Let me first say,
This set of documents is not the FAQ for alt.drinks.scotch-whisky.
The official FAQ was written by Mr_Grimm ( snipped-for-privacy@dave-world.net), who later appeared on the group as Wade and Amy Bishop ( snipped-for-privacy@home.com), incorporating suggestions from the early group members.
It was once archived at
But that link has been dead for some time now.
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Late in 2002 I began to wonder if the FAQ for the newsgroup had ever been posted. Typical google searches showed me that occasionally it had been requested by newcomers who stumble onto this newsgroup, and an occasional a pointer had been given. But the pointer was inactive and I could not find a post of the FAQ to the newsgroup itself. I began to search for it with a more concentrated effort, and eventually began reading the google archive of the newsgroup's posts begining at the begining of the group, to satisfy myself as to whether the FAQ had ever been posted directly to the newsgroup or if pointers to any other copies of it had ever been posted. This is the result of that research.
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I have attempted to make very clear the distinction between my own material and my quotes from posts to the newsgroup.
My opinions are just my own opinions; no more valid than yours, or anyone's, while matters of fact are either correct or incorrect. All of the materials quoted express someone's opinion, and should be regarded as no more than that. But I would not have quoted them if I didn't think they had something informative or entertaining to say.
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Google archives of Alt.Drinks.Scotch-Whisky begin on June 17, 1998. I don't know if, or what, predecessors it had. Early business was the compilation of a FAQ.
Many topics are perennial.
Early conversations included:
How much water should you add?
Can you add ice?
What kind of glass is best?
How do upscale blends compare to single malts?
What is the distillery that produced the malt sold as brand name _X_ ?
I have an old bottle of _Y_, what is it worth?
Other topics, like what cigar goes well with what scotch, seem to have faded away as the cigar craze of the 1990's receeded.
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(What follows below is essentially a repost of a post I made in August 2003 but seems especially pertinent now. I have not updated it. Some links are dead and some info is now out of date.)
The Group FAQ wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
The final version of the FAQ was never posted to the newsgroup. A draft version was, and comments from the group were solicited.
This is that draft, it its final posting to the newsgroup.
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From: Mr_Grimm ( snipped-for-privacy@dave-world.net) Subject: FAQ rough draft Newsgroups: alt.drinks.scotch-whisky Date: 1998/06/17
Hey all,
This is a rough draft for a FAQ for the newsgroup I've been working on while going through the creation process. Any suggestions for improvements, other topics of importance to be covered and so on would be appreciated.
alt.drinks.scotch-whisky FAQ
- Statement of Purpose
Charter: This unmoderated newsgroup is intended for the non-commercial discussion of blended and single malt Scotch whisky. The acceptable topics of discussion include but not limited to Tasting Notes; fermentation, distillation and aging techniques in use at different distilleries; Blended vs Single Malt; current single/single and cask strength offerings and their location; Merchant bottling vs distillery; food, cigars and activities that complement Scotch whisky and events pertaining to Scotch whisky.
This newsgroup is for the discussion of Scotch whisky with the intent of increasing the level of knowledge we have about the most distictive beverage on this planet. The greater our knowledge of Scotch whisky the more we can appreciate it and the efforts of those who produce it.
Welcome. Share your knowledge and plesant experiances over a wee dram of the water of life.
- What is Scotch Whiskey
Whiskey produced in Scotland can only be sold as Scotch whiskey if it meets certain requirements. These are legal requirements for Scotch whisky.
Scotch Whisky has been defined in United Kingdom (UK) law since 1909 and recognised in European Community legislation since 1989. The current UK legislation relating specifically to Scotch Whisky is The Scotch Whisky Act 1988 and the Orders made under it, which came into effect in June 1990 and superseded that part of the Finance Act 1969, as subsequently amended, defining Scotch Whisky.
For the purposes of The Scotch Whisky Act 1988 "Scotch Whisky" means whisky:
(a) which has been produced at a distillery in Scotland from water and malted barley (to which only whole grains of other cereals may be added) all of which have been: (i) processed at that distillery into a mash; (ii) converted to a fermentable substrate only by endogenous enzyme systems; and (iii) fermented only by the addition of yeast;
(b) which has been distilled at an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 94.8 per cent so that the distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used in, and the method of, its production;
(c) which has been matured in an excise warehouse in Scotland in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 litres, the period of that maturation being not less than 3 years;
(d) which retains the colour, aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used in, and the method of, its production and maturation, and to which no substance other than water and spirit caramel has been added.
The Scotch Whisky Act 1988 prohibits inter alia the production in Scotland of whisky other than Scotch Whisky.
The Scotch Whisky Act 1988 and The European Spirits Definition Regulation both specify a minimum alcoholic strength of 40 per cent by volume, which applies to all Scotch Whisky bottled and/or put up for sale within or exported from the EU.
---Scotch Whisky Association.
Now that you know by definition what Scotch whisky is, let's talk a bit about where it came from.
- Production of Single Malt Scotch
Single Malt Scotch is nature at its finest. It combines all four elements of nature into an elixer that slows age, improves health, warms the heart and fortifies the soul. Well, if you listen to the way the Scotish tell it. Though I can agree with a few of those points. I've found that since I've started having a dram of Single Malt with a nice cigar after work, taking the time to relax and enjoy them both. My stress levels have been much reduced. That must be healthy, right? Who can deny that wonderful warming sensation which travels down your gullet and settles low in your chest when sipping a dram of Scotlands finest? I know for a fact that I have made and reenforced many a friendship over an open bottle of single malt. Who do we turn to for support when our spirits are low? Our friends of course.
