Scottish single malt whisky is a type of Scotch whisky, distilled by a single distillery in a pot still, using malted barley as the only grain ingredient. 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 (most single malts are matured for longer). An independent bottling of Royal Brackla Single Malt Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland. ... Distillation is a means of separating liquids through differences in their boiling points. ... Pot stills in Scotland A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. ... Malted barley Malting is a process applied to cereal grains, in which the grains are made to germinate and then are quickly dried before the plant develops. ... Binomial name Hordeum vulgare L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family Poaceae. ...

• "Malt" indicates that the whisky is distilled from a single "malted" grain. Not all grains can be malted (rye is another grain which can be malted), but in the case of single malt Scotch, barley is always the grain used.

• "Single" indicates that all the malts in the bottle comes from a single distillery. Multi-distillery malts are usually called "blended malt", "vatted malt" or (deliberately confusing, perhaps) "pure malt".

Production

All single malt Scotch goes through a similar batch production process, as outlined below. At bottling time various batches are mixed together or vatted to achieve consistent flavours from one bottling run to the next. Even still, some variation does occur. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Water

Water is used in all phases of the production of whisky. It is added to the barley to promote germination, it is mixed with ground barley grist to create a mash and it is used to dilute most whisky before maturation and once again before bottling.

Most distilleries use different water sources in the various steps.

Most new-make malt whisky is diluted to about 63.5% before it is placed in casks to mature. These days, many distilleries are using distilled water for diluting whisky before it is casked as well as for diluting the whisky to bottling strength (40-46% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)) after maturation. Others, like Jura or Bruichladdich use water from local burns or springs to dilute new-make before it is casked. Much new-make whisky is shipped in tanker trucks to central warehouses where local tap water is used to dilute it before casking, and again at bottling time. Jura Scotch Whisky is whisky distilled on the Hebridean island of Jura (near Islay). ...

Since huge amounts of water are used during the process of whisky production, water supplies are a key factor for the location of any distillery.

Malting

Malted Barley

Barley, yeast and water are the only ingredients required in the production of single malt Scotch. Subject Malted (germinated) barley for Single Malt Scotch in the malting room at the Laphroaig distillery on Islay in Scotland. ... Subject Malted (germinated) barley for Single Malt Scotch in the malting room at the Laphroaig distillery on Islay in Scotland. ... Typical divisions Ascomycota Saccharomycotina (true yeasts) Taphrinomycotina Schizosaccharomycetes (fission yeasts) Basidiomycota Basidiomycotina (club fungi) Urediniomycetes Sporidiales Yeasts are unicellular, eukaryotic microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi. ... Impact of a drop of water Water is a chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life. ...

The barley used to make the whisky is "malted" by soaking the grain in water for 2-3 days and then allowing it to germinate to convert starch (which is insoluble in water and not available for fermentation by yeast) to fermentable sugars.

Traditionally each distillery had its own malting floor where the germinating seeds were regularly turned. Most of the distilleries use commercial "maltsters" who prepare each distillery's malt to exact specifications, but the "pagoda roof" (many now false) which ventilated the malting floor can be seen at nearly every distillery.

The distinctive "pagoda" chimney of a kiln at a distillery in Scotland.

The germination is halted (by heating) after 3-5 days, when the optimum amount of starch has been converted to fermentable sugars. The method for drying the germinated barley is by heating it with hot air produced by an oil, coal or even electric heat source. Download high resolution version (600x800, 155 KB) Subject The distinctive chimney of a Single Malt Scotch kiln at the Laphroaig distillery on Islay in Scotland. ... Download high resolution version (600x800, 155 KB) Subject The distinctive chimney of a Single Malt Scotch kiln at the Laphroaig distillery on Islay in Scotland. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity(English) Wha daur meddle wi me? (Scots)[1] Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots[2] Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I...

