The Truth about Rare Malt Whisky

Rare Malt Whisky

In the world of alcohol, there are many myths and legends. Does Jagermeister really contain deer blood? Is that why metal heads love it? Wrong! No deer blood; metal heads love Jagermeister because it uses the font of beloved metal band Motorhead. The strange herbal liquor is not the only one suffering from misinformation. The world of scotch whiskey brands is full of nebulous, drunken half-truths.

Let's start with the spelling of the word whiskey. Some of you may have seen bottles labeled whisky as opposed to whiskey (note the E before the Y). Now neither one is wrong perse, but whisky is usually used to denote Scottish whisky. Whiskey is the generally accepted spelling everywhere else, so most people (outside Scotland) would probably tell you to stick with that. Therefore, unless that rare malt whisky was born in Scotland it is a single malt whiskey.

What exactly is the proof of whiskey? Simply put, the proof is double the ABV or alcohol by volume. So 100% pure alcohol is 200 proof. Your average hard liquor is 40% ABV or 80 proof. That means that when you pick up a bottle of single malt whiskey, 40% of that liquid is usually pure alcohol. The term proof dates back to the times of old, when the only way to test the strength of alcohol was to see how flammable it was. Before any bar or general store keeper would buy whiskey, he would light it on fire and prove its alcoholic content.

Many people think that whiskey is the hard liquor equivalent of beer. This is not exactly true. Some hard alcohols are simply distilled equivalents of naturally fermented drinks; for example, brandy is concentrated wine and cognac is concentrated champagne. Beer and whiskey are both grain based, but the naturally fermented grains that are later distilled to whiskey are not beer. Both are a wheat based alcohol, but it is a bit of a stretch to call scotch whiskey distilled beer when compared to the way brandy is considered distilled wine.
There is also some debate about the best way to enjoy single malt scotch and other whiskey. Most people prefer them at room temperature or mixed with water that is at room temperature.. Theoretically, room temperature is the point at which  the flavors of the single malt scotch become most apparent, but I would say just drink it in a way you enjoy.

A Brief History of Rare Malt Whiskey

Whiskey has an interesting history. It dates back to either ancient China or ancient Babylonia (thought to be the birth places of distillation). At first distillation was used as a means of making medicine and perfume. It is not clear exactly when but sometime around 800 BC people realized they could use the distillation process on wheat and rice alcohol. The practice was spread through Europe by the Moors and by Christian missionaries. The whiskey of old was nothing like the smooth scotch whiskey we enjoy today. It was more like raw grain alcohol. The idea of aging whiskey did not come around until the mid-1700s.

Whiskey production in Ireland was almost defiantly brought to the country by missionaries. The term whiskey is actually derived from the Gaelic word Uisge.

Two historical events are charged with giving rare malt whiskey the popularity it enjoys today. One was King Henry the 8th's dissolving ofmonasteries in the 1530's and 1540's. The monks had to make a living out of their monasteries so many used their expertise to make whiskey. The other was the merging of Scotland and England in 1707. This lead to higher tax on the barley used to make whiskey. This drove the trade of rare malt whiskey underground and lead to a lot of home brewing.

Another important development in the growth of whiskey came in 1831 with the invention of the twin-column still. This allowed for use of malted and unmalted barley as well as corn. More importantly, however, it allowed for much higher volumes of production. Although the products of this method of distillation where inferior in quality, people quickly realized that they could blend twin stilled whiskey with single malt whiskey to create a more palatable blended drink.

One final historical event that really established whiskey as a bellowed spirit worldwide was a brandy shortage in the 1880\'s caused by the grape-destroying pest, phylloxera. The French where forced to drink whiskey in lieu of brandy but by the time the grape crop recovered whiskey had already cemented itself as a beloved beverage.

From then on it has been all success for whiskey. Whiskey was even legal during prohibition (by a doctor\'s prescription). Today it is one of the most widely enjoyed hard alcohols on the market, and for good reason. You should stock up now before it gets too cold. Some nice warm rare malt whiskey on a cold day can really heat you up inside.

Rare Single Malt Whiskey

Many people who are recent converts to the world of scotch are eager to try new scotches, whether they are single malts scotches or blended. After some sampling, however, when you begin to develop a taste and preference, it is important to be able to describe to liquor distributors what you are looking for. It is important to develop a vocabulary of flavors so that experts can help you find the scotches you are looking for.

One simple and easy way to describe to a whiskey sommelier or store clerk what you want is by comparing it to a popular brand already on the market. For example, you could tell your clerk at the liquor store you are looking for something that tastes like Jack Daniels whiskey or Glenfiddich. This will give the clerk a good idea of what kind of flavor profile for which you are looking. You can even try comparing what you want to liquor, like Disaronno Amaretto. The problem with this method is that it's amateurish. The clerk or sommelier will not know what it is you like about that particular brand, so you can only go so far.

A better method is to learn aspects of the flavor profile you like and ask for recommendations based off those criteria. For instance, you could say that you like the clean taste of Edradour or the fruity taste of Glendornach. This will allow whoever is helping you to zero in on what it is that you like about a given rare single malt whiskey.

The same could be said about things to avoid. For example you could ask for something that is not as smokey as Springbank or not as strong as Longrow. This will, at the very least, help you avoid something you know you won't enjoy. When your palate really develops you can begin seeking whiskeys that combine your favorite aspects of other brands and avoid flavors you don't like. At this point I would suggest using the Whiskey Wheel. The Whiskey Wheel is a round chart broken into six flavors; woody, winey, cereal, fruity, floral, peaty, fenty and sulphury. These flavors are in turn broken into different sub flavors.

As your palate develops further you will be able to mix and match sub flavors from the wheel to find the ideal scotch. That is when the real fun begins, tasting scotches from around the world and seeing their different flavor profiles. Refining you palate and finding your absolute favorite whiskey is just the start of your tasting journey. Once you have the tasting tools, you can truly appreciate any scotch brands.