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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 21, 2008 A13

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Understanding

whiskey
By John Hansell

W
hiskey isn’t the easiest drink to embrace. Its alcohol level is much higher
than beer or wine, and some of the names, like those of Gaelic-rooted
Scotch whiskies, can be difficult to pronounce. Whiskeys, though, are
rich and diverse in flavors — more than any other distilled spirit. At
their extreme, the really smoky, peat-infused Scotch whiskies can
be downright challenging.
But many of life’s great pleasures are acquired tastes and worth the pursuit.
For many, whiskey is just as much an adventure as it is a drink. It invites you to
explore and indulge in its diversity. Each country traditionally produces its own
style of whiskey, but even within that style there is an incredible range of
whiskeys to choose from.

so what is whiskey ?
Whiskey is made from grain. This is what distinguishes it from
other distilled beverages like brandy, which is made from grapes,
and calvados, which is made from apples.
Simply speaking, whiskey is nothing more than distilled beer. Like
beer, malted barley and other grains are the source of the sugars neces-
sary for fermentation. The sugars in the grain are released by steeping
it in hot water. This sweet liquid, known as “wort,” is cooled down.
Yeast is added and converts the sugars to alcohol, creating beer.
The major difference between the “beer” that whiskey-makers
produce (often called “wash”) and the beer that brewers create is that
the brewers also add hops to their beer. Hops, the flowering cones
of a climbing plant, are bitter and help balance a beer’s sweetness.
They also act as a preservative to stabilize the beer’s flavor. Distiller’s
beer doesn’t need hops. Oak aging balances the whiskey’s flavors, and
distilling increases the alcohol level, which preserves the whiskey.
To make whiskey from beer, it must be distilled. Distilling
captures and concentrates the beer’s more volatile components, which
include alcohol. The distillers use either continuously-operating
column stills (as with most bourbons) or copper pot stills (as with
single malt scotch), one batch at a time. This spirit is then aged in oak John Hansell is the creator,
barrels, where it matures and becomes whiskey. The types of grain publisher and editor of Malt
Advocate, the nation’s leading
used, the distillation method, and the casks chosen for aging are what
magazine for the whisky
make each whiskey taste different.
enthusiast. He has appeared in
USA Today, the New York Times,
Scotland has more distilleries than any coun- BusinessWeek, Men’s Health,
scotch try, with close to 100 of them peppered through-
out the land. The most distinctive Scotch whiskies
Food & Wine and numerous

whisky are the single malts. In addition to being distilled


and matured in Scotland for a minimum of three
other publications.

years in oak barrels (a requirement for all Scotch whisky), single malt scotch
Here’s something that’s not complicated at all-drink responsibly. 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 46.85%ALC./VOL. (93.7 proof ). Distilled and bottled by Barton Distilling Co. Bardstown, KY.

is produced at one distillery (“single”), using only malted barley as the grain
(“malt”), and distilled in copper pot stills. It is an expensive process but pro-
duces a richly flavored whisky and, because it’s not blended with whiskies 1792bourbon.com
from other distilleries, very individualistic. This is why single malt scotch is
generally more expensive than blended scotch and coveted by aficionados.
It’s also the reason why single malts are so much fun to drink and explore.
Single malts are diverse in flavor, ranging from the gentle and subtly
complex whiskies of the Scottish Lowlands, to the firmer, sometimes spicy
whiskies in the Highlands, to the briny and often smoky whiskies from the
Scottish coastlines and islands. The heart of Scottish distilling is an area
known as Speyside, where nearly half of Scotland’s distilleries are situated
on — or near — the Spey River. Some Speyside whiskies, like Balvenie and
Macallan, are full-bodied and rich. Others, like the Glenlivet 12 year old,
are very elegant.
Even with all these great single malts, blended scotch still outsells them
by a wide margin. Single malt enthusiasm is a relatively recent phenom-
enon, gaining popularity over the past two decades.
Blended scotches, like Johnnie Walker, Dewar’s, Chivas and Cutty Sark,
are marriages of several, if not dozens of different single malts. The ad-
vantage of blending is that it smoothes out the rough edges and fills in the
missing gaps of a whisky’s flavor profile.
Probably the least known fact about blended scotch is that the majority
of the blend is not single malt scotch at all, but rather grain whisky. Grain
whisky is made from various cereal grains and distilled in continuous col-
umn stills, similar to the way vodka is made. It produces a less expensive,
lighter flavored whisky. Some blends are incredible products, but are usu-
ally lighter in flavor and less expensive than single malts.
Many people think all Scotch whiskies are smoky, but only a handful of
them really are. The smoke flavor comes from using malted barley that is
dried over a peat fire. Peat was, at one time, the only practical fuel source
for many distilleries. These days it’s an optional flavor enhancement that,
by the way, is very much in vogue right now.