In most cases, some level of Peat smoke is introduced to the kiln to add phenols, a smoky aroma and flavour to the whisky. Some of the more intensely smoky malts from Islay have phenol levels between 25 and 50 parts per million (ppm). The three smokiest/peatiest malts, in order of phenol concentration, are Ardbeg, Laphroaig (la-froyg) and Lagavulin (lagga-voolin), all from Islay. More subtle malts can have phenol levels of around 2–3 ppm. Peat in Lewis, Scotland Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter. ... In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. ... A distinctive pagoda style kiln chimney at Laphroaig Laphroaig (pronounced la-FROYG or [1]) is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery situated on the island of Islay off the West coast of Scotland. ... Lagavulin is a small village approximately 3 miles outside Port Ellen on the Isle of Islay, Scotland. ...

Mashing

The malt is milled into a coarse flour (grist), and added to hot water to extract the sugars.

The extraction is done in a large kettle (usually made of stainless steel) called a mash tun. At first, the hot water dissolves the sugars (maltose) and enzymes (diastase) in the grist. Then the enzymes act on the starch left over from the malting stage, continuing the conversion to sugar, and producing an sugary liquid called wort. Typically, each batch of grist is mashed three times or so to extract all the fermentable sugars. For the connotation of the term relating to chemistry, see Solvation. ... WORT 89. ...

Fermentation

Yeast is used to ferment malted barley in washbacks.

Yeast is added to the wort in a large vessel (often tens of thousands of litres) called a washback. Washbacks are commonly made of Oregon Pine or stainless steel. The yeast feeds on the sugars and as a by-product produces both carbon dioxide and alcohol and this process is called Fermentation and can take up to three days to complete. When complete, the liquid has an alcohol content of 5 to 7 % by volume, and is now known as wash. Up until this point the process has been quite similar to the production of beer. Subject Brewing vessels containing wash, for Single Malt Scotch production. ... Subject Brewing vessels containing wash, for Single Malt Scotch production. ... Typical divisions Ascomycota Saccharomycotina (true yeasts) Taphrinomycotina Schizosaccharomycetes (fission yeasts) Basidiomycota Basidiomycotina (club fungi) Urediniomycetes Sporidiales Yeasts are unicellular, eukaryotic microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi. ... Malted barley Malting is a process applied to cereal grains, in which the grains are made to germinate and then are quickly dried before the plant develops. ... Binomial name Hordeum vulgare L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family Poaceae. ... Typical divisions Ascomycota Saccharomycotina (true yeasts) Taphrinomycotina Schizosaccharomycetes (fission yeasts) Basidiomycota Basidiomycotina (club fungi) Urediniomycetes Sporidiales Yeasts are unicellular, eukaryotic microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi. ... Species See text. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... Functional group of an alcohol molecule. ... Fermentation in progress Fermentation typically refers to the conversion of sugar to alcohol using yeast. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Distillation

The wash, 5%–7% alcohol, is distilled in copper pot stills , boosting the alcohol content to 60%–80%.

The wash is then pumped into a copper pot still, known as the wash still, to be distilled. The wash is heated, boiling off the alcohol, which has a lower boiling point than water; the vapor is collected in a condenser which has been submerged in cool water. The lower temperatures cause the vapor to condense back into a liquid form. Subject Single Malt Scotch still at the Lagavulin distillery on Islay in Scotland. ... Subject Single Malt Scotch still at the Lagavulin distillery on Islay in Scotland. ... Functional group of an alcohol molecule. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... Pot stills in Scotland A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... Pot stills in Scotland A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. ... Laboratory distillation set-up using, without a fractionating column 1: Heat source 2: Still pot 3: Still head 4: Thermometer/Boiling point temperature 5: Condenser 6: Cooling water in 7: Cooling water out 8: Distillate/receiving flask 9: Vacuum/gas inlet 10: Still receiver 11: Heat control 12: Stirrer speed... Functional group of an alcohol molecule. ... The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which it can change its state from a liquid to a gas throughout the bulk of the liquid at a given pressure. ...

This spirit, known as low wine has an alcohol content of about 20 to 40 %. The low wines are then pumped into a second pot still, known as the spirit still, and distilled a second, (and in the case of Lowlander, Auchentoshan, a third) time. The final spirit called "new make spirit" generally has an alcohol content of 60 to 70%.

