Distilled in Scotland for the reason that 1400s, Scotch whisky is without doubt one of the world’s most enduring and iconic spirits. There’s such romanticism and mythos that encompass the “water of life” that it will probably create a fractured narrative. Misinformation fosters confusion, which might make scotch intimidating and trigger some individuals to keep away from the class.
“Plenty of the myths are a product of snobbery coming from older males,” says Mitch Bechard, a whisky entrepreneur and marketing consultant based mostly in Aberdeen, Scotland. “This type of snobbery goes again a few generations in Scotland, and it’s all [garbage].”
In an effort to make one of many world’s most interesting spirits extra approachable and fewer pretentious, listed below are probably the most outstanding myths regarding scotch, debunked.
Fantasy #1: All scotch are smoky peat bombs
For many individuals, burly, closely peated expressions that style like bonfires outline scotch. But it represents solely a sliver of this wealthy and diversified class.
“It’s a specific type of single malt Scotch whisky,” says Rory Glasgow, nationwide model ambassador for The Glendronach, Benriach, and Glenglassaugh single malt scotch manufacturers. “It simply occurs to be a method that’s liked by some and loathed by others.”
There are 5 conventional scotch-producing areas in Scotland. The smoke bombs are produced nearly completely within the Islay area, a small island simply off Scotland’s west coast. The opposite 4 areas don’t lean into peat like Islay, which permits fruity and spicy notes to rise to the floor. Some bottles skip peat totally, which ends up in scotches bearing aggressive tropical fruit flavors.
Fantasy #2: Blended scotch is inferior to single malt
Blended scotch has lengthy been considered as boring, mass-produced whisky that lacks distinct character. Journalists could have helped to perpetuate this mindset, however there are different elements at play.
“Johnnie Walker is the primary scotch many individuals have, and it’s a smoky, blended scotch,” says Bechard. “Individuals could assume that they don’t like blends based mostly on that preliminary expertise.”
Nevertheless, a correctly blended scotch might be implausible. The cautious mixture of meticulously ratioed whiskies can type distinctive and complicated taste expressions that may stand as much as their single malt counterparts. Some nonetheless cling to this fantasy about blended scotch, however some knowledgeable fanatics know higher. The blends from Compass Field Whisky, for instance, are extremely coveted by scotch aficionados.
Fantasy #3: The older the scotch, the higher
The age displayed on a scotch bottle isn’t a definitive image of superiority. The quantity represents how lengthy the whisky matured inside a barrel, however there are different elements that have an effect on how a scotch evolves.
A outstanding fruity observe in a 12-year expression may rework right into a faint whisper in its 18th 12 months. This may be disappointing for many who love that fruity observe. Conversely, those that drink the older stuff completely could miss out on a brisker expression that’s not as formed by barrel affect.
“Age is however a quantity,” says Glasgow. “A single malt whisky can produce whiskies of all types of taste profiles and high quality over its years.”
Fantasy #4: Scotch doesn’t belong in a cocktail
The Penicillin, Rusty Nail, Rob Roy, and Blood & Sand are all famed cocktails identified for his or her scotch whisky base. Blended scotches and peaty single malts work significantly effectively, because the cocktail’s different elements steadiness out the scotch’s extra aggressive qualities. Cocktails that characteristic scotch don’t necessitate that you simply sacrifice the “great things,” both. There are many inexpensive scotches in the marketplace that make stable additions to anybody’s house bar.
Fantasy #5: Solely elements from Scotland are allowed in scotch
Strict guidelines encompass scotch distillation, certainly one of which dictates that the whisky should be distilled from 100% barley. Nevertheless, these guidelines don’t specify the place to get the barley.
The casks that maintain the whisky additionally typically come from outdoors of Scotland.
“Our casks are sourced from internationally,” says Glasgow. “A lot of the oak will come from America, with some coming from Continental Europe and small quantities from Japan.”
Fantasy #6: Scotch is not for these simply moving into whiskey
This concept stems partly from the gatekeeping typically evident amongst fanatics again within the day.
“At first of my profession, I used to be a younger lad talking to those older boys, they usually all wished to flex their data of scotch,” says Bechard. “Additionally they tended to look down at girls after they talked. Scotch was [considered] a person’s drink for a person’s world.”
Scotch is a spirit for all (who’re of age) to expertise, study, and revel in. All it takes is to seek out an entry level into the class. As soon as that occurs, all of those myths gained’t matter.