In contrast to Scotch whisky production,


irish there are only four working Irish distilleries,
and only three are currently selling whiskey.
whiskey The small number of Irish distilleries explains
the disparity between the amounts of Scotch
whiskies on the market when compared to the number of Irish whiskeys.
When comparing the differences between Irish whiskey to Scotch whisky,
people will often say that the difference is that Irish whiskey is distilled three
times (producing a lighter flavor), while scotch is only distilled twice. The
other argument is that Irish whiskey is not smoky, and Scotch whisky is.
These generalizations are accurate for many whiskeys, but not all of them.
Irish whiskeys, like Jameson, contain “pure pot still” whiskey. Pure pot
still whiskey is unique to Ireland. Unlike single malt scotch that is made We wanted to depict all that
from malted barley, pure post still whiskey comes from malted and unmalted goes into our bourbon, but how
barley that gives many Irish whiskeys their distinctive flavor. do you illustrate passion?
Does making bourbon have to be so complicated?
The most well-known style of whiskey If you want a rich, complex taste, it does. Our story
american in the United States is bourbon. It is so
popular now, both in the United States and
starts 129 years ago with Tom Moore’s original spring

whiskey
and weaves its way around the distillery, ending high
abroad, our distillers can’t make enough up in our Rackhouse Z for at least 8 years. But if you
of the stuff. Bourbons, like Jim Beam, really want to know all that goes into 1792 Ridgemont
Wild Turkey, and Ridgemont Reserve, fit in a category known as “straight Reserve®, one sip should tell you everything.
whiskeys,” and if you look closely enough on a bourbon label, you’ll see it
identified that way.
Complex Taste. Simple Pleasure.
Continued on bottom of next page

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A14 Friday, November 21, 2008 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

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aPPReCIaTING WHIsKeY
If you’re drinking whiskey just for fun, and aren’t interested in learning more about your whiskey, then go ahead and drink it however you like.
You paid for it and you earned that right. However, if you want to capture as many aromas and flavors as possible, then try to understand that whis-
key expresses itself best at room temperature. I know you are tempted to just go ahead and drink the whiskey, but don’t. Not just yet, anyway.

lOOK smell TasTe


Before you do anything, look at the whiskey. You can learn Realize that you can smell more Now go ahead and taste the whiskey. Make sure you
a lot about your whiskey by its color. Generally speaking, the from your whiskey than you will coat your entire tongue and let it linger on the palate for
darker the whiskey, the older it is, because whisky gets its ever be able to taste. In fact, all the a little while before swallowing. Is it thick on your pal-
color from being in contact with the oak barrel during aging. master blenders work primarily by ate or thin? What flavors do you taste? Does the whiskey
The type of barrel also matters. For example, if a Scotch nosing, not by tasting. So do your- taste the same way it smells? Do the flavors evolve on the
whisky is being aged in a bourbon barrel that has been used self a favor and smell your whiskey palate or just stay the same? After you swallow, does the
several times over, it’s not going to pick up much color from before you taste it. Don’t thrust your flavor fade away quickly or does it linger on the palate?
the barrel. However, if that same whisky was put in a cask nose into the glass, because the al- Most importantly, did you like it?
that contained sherry or port wine, it will pick up some of the cohol will be too dominant. Gently For many of you, the alcohol will just be too intense
colors of the wine, in addition to those of oak barrel. raise the whiskey up to your nose to fully appreciate the whiskey. I recommend that you
I must also warn you that some whiskeys (particularly until you begin capturing its aroma. add a little water to your whiskey, then nose and taste
those that are younger) contain caramel coloring to make Think about what you smell. the whiskey again. Add a little bit at a time (a few drops)
them look “the way we think whiskey should look,” because Often, but not always, a whiskey’s and keep adding until you find your comfort zone. Add-
young whiskeys haven’t had enough contact time with the aroma will be a good indication of ing water brings out more of the whiskey’s aroma. It also
oak barrel, and will appear lighter in color. how it will taste. lowers the alcohol level, reducing its numbing effect on
the palate.

