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Years ago I read a book by Paulo Coelho that had the following quote: "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." I recently attended a very interesting Scotch tasting, hosted by regional Johnnie Walker Ambassador Arturo Savage. There were so many similarities with the wine world I decided to do a short piece on Scotch. A couple of days later, February's Wine Spectator (WS) magazine landed on my desk with the banner headline "A Wine Lover's Guide to Scotch". "Wow", I thought to myself, "this will make my research a lot easier". So here are the very basics that you need to know about Scotch Whisky.
What is Scotch Whisky?
The Johnnie Walker team put on a great show during the entire week leading up to Jamaica Jazz and Blues fest, hosting Scotch tastings all over Jamaica. (Photos: Chris Reckord)
Patrons received a sample bottle of Johnnie Walker Red.
Individuals like Don Creary (right) are very serious about their Scotch — he takes his Single Malt Scotch (glasses and ice too) everywhere. Kamal Bankay is seen here doing the honours. (Photos: Chris Reckord)
Johnnie Walker Ambassador Arturo Savage expounding the drinking experience of the Blue Label which is Johnnie Walker's premium blend. Every bottle is serial-numbered and sold in a silklined box, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. It is one of the most expensive blended Scotches on the market.
Whisky (or Whiskey) is an alcoholic spirit made from a fermented grain such as rye or barley and sometimes aged or blended. A note on the spelling, for reasons that have yet to be adequately explained: American and Irish distillers spell the word whiskey with an "e" while their Scotch, Canadian, Japanese and New Zealand peers spell whisky without it. While whisky is made all over the world, Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland. A very popular American Whiskey is Bourbon with brands like Jim Beam and Maker's Mark.
Types of Scotch
There are many categorisations around the world of wines and spirits, and Scotch is no exception. The basic types of Scotch Whisky, from which all blends are made are (a) Single Malt Scotch Whisky -- a Scotch Whisky produced from only water and malted barley at a single distillery by batch distillation. (b) Single Grain Scotch Whisky means a Scotch Whisky distilled at a single distillery but which, in addition to water and malted barley, may also be produced from whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals. Blended Scotch whisky constitutes over 90% of the whisky produced in Scotland. Blended Scotch whiskies contain both malt whisky and grain whisky. Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch Whisky owned by Diageo and originated in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world.
Single Malt and Blended Scotch
Blended Scotch whiskies were initially created as an alternative to single malt whiskies which were considered by some to be too harsh. Producers combine the various malts and grain whiskies to produce a consistent "brand style". So Single Malt and Blends enjoy a symbiotic relationship: they need each other. Regional Johnnie Walker Ambassador Arturo Savage explained to us that blending requires single malts and if it were not for Blended Whisky like his brand, some single malt producers might not be in business. Although single malts are experiencing growth, blended Scotch drives the business, accounting for some 90 per cent of all Scotch sales. Notable blended Scotch whisky brands available in Jamaica include Dewar's, Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal. Single Malt brands in Jamaica include Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie and Macallan.
Where great Scotch comes from
The industry's governing body, the Scotch Whisky Association, officially divides Scotland into five regions: Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside, Islay and Campbeltown. Unlike wine, these regions do not seem to have any all-encompassing taste profile. WS suggests that stylistic anomalies are plentiful. The Highlands region, for instance, is sprawling, with offerings as disparate as the unpeated Glengoyne and the smoky Talisker. The Speyside designation is more useful, created as a subset of the Highlands and taking in the very recognisable fruity-floral character of the many distilleries camped near the River Spey. Today, Campbeltown hardly seems worthy of regional status as it comprises only three distilleries, but it was once the self-styled whisky capital of the world, with more than two dozen producers. Islay is a small island off the west coast that is home to eight distilleries, many of which are quite smoky in style.
How to drink it?
Johnnie Walker Ambassador Arturo Savage also hosted tastings at the recently concluded Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival and suggested to patrons (and had them all try it) that there are three ways people drink Scotch: neat, with water and with a little ice. Most of the patrons in the room enjoyed the Scotch when they sipped ice cold water first, then sipped the Scotch neat.
Single Malt Myths
WS listed and expounded on a few Single Malt myths around the topic of Single Malt Scotch:
You can judge a malt by its colour; the older the whisky the better; whisky ages in the bottle, and one that I hear a lot is: always drink single malts neat. The whisky makers suggest that a dash of water opens the aroma and the flavour of ANY whisky. Just don't use too much water.
There is so much more to learn about Scotch whisky; do talk to Scotch lovers and do read on the topic.
Chris Reckord — Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. He and his wife Kerri-Anne are part-owners of Jamaica's only Wine Bar — Bin26 Wine Bar in Devon House, Kingston. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on http://twitter.com/DeVineWines
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