Soft and smooth malts are characteristic of the region, offering a gentle, elegant palate reminiscent of grass, honeysuckle, cream, ginger, toffee, toast and cinnamon. The distinctive flavors of scotlands five scotch regions. Scotch whisky is divided into two distinct categories. Speyside scotch is considered to be the most complex and offers sweet aromas and rich flavor profiles. Single malt scotch is single malt whisky made in scotland. Thats a lot of my purely personal opinions to burden the web with, so ive slowed down now. As industry has progressed, the regions have become less important, but rich tradition has resulted in many whisky makers continuing to label their bottles with the region of origin. Highlands, speyside, islay, islands, cambeltown, lowlands and. The single malt whisky flavour map has been prepared and endorsed by the independent whisky expert dave broom, together with our master blenders, as an aid to navigating the many spirits scotland has to offer. Yet the difference between a speyside and an islay malt has less to do with flavour than youd think. Bottle of dewars white label scotch whisky aberlour 10 year old single malt scotch whisky various scotch whiskies barrels of whisky. The scottish lowlands have a farming climate for barley that is superior to many other regions. Distillery regions scotch hunter a guide to single.
Each offers a different perspective on scotch whisky. The abundance of distilleries in scotland is heaven for whisky lovers, but it can also. Scotland whisky distillery map wandering spirits global. As convenient as itd be to group distilleries into nicely defined flavor profiles, unfortunately defining scotch by region wont do that. It is the single malt scotch whiskeys that made the country famous and where youll find some of the best whisky in the world. The highlands, for example, are diagramed to show the regions different distilleries like edradour.
With this unique poster, youll travel around scotlands major distilling regions, trying and logging a single malt from each. To qualify for this category, a whisky must have been distilled at a single distillery using a pot still distillation process and made from a mash of malted barley. The 5 main single malt scotch whisky regions scotland is famous for its huge range of single malt whisky, with each distillery imbuing the liquid with its own unique and distinct character. A whisky tasting guide to the scotch regions of scotland tasting the whisky regions of scotland.
Speysides product comes from the 50 distilleries, over half of the countrys total number of scotch producers. Scotch whisky regions working distillery bold closed distillery italics major towncity laphroaig lagavulin bruichladdich ardbeg bunnahabhain s o u n d a o f i s l a y l o c h i n d a l port charlotte isle of jura port ellen bowmore caol ila kilchoman port askaig i s l a y m o r a y f i r t h auchriosk glentauchers othes craigellachie the. Despite its relatively small area, speyside is home to more than half of the operating distilleries in scotland. By 2015 there were over 400 log entries with tasting notes on more than 4,000 malt whiskies. Currently there are around 90 operating malt whisky distilleries in scotland it is difficult to be precise, since sometimes distilleries go out of production for periods, in order to balance stock levels. Scotlands five official whisky regions are traditionally used as a guide to navigate scotch flavours and styles.
The flavour map makes it easy to identify where the subtle similarities and distinct differences can be found, so you can explore the whisky landscape with confidence. Ill describe what single malts are, explain how theyre made and aged, discuss the concept of scotch terroir, and explore some of the regional variations. Im phil gow and this is my first video in a series helping you learn more about whisky, so you can enjoy it more. Compare at a glance the smoky and the rich, the light and the delicate, see where to begin and where to go next on your journey. The whisky is half way between the highlands and islay. A guide to the nations favorite spirit, clay risens single malt is an introduction to the long history, fascinating science, and incredible diversity of malted whisky, as well as a practical drinkers guide to buying and enjoying hundreds of the greatest examples of the distillers tradition. The most densely populated whisky region in the world, famous for fertile glens and, of course, the river spey. Scottish whisky regions guide covering all 6 different whisky.
Speyside gets its name from the river spey, which cuts through this region and provides water to many of the distilleries. Pdf the perceptual categorisation of blended and single. And these are seven of the best peaty single malts available, from islay and beyond. Distilleries that supply whisky for the worlds most popular blends. Scotch is back although with more than 500 years of tradition, some would say it never left. We offer a huge selection of whiskey and bourbon, single malt scotch whisky, irish whiskey, canadian whisky, japanese whisky and. And there are around 200 scotch whisky distilleries out there. There are five scotch whisky regions campbeltown, highland, islay, lowland and speyside. The most substantial of scotlands whisky regions is speyside, home to over half of all the distilleries in scotland. Unlike most other highland distilleries, ardmore distillery use peated barley, which gives the whisky a delicious smoky finish. Laphroaig adheres to the swa code of practice for the responsible marketing and promotion of scotch whisky. Last week, we examined the distinction between single malt and blended scotch whiskies.
By all means go straight from az, but its much more fun if you meander a little. Campeltown, the highlands, islay, and the lowlands. A bells ceramic decanter which was released to celebrate christmas 2001. Today, well step back a bit and take a more detailed much more detailed look at the single malt. Scotch distilleries of the finest scotch distilleries. Scotch whisky is produced all over scotland and can be broken down into 6 regions, highlands, speyside, lowlands, campbeltown, islay and islands.
The resulting malts are pungent, powerful and characterful. Speyside is by far the biggest whisky producing region in. Scotland is a part of the united kingdom known for whisky rather than wine. Scotland has 6 whisky regions, highlands, speyside, lowlands, campbeltown, islay and islands.
The screeshot at the left shows among other things the only two remaining swa whisky borders. Distillery regions scotch hunter single malt scotch. Even silent distilleries that are no longer active. We have received a lot of great feedback and suggestions since the launch of. Weve also compiled regional whisky distillery maps. From the island of islay, this region is renowned for its medicinal peat smoke and maritime flavours, which are potent expressions of the local peat and exposed seaside conditions. Peat is used in various parts of scotland, but its crucial to the identity of islay whisky. Different whiskies a brief guide to six of the most popular whisky types currently being enjoyed around the world. And once you do, its still difficult to find other scotches with a.