Whiskey are less bold and more approachable. Some drinkers like the easygoing style
of wheated bourbons, while others enjoy the boldness of more traditional
Continued from previous page
rye-spiced bourbons.
Bourbon, being a straight whiskey, must meet strict requirements. It has to be Largely ignored for decades, straight rye whiskeys have made a huge comeback
made in the United States (and while nearly all bourbon is made in Kentucky right and create a distinctive impact when used in cocktails, making it very a trendy
now, it doesn’t have to be legally), and its grain formula, known as the “mash ingredient right now for mixologists.
bill,” must contain at least 51 percent corn. It can’t be distilled higher than 80 per- Canadian whisky is the lightest example
cent alcohol (by volume) or go into the barrel for aging higher than 62.5 percent
alcohol, and has to be aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of two CaNadIaN from the major whisky distilling countries.
That’s because Canadian whisky tradition-
years. These requirements are designed to maintain the quality and consistency
of bourbon.
WHIsKY ally consists of a blend of two components:
a base whisky and a flavoring whisky. The
Other straight whiskeys, like straight rye whiskeys and straight wheat whiskeys base whisky, usually made from corn, is very light in flavor and comprises the large
must meet similar requirements. The only difference is that rye or wheat is the main majority of the whisky’s make-up. The flavoring whisky, often one with a high rye
grain (respectively), rather than corn. content, makes up the rest.
If you walk into a bar and ask for a bourbon, there’s a good chance you’ll get Ironically, Canadian law allows Canadian whisky to be called Canadian Whisky,
Jack Daniel’s. This is probably the biggest misunderstanding in the world of whiskey. Canadian Rye Whisky, or Rye Whisky, even though the actual amount of rye in the
It’s a Tennessee whiskey and made just like bourbon — except for one additional step grain mixture is usually very small, and much less than corn. There is a huge dif-
in the process. After the spirit is distilled, and before it is put into charred oak bar- ference between Canadian “rye” whiskies and American “straight rye” whiskeys.
rels for aging, it is mellowed through vats of sugar maple charcoal. This changes the The straight ryes produced in the United States are considerably bolder and more
flavor profile of the whiskey — which some describe as mellower and gently sweeter challenging. Canadian “rye” drinkers are often confused and overwhelmed by the
when compared to bourbon — making it distinctly Tennessee whiskey. intensity of the straight rye whiskeys from the United States, where the largest in-
While bourbon has to be made from a mash of at least 51 percent corn, in real- gredient must be rye.
ity it usually is made with 70 - 80 percent corn. The remainder consists of rye and Canadian whisky’s lighter style makes it appealing year-round, even in the warm
malted barley. You can think of rye as the “spice” ingredient of bourbon. It doesn’t summer months when other whiskeys might be too heavy. While most people think
have to be used, but it has a significant impact on the flavor profile. If you’ve ever of Canadian whiskies as mixing whiskies, something to be drunk on the rocks or
tasted rye bread, then you understand rye’s contribution to bourbon. with soda, there are also some fine Canadian whiskies that you can sip neat, like
But some bourbon producers replace the rye with wheat. Wheat chang- Crown Royal Reserve or the new Canadian Club 30 year old, both of which are
es the flavor profile in its own way. “Wheated” bourbons, like Maker’s Mark, worth seeking out.

THEY SAY THE WAY TO A MAN’S HEART


IS THROUGH HIS STOMACH, I TEND
TO THINK IT IS MORE THROUGH A
TRADITIONAL BOURBON OAK CASK AND
THEN AN ORIGINAL SHERRY OAK CASK.
BUT THAT MIGHT JUST BE ME .

Single Malt With Unmistakable Character


Don’t think poorly of yourself if you can’t appreciate The Balvenie.
It’s a rare breed who can savor its Oloroso sherry notes, layered
with honey and vanilla. If you can, we respect your refined taste.
If not, we wish you all the best in your humble endeavors.
TheBalvenieGuy.com
The Balvenie Distillery, Balvenie Maltings, Scotland. Est. 1892. ©2007 Imported by William Grant & Sons, Inc. New York, NY 43% Alc./Vol.

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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 21, 2008 A15

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conducTing a reading
Whiskey TasTing The label
The most exciting thing about whiskey is its diversity offla- Reading a whiskey’s label can be very daunting. This guide
vors, which is the reason why conducting a whiskey tasting will help you understand what’s inside the bottle, what it
(and attending one) is so much fun. Comparing and contrast- means to you, and help youfi nd a whiskey you will enjoy.
ing whiskeys is also a great way to learn more about them.
To “e” or noT To “e”?
inviTe The righT people and have a designaTed driver Depending on the country of origin, “whiskey” is spelled with
Before you begin to think of the kinds of whiskeys you’ll be pouring, or without an “e.” American whiskeys, like bourbon, rye, and
make sure you have the right audience. They should be open-minded Tennessee whiskey, usually spell their whiskey with an “e.”
whiskey drinkers, or people who aren’t whiskey drinkers but are curi- Irish whiskeys also retain the “e.” Scotch and Canadian whis-
ous and interested in learning about whiskey. kies are spelled without the “e.”

pick a Theme and have fun WhaT is “finishing”?


