooking and converted into fermentable sugars. The mashing and fermentation processes are similar to those used for malt whisky.
2. The wash is distilled in a continuous or Coffey still, named after its inventor Aeneas Coffey. It has two tall columns – a rectifier and an analyser. Cold wash is pumped in at the top of the rectifier and meets steam. The columns in fact act like a heat exchanger. The alcohol is cooled, condenses and flows away as Scotch grain spirit at about 94% alcohol by volume.
3. The distilled grain spirit is lighter in character and aroma than most malt whiskies and therefore requires less time to mature. The bulk of matured grain whisky is used for blending.
These two whisky types are the backbone for making whisky. When you blend malt whisky and grain whisky you get blended whisky, if you blend different single malt whiskies you get blended malt. Two very different whisky types that many people find confusing.
A big difference is the costs of making the two, grain whisky is faster and cheaper to make than malt whisky, this is why you see higher retail prices on malt whiskies than the big volume whiskies like Grants, Johnny Walker and other blended scotch.
With so many whisky lovers on the island, you would think that whisky would be a big thing in Mallorca. This beautiful spirit is loved worldwide and with the broad demographics across the Balearics, whisky should be a top seller. We have seen a big sales increase in countries like France, Belgium and Germany, so will Spain be the next big whisky country?
Sometimes we wonder if it is the warm weather that people find not suitable for whisky drinking. However, an ex-bourbon matured whisky in the sun can be an amazing experience, so the weather can't be the reason. Or could it be the strong wine culture in Spain? Then again, France is now one of the biggest whisky markets in the world.
We at Whisky Religion will explore and go all-in with our whisky project because we know that the islanders and tourists love all types of whisky. To be able to offer Mallorca a wide selection of rare whiskies is a privilege and we will provide the whisky lovers with experiences that will be difficult to find even in Scotland.
What we will offer Mallorca is a full circle whisky experience with tastings, master classes and bringing some famous whisky makers to the island. Each week you can book tastings in our tasting room and we will keep all members and whisky lovers updated through our newsletter and our social media channels. The set tastings that we offer will be for both the whisky experts and curious whisky drinkers who want to know more about this amazing spirit.
Whisky is here to stay and we are looking forward to sharing the wonderful world of whisky in Mallorca.
