WHISKY REGIONS
BY DAVID GREEN, THE RED FOX
The art of producing whisky in Scotland has been around for centuries and began as a way of turning rain-soaked barley into a drinkable spirit, using the fresh water from the clear springs. The base recipe for whisky is pretty simple with only three ingredients, water, barley and yeast. It’ s basically producing a beer without the addition of hops. This beer is then distilled and the resulting spirit is then matured in oak casks for at least three years.
Scotland has over 100 distilleries all producing different styles and flavours of whisky, and although the ingredients appear simple, the variation in the finished product is massive, from peaty, to light & sweet to dry and smoky where do you start picking a whisky? Where a whisky is made can have a huge bearing on its flavour, everything from the source of the water to the presence of peat in the local area will come through in the taste. Scotland is divided into 5 geographic areas with each region having common characteristics that separate them from the other regions, and this little guide below will hopefully help steer you to a whisky that you and your taste buds will enjoy.
LOWLAND
Encompassing Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fife, it reaches from the Highland / Lowland divide down to the Borders and Dumfries & Galloway, and west to Ayrshire and Arran. With miles of farmland and neat woodlands, the Lowlands is one of the most charming and accessible whisky regions in Scotland. The mild climate and flat land make it ideal for growing barley, and it is famous for light, unpeated whiskies, which are soft and light in character, with malty, often grassy notes and subtle, delicate aromas. Lowlands are home to just three working distilleries: Auchentoshan, Bladnoch and Glenkinchie, this is a great region to start if you are new to whisky or you don’ t like big bold flavours, try Auchentoshan Three Wood for a really smooth easy drinking dram.
HIGHLANDS
The Highlands takes up most of the country, stretching from Orkney in the north to the Isle of Arran in the south, as the biggest geographical whisky area in Scotland it means there is a great variation in flavours. As a result, its whiskies are not easy to categorise. Distilleries in the northern Highlands generally produce whisky with full-bodied, sweet malts with cereal notes; in the south, the whiskies tend to be lighter, fruity and dry. In the east, expect full-bodied, dry and fruity compared with the western Highlands, which are peated with strong maritime influences. The distilleries on the islands, although officially not recognised as a sub-region, differ again. Highland Park on Orkney, for instance, is different to most mainland Highland malts because of the sweet smokiness flavours, try the dark art edition its wonderful, trust me. Other distilleries I would recommend include Aberfeldy, Dalmore, Glenmorangie & Dalwhinnie.
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ISLAY
Situated off Scotland ' s west coast, the island is just 25 miles long and is nicknamed“ Whisky Island” due to its concentration of eight producing distilleries with another currently being built and this is personally my favourite region with Bruichladdich being my distillery of choice – you will often find me behind the bar talking about them and probably tasting a few drams too. The whiskies from Islay are the strongest flavoured of the regions and renowned for their dryness and strong peaty smokiness. According to legend, monks first brought the art of whisky distilling here from Ireland. They found Islay ideal for distilling whisky thanks to the abundance of peat, spring water and barley. Islay single malts are renowned for their smokiness with faint notes of sea air and seaweed. Examples of distilleries include Bruichladdich, Bowmore, Lagavulin and Laphroaig.
SPEYSIDE
Although actually located in the Highlands, this area has almost half the total number of distilleries in Scotland and is therefore officially recognised as a region. It gets its name from the River Spey, which cuts through this region and provides water to many of the distilleries. Speyside whiskies are characterised by sweet and fruity notes, ranging from ripe pears to sultanas. Hints of nuts and malt are common, and some also possess a refined smokiness. The rich supply of pure water and beautiful inland setting help to produce smooth and complex whiskies. Among the several acclaimed distilleries are Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet and The Macallan you must try the latest Glenfiddich Project X for a stunning whisky which sums up the region and the style.
CAMPBELTOWN
With just three working distilleries, this is the smallest of the regions, once home to over 30 distilleries, It became a victim of its own popularity: demand was so great that distilleries couldn ' t keep up and ultimately the quality fell. When rival Speyside was connected to the newly built railways in the north, allowing superior quality spirit to reach the market more quickly, Campbeltown fell into further decline. Nowadays, the remaining distilleries produce whisky with unusual characteristics. Although local sources are depleted, peat from Tomintoul in the Highlands ensures the single malts retain their smoky palate. The sea mists from the Mull of Kintyre provide a maritime flavour. Distilleries are Glengyle, Glen Scotia, Springbank, I would recommend you try Springbank as they have a range of styles, I have just finished a bottle of Hazelburn which was finished in Barolo casks – really yummy tasting whisky with a great colour coming from the Barolo soaked cask.