Much of the body, or mouth feel, of the final whisky is believed to come from the size and shape of the stills used in its production. When a still wears out and has to be replaced, or when a distillery decides to expand the number of stills it operates, precise measurements of the existing stills are taken to ensure the new stills are reproduced exactly like the old. There are urban legends (mostly untrue) of master distillers having dents placed in brand new stills so that they matched those in the old still. Another urban legend states that one distiller refuses to allow the cobwebs to be cleaned off his stills for fear of altering the whisky.

Maturation

By law, Scotch whisky must be matured for a minimum of three years in oak casks.

The "new-make spirit", or unaged whisky, is then placed in oak casks to mature. By law, all Scotch whisky must be aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks; though the many single malts are matured for much longer. The whisky continues to develop and change as it spends time in the wood, and maturation periods of twenty years or more are not uncommon. Each year spent in the wood reduces the alcohol content of the whisky, as the alcohol evaporates through the porous oak; the lost alcohol is known as the angel's share. Subject Single Malt Scotch in bond at the Laphroaig distillery on Islay in Scotland. ... Subject Single Malt Scotch in bond at the Laphroaig distillery on Islay in Scotland. ... A barrel is a hollow cylindrical container, usually made of wood staves and bound with iron bands. ... The Angels share describes a phenomenon of winemaking or aging after distillation. ...

The selection of casks has a profound effect on the character of the final whisky. Single malt Scotch is too delicate to be aged in new oak casks, as new oak would overpower the whisky with tannin and vanillin, making it overly astringent. Thus used casks are needed. The most common source of casks is American whiskey producers, as U.S. laws require that bourbon and Tennessee whiskey be aged in new oak casks. Bourbon casks impart a characteristic vanilla flavour to the whisky. An important minority of whisky maturation occurs in sherry casks. This practice arose because sherry used to be shipped to Britain from Spain in the cask rather than having been bottled, and the casks were expensive to return empty and were unwanted by the sherry cellars. Sherry casks are more expensive than bourbon casks, and account for only seven percent of all casks imported for whisky maturation. In addition to imparting the flavours of their former contents, sherry casks lend maturing spirit a heavier body and a deep amber colour. For this reason, single malt Scotches that have been matured in sherry casks are especially prized by blenders, as they give a blend a roundness and richness. Stainless steel shipping containers, however, have reduced the supply of wooden sherry casks, to the extent that the Macallan Distillery builds casks and leases them to the sherry cellars in Spain for a time, then has them shipped back to Scotland. Other casks used include those that formerly held port wine and madeira, while experiments with used rum and cognac casks are being performed. Tannins are astringent, bitter-tasting plant polyphenols that bind and precipitate proteins. ... Vanillin, methyl vanillin, or 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, is an organic compound with the molecular formula C8H8O3. ... Bourbon bottle, 19th century Bourbon is an American form of whiskey made from (pursuant to U.S. trade law) at least 51% corn, or maize, (typically about 70%) with the remainder being wheat and/or rye, and malted barley. ... Tennessee whiskey is a type of American whiskey. ... Sherry solera For other uses, see Sherry (disambiguation). ... Macallan single malt Scotch, also called The Macallan, is produced at a distillery called Easter Elchies House, in the Speyside region. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity(English) Wha daur meddle wi me? (Scots)[1] Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots[2] Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... A glass of tawny port. ... Madeira is a fortified wine made in the Madeira Islands of Portugal, which is prized equally for drinking and cooking; the latter use including the dessert plum in Madeira. ... Caribbean rum, circa 1941 Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

While most of the single malt Scotch whisky sold in North America and the United Kingdom is aged at least 10 years, the vast majority of whisky sold in Europe and Asia is aged as little as 3-5 years.^{[citation needed]}

Bottling

To be called a single malt Scotch, a bottle may only contain whisky distilled from malted barley produced at a single distillery. If the bottle is the product of single malt whiskies produced at more than one distillery, the whisky is called a vatted malt, or a blended malt. If the single malt is mixed with grain whisky, the result is a blended Scotch whisky. Single malts can be bottled by the distillery that produced them or by an Independent Bottler. Vatted Malt is a whisky which is blended from a number of different single malt whiskies. ... Grain whisky is whisky produced in a patent still by a continuous process. ... A blended whiskey (or whisky) comes from one of many distilleries, but is drawn from whiskeys of differing vintages and/or manufacturers. ...