You have hundreds of whiskeys to choose from. Come up with an inter- Many whiskeys spend most of their lives in one cask, but
esting theme. Consider tasting them “blind,” so you don’t know what then are put into a different type of cask for a brief time
you are tasting (and won’t have any pre-conceived opinions). before bottling. This practice is known as “finishing,” and you
will often see this identified on the whiskey’s label. Finishing
use The proper glassWare is used to a great extent with Scotch whiskies. Most scotches
Use clear glassware that closes toward the top to capture the are initially aged in used bourbon barrels. Finishing them in
whiskey’s aroma. There are several new nosing and tasting glasses that a wine cask, like sherry or port, or perhaps even a used rum
you could use, but small brandy snifters or white wine glasses will work cask, will add new dimensions offl avors. It is also a quick
just fine. Make sure your glassware is clean and free of detergent. If way, from a marketing standpoint, for a distillery to introduce
you washed the glasses in a dishwasher, rinse them with water before a new whiskey to the market.
using. If you’re reusing the glasses throughout the evening, make sure Courtesy of Malt Advocate
they are rinsed thoroughly between flights. is iT from a single cask?
When a distiller bottles a whiskey, it generally comes from a marriage of casks produced at that dis-
don’T serve Too many Whiskeys tillery. This ensures consistency of flavors. Only a small percentage of whiskeys are bottled one cask
Six to eight whiskeys are plenty — especially if you’re swallowing. If you taste too many whiskeys, at a time, and they are usually identified on the label as such. Since each barrel of whiskey tastes
your palate will eventually become fatigued. One-half ounce pour for each whiskey is enough. Have different (even when from the same distillery), single cask bottlings are the most individualistic.
a dump bucket available so tasters can dump whiskeys they don’t want tofi nish. Taste another
whiskey every ten minutes or so. That, combined with some light snacks and additional conversa- hoW old is iT?
tion at the end, will make for an enjoyable two-hour tasting. If a whiskey has an age statement on the label, then all the whiskey in that bottle must be at least
that old. For example, if a distillery combines 12-,15- and 18-year old barrels of whiskeys, the
have plenTy of WaTer age statement on the label can’t be more than 12 years old. Remember: whiskey only ages in the
Have two sources of water: one for drinking and one for adding to your whiskey. Make sure the water barrel, not in the bottle.
you have for your whiskey is non-carbonated, room temperature and clean (e.g., spring water).
WhaT’s iTs sTrengTh?
serve The righT food All whiskeys must contain at least 40 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), or 80 proof (proof is twice
For yourfi rst whiskey tasting, serve the food before or after the tasting. Whiskey and food do go the alcohol level), though there are whiskeys on the market that are over 70 percent ABV (140 proof)!
well together in under certain circumstances but, for yourfi rst tasting, you should keep it simple Usually, after whiskey is taken from the barrel, water is added to bring it down to the strength that
and just focus on the whiskey. If you are serving food before the tasting, don’t serve anything spicy. the producer wants to sell it at. Sometimes a whiskey is bottled at the same strength it came out of
Hot peppers and garlic will ruin your experience. You might just want to serve some water and the barrel. This is often referred to on the label as Barrel Proof or Natural Cask Strength.
crackers before and during the tasting, and enjoy more substantial food after you’vefi nished. But
if you’re cooking aromatic foods for your guests during the event, make sure the tasting is done in is iT chill-filTered?
a location far from those aromas. A whiskey will get hazy or cloudy if its temperature is lowered (e.g., if ice or cold water is added).
Most whiskey companies think cloudy whiskey is unappealing and will hurt sales. To prevent this,
exchange ideas and ThoughTs before the whiskey is bottled, they chill it down and filter out the components that make it cloudy.
Discuss what you smell and taste. It will help you discover more aromas and flavors, and it will make Unfortunately, those components (known as congeners) also contribute to a whiskey’s flavor. Some
you a better taster. What did you like about the whiskey? What turned you off? Why? If you think you producers bottle the whiskey without chill-filtering, and this is usually identified and explained on
might forget some of what you learned (and you probably will), take notes. Keep a whiskey diary. the label.
— J.H.

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