This is the region hosting the two distilleries that sell more than a million cases of single malt a year, glenlivet and glenfiddich, as well as to. The scotch whisky association also have a printable pdf showing all the distilleries as of 2018. The largest amount of scotch production from the highest number of distilleries comes from speyside, in the northeast of the country. Best online liquor store ace spirits ships single malt scotch, we ship whiskey and we ship bourbon ace spirits is a craft beer and whiskey boutique in hopkins, mn. Scotch whisky must be made in a manner specified by law. What is a single malt scotch whisky and how is it different from blended whisky. The map showed that the clusters representing the single malt whiskies from selected distilleries were sharply separated from the cluster grouping the other whiskies of commercialgrade. Single malt scotch whisky blended scotch whisky blended malt scotch whisky grain scotch whisky. For example, a quick internet search brings up a bottle of 25year highland park single malt scotch for. This, the smallest region, is known for a salty sweetness in its whisky. The ultimate single malt whisky flavor map infographic. With different regions and styles it can be hard to find a scotch you like.
The balvenie founders reserve is a classic 10 year old single malt scotch whisky which was created by the balvenie malt master david stewart. Today, with single malt scotch whisky recognised as the worlds leading whisky, every other country has opted for the original spelling. A closed distillery is one which has been permanently closed down, probably because it was uneconomical to run at the time of closure. Note that some regard islay and campbeltown malts as belonging to the same group or to the highland or island group. The lowlands produce drams doted on by lovers of the aperitif and mellow malt.
Scotland is home to over malt and grain distilleries, making it the greatest concentration of whisky production in the world. Quickly find the single malt whisky brand youre looking for with our complete a to z list. It is often necessary to make arrangements in advance, but many distilleries have extensive visitor facilities and do not require prior warning of a visit. Despite not being too large of an area, this is where around 50% of all scotch is produced. Single malt scotch whisky is one of the fastest growing categories not just in the world of whisky, but in the entire booze industry. Scotland has been colorcoded to highlight the different varieties of scotch by region.
On the vertical axis, whiskies are plotted as to how smoky or delicate they are, while the horizontal axis plots whiskies on. When closure happens, normally the equipment is dismantled and sold off, so its very unlikely that the distillery could reopen in its usual form. If the scotch youre drinking is over 80proof, add a splash of water to open up the flavor and release the aroma. Not all offer the bold smoky, peaty taste that scotch is known for and there are five or six regions within scotland that produce different styles, each with unique characteristics. You can find the locations of almost all whisky distilleries on the interactive whisky map. Arguably, defining scotch into regions isnt the best way to categorize scotch. Complete guide to scotch whisky the art of manliness. The maps below indicate the locations of both working and closed distilleries. The first written mention of scotch was found scribed on june 1st, 1495 in volume x on page 487 of the exchequer rolls of scotland where it reads to friar john cor, by order of the king, to make aqua vitae viii bolls of malt.
From discerning drinkers becoming better at knowing how they like their whisky tasting, to collectors forking out exorbitant figures to get their hands on coveted rarities, single malt scotch whisky, though ancient in its roots, has become a phenomenally. Others dispute the existence of a separate island group, insisting that it is a subset of highland malts. In this particular entry, it documents that cor was given eight. Shop scotch whisky by region shop scotch from all regions. Also find information on the five whiskyproducing regions and distillery tours. At the end of our scotch regions tasting, it was interesting to see which people liked.
Bigger, brawnier, and generally more rounded than lowland malts, the whiskies from the highlands carry a wide range of flavors and styles. The following table identifies the major distilleries in each region and the number of whiskies produced by each. Scotch is like wine in that the location of where its produced makes a big difference to how it tastes, looks and smells even though its produced in the same country. Many distilleries welcome visits by members of the public. Typically, islay single malts are renowned for their smokiness on the nose and palate with faint notes of sea air and seaweed. And if you move your mouse over the location of the distillery. Although the distillery is not open to the public, you can still try a taste of teachers scotch whisky or ardmore single malt, bottles of. Scotch from the speyside region buy speyside scotch whisky. Travel from the highlands to the islands, and everywhere in between. From the peaty and smoky flavours of the islay distilleries to the light and sweet notes of speyside, it can be said that no two distilleries ever produce.
Perching just above england, the lowlands can play truant from peat or salinity. As of 2018, there were 3 scotch whisky distilleries operating in scotland all scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. A whisky tasting guide to the scotch regions of scotland. The exchequer rolls were records of all royal income and expenses. The ultimate guide to scotch whisky out about scotland. A single malt scotch whisky is matured spirit which is the product of a potstill distillation process from an individual scotch whisky distillery and which has been matured in oak casks in controlled conditions in a warehouse in scotland. Distilleries by regions a guide to single malt scotch.
The whiskies of this region are noted for their elegance. Scotch style is often informed by the region where its. Flavour characteristics of scotch whisky from different regions in scotland. Scottish whisky regions guide covering all 6 different. You can also select more distillery regions to show on the map. As with any scotch whisky, a single malt scotch must be distilled in scotland and matured in oak casks in scotland for at least three years. The ardbeg distillery, located on islay, is well known for its superb peaty scotch. Discover over 120 scottish whisky distilleries with our interactive whisky map. Browse the listings in this guide to find out more. Each region produces a distinctive style of malt and the quality of scotch may vary widely within and across each region. Many feel that the longer a scotch is aged the smoother and more flavorful it becomes old whiskies are also more rare and cost a quite a bit more.
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