The age statement on a bottle of single malt Scotch is the age of the youngest malt in the mix, as commonly the whiskies of several years are mixed together in a vat to create a more consistent house style.

On occasion the product of a single cask of whisky is bottled and released as a "Single Cask."

While "cask-strength", or undiluted, whisky (often having an alcohol content as high as 60%) has recently become popular, the vast majority of whisky is diluted to its "bottling strength" - between 40% and 46% ABV - and bottled for sale.

It should also be noted that for whisky, unlike wine, the maturation process does not continue in the bottle. A glass of red wine This article is about the alcoholic beverage. ...

Independent bottlers, such as Gordon & MacPhail, Murray McDavid, Signatory, Hart Brothers, and Cadenhead, buy casks of single malts and either bottle them immediately or store them for future use. Many of the independents began as stores and merchants who bought the whisky in bulk and bottled it for individual sales. Many distilleries do not bottle their whisky as a single malt, so independent bottlings are the only way the single malt gets to market. The bottling process is generally the same, but independents generally do not have access to the distillery's water source, so another source is used to dilute the whisky. Additionally, independents are generally less concerned with maintaining a particular style, so more single year and single cask bottlings are produced. John Hancocks signature is the most prominent on the United States Declaration of Independence. ...

History

Distillation of whisky has been performed in Scotland for centuries. The earliest written record of whisky production in Scotland from malted barley is an entry on the 1494 Exchequer Rolls, which reads "Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor, by order of the King, wherewith to make aqua vitae." Aqua vitae (L. water of life), is an archaic name for a concentrated aqueous solution of ethanol. ...

In the following centuries, the various governments of Scotland began taxing the production of whisky, to the point that most of the spirit was produced illegally. However, in 1823, Parliament passed an act making commercial distillation much more profitable, while imposing punishments on landowners when unlicensed distilleries were found on their properties. George Smith was the first person to take out a licence for a distillery under the new law, founding the Glenlivet Distillery in 1824. The Houses of Parliament, seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ... The Glenlivet is a Speyside Single malt Scotch Whisky produced by The Glenlivet Distillery in Ballindalloch, Scotland. ...

In the 1830s, Aeneas Coffey refined a design originally created by Robert Stein for a continuous stills which produced whisky much more efficiently than the traditional pot stills, but with much less flavour. Quickly, merchants began blending the malt whisky with the grain whisky distilled in the continuous stills, making the first blended Scotch whisky. The blended Scotch proved quite successful, less expensive to produce than malt with more flavour and character than grain. The combination allowed the single malt producers to expand their operations as the blended whisky was more popular on the international market. As of 2004, over 90% of the single malt Scotch produced is used to make blended Scotch. Aeneas Coffey (1780-1852) was born in Calais, France where he spent his early years. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Most distilleries in Scotland are not owned by Scots. The Japanese beverage company Suntory owns Morrison-Bowmore, while other international companies, such as LVMH & Pernod-Ricard (France), and Diageo (England), own the majority of distilleries. The largest distiller to remain under Scottish ownership is William Grant & Sons, owned by the Grant family, with headquarters in Motherwell, Scotland. Other Distilleries owned by Scottish Companies/families are Glenfarclas, Bruichladdich, and Bunnahabhain. Suntory Limited ) is a Japanese brewing and distilling company. ... LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. (Euronext: MC), usually shortened to LVMH, is a French holding company and the worlds largest luxury goods conglomerate. ... Pernod Ricard (Euronext: RI) is a French company producing alcoholic beverages. ... Diageo plc (LSE: DGE, NYSE: DEO) is the largest multinational beer, wine and spirits company in the world. ... Glenfiddich whisky range William Grant & Sons Ltd. ... High flats in Motherwell Brandon Parade, the main shopping street in Motherwell, on a typical Saturday Motherwell (Tobar na Màthar in Gaelic) is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity(English) Wha daur meddle wi me? (Scots)[1] Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots[2] Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I...

Regions

Flavor, aroma, and finish will differ widely from one single malt to the next. Single Malt Scotch whisky are categorized into the following whisky producing regions, although the region in which the whisky is produced is a poor indicator of general character and flavor. Speyside Single Malts are single malt Scotch whiskies distilled in Speyside, the area around the Spey River in northeastern Scotland. ... Highland Single Malts are single malt Scotch whiskies produced in the Highland region. ... Lowland Single Malts are single malt whiskies distilled in the lowlands of Scotland. ... Irish Whiskeys Irish whiskey is a grain whiskey made in Ireland. ... Island Single Malts are Scotch whiskies produced on the islands west of the Scottish mainland, excluding Islay. ... Islay whisky is Scotch whisky made on Islay, the southernmost of the Inner Hebridean Islands. ... Campbeltown Single Malts are single malt Scotch whiskies distilled in the burgh of Campbeltown, Scotland, on the Kintyre penninsula. ...

• Speyside Single Malts
• Highland Single Malts
  • Island Single Malts A sub-section of the Highland region
• Islay Single Malts
• Lowland Single Malts
• Campbeltown Single Malts

Speyside Single Malts are single malt Scotch whiskies distilled in Speyside, the area around the Spey River in northeastern Scotland. ... Highland Single Malts are single malt Scotch whiskies produced in the Highland region. ... Island Single Malts are Scotch whiskies produced on the islands west of the Scottish mainland, excluding Islay. ... Islay whisky is Scotch whisky made on Islay, the southernmost of the Inner Hebridean Islands. ... Lowland Single Malts are single malt whiskies distilled in the lowlands of Scotland. ... Campbeltown Single Malts are single malt Scotch whiskies distilled in the burgh of Campbeltown, Scotland, on the Kintyre penninsula. ...

See also

• Single malt whisky

Single malt whiskey, sometimes spelled whisky, is an alcoholic beverage which comes from a single distillery, in which all the grain used for the mash has been malted. ...

References

• Broom, Dave (1998). Whiskey: A Connoisseur's Guide. London. Carleton Books Limited. ISBN 1-85868-706-3
• Broom, Dave (2000). Handbook of Whisky. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-59846-2
• Erskine, Kevin (2006). The Instant Expert's Guide to Single Malt Scotch. 2nd ed. Richmond, VA: Doceon Press. ISBN 0-9771991-1-8
• Gabányi, Stefan (1997). Whisk(e)y. Trans. Russell Stockman. New York, NY: Abbeville Press. ISBN 0-7892-0383-9
• Harris, James F., and Mark H. Waymack (1992). Single-malt Whiskies of Scotland. Peru, IL: Open Court Publishing Company. ISBN 0-8126-9213-6
• Jackson, Michael (1999). Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Running Press Book Publishers. ISBN 0-7624-0731-X
• MacLean, Charles (2003). Scotch Whiskey: A Liquid History. London: Cassell Illustrated. ISBN 1-84403-078-4
• Murray, Jim (2000). The World Whiskey Guide. London: Carlton Books Limited. ISBN 1-84222-006-3
• Wishart, David (2006). Whisky Classified. 2nd ed. London: Pavillion Books. ISBN 1-86205-716-8

Michael Jackson (a. ...

External links

• Malt Maniacs - Malt whisky info and comment for beginners and experts by 24 whisky aficionados from around the world
• The Scotch Blog news and commentary on the Scotch Whisky Industry
• Whisky Pages Great new online whisky site from author Gavin Smith
• Whisky School News and commentary from Whisky Industry insiders
• The Whisky Guide
• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (single cask malts)