The four elements I mentioned earlier are of course Earth, Air, Water and Fire.
Earth - The barley grown in the earth and malted to begin the distilling cycle. The peat moss harvested from the bogs and hillsides near the distilleries.
Fire- The peat moss is burned to dry the malted barley.
Air- The warm air, drying the barley carries with it peat smoke that flavors the end product. The very air surrounding the casks during maturation has a profound effect on the flavor. The salty seaspray tang of an Islay Malt, the light foral bouquet of heather in the highland malts.
Water- The pure spring water running from the highlands of Scotland to the sea all across Scotland has been used in the production of Scotch since the very beginning. Still this is so.
The word whisky gets its liguistic roots in the Gaelic language. Uisge Beatha', or 'usquebaugh', is Gaelic for 'water of life'. Later this was shortened to Uisge, hence to whisky as the dominant language of Scotland became English rather than Gaelic. I'm uncertain of the use of the Latin term 'aqua vitae', which of course translates to 'water of life'. I can assume it was how men of education and society referred to Uisge Beatha. Anyone who has knowledge of this is welcome to comment.
The origins of Scotch whiske are shrouded in the mists of time in the valleys, lochs and burns of Scotland. No one can rightly say when the distlillation barley malt began in Scotland. The first recorded instance is in 1494 of the purchase of 'eight bolls of malt by Friar John Cor to produce aquavitae. Roughly 1200 kilograms of malt! Obviously Scotch whisky production was in full swing production prior to the discovery of the new world by Christopher Columbus.
Scotch is produced in similar methods to other whisk(e)ys of the world. It is distilled of a cereal grain, stored in casks and bottled for consumption. However, there are dramatic differences between Scotch whisky and any other whisky in the world. This difference is most pronounced in Single Malt Scotch whisky.
There are four major steps to produceing Single Malt Scotch Whisky. They are Malting, Mashing, Distillation and Maturation.
Malting
The whisky making process begins with two primary elements, or ingrediants. Fully ripened barley is the first ingrediant. Good clean clear water is the other. The malting process is begun by soaking the barley in steeping bins for up to three days.
The steeped barley is then spread out on the malt house floor to begin germinating. The traditional process for this was to use hand rakes to manually turn the barley to prevent heat build up from halting the germination process. Now most distilleries use a device called a Saladin box to perform this function mechanically. Germination breaks down some of the starches of the barley and turns them to sugar. This takes from 2 to 3 days to complete and move the barley into the malt kiln
The malt kiln and peat fire in the building known as the peat reek is used to dry and roast the germinating barley. This step also halts the germination process to preserve the converted sugar. The malt (partially germinated barley) is dried by spreading it out on a mesh over a peat fire. The traditional method for this was to draw the heat from the peat fire through the malt with a chimney effect created by the shape of the roof of the peat reek and the pagoda head at the highest point. Currently most distilleries purchase their malt rather than produce it on site. This part of the malting process usually lasts around two days.
The finished malt is then moved into the malt mill and where it is crushed to produce malt grist. The malt grist is the end product of the malting process and the pimary element in the mashing process.
Mashing
The first stage of the mashing process is to separate the solid material from the fermentable liquids. It begins in the mash tun by mixing the malt grist with hot water. During this process carefully measured amounts of hot water are strained through the malt grist. This separates the sugar from the solid material and drains out into the bottom of the mash tun into the underback. The liquid collected in the underback is called wort and is basically a sugary water ready to begin fermentation. The solid material is called draft and is usually sold off as cattle feed.
The wort is cooled to protect the sugars from breaking down and to allow fementation to begin with the addition of yeast. The yeast is add to the wort and placed into a washback. The washback is in essence a large tank that holds the wort for about 40 hours while it ferments. When the fermentation process is finished it has become the substance called wash. Wash is a clear liquid that is 5 to 10% alcohol by volume. Wash is the substance used to begin the distillation process.
Distillation
The wash is the product of the Mashing process that is distilled to produce whisky. The wash is distilled multiple times. Most distilleries use a two distillation process to make their whisky, though some use three distillations (a character of some lowland Scotch whiskies). The stills used in distillation are pot stills made of copper and have remained basically the same design since the earliest commercial productions
The first distillation in this process takes place in the wash still. The wash still creates a product commonly refered to as low wine. Low wined is a fairly impure substance (by drinking standards) of about
25% alcohol by volume. This is where another modern aparatus not originally in the production process comes into play.The moder device is called a spirit safe used to control the product of distillation. Since low wine is of a high enough alcohol content it falls under the jusidiction of excise. The spirit safe is regulated and controlled by the Excisemen. The spirit safe has a heavy glass front so the still operators can view the low wine coming from the still and adjust its flow accordingly. Not all of the first distillation goes on to the second. The first portion and the last portion of any distilation batch are recycled back into the wash still. These portions are called the foreshots and feints respectively. They are concidered to impure to go into the next distillation. Only the middle portion of the batch goes into the second distillation in the so-called spirit still. The middle portion of a distillation is called the center cut is distilled again.
The center cut of the low wine is then introduced to the spirit still to produce a stronger cleaner alcohol of about 90% by volume. Again the foreshots and feints are recycled back into the spirit still and the center cut of the batch is passed through another spirit safe to a container to be put into casks for maturation. The center cut of this distillation is called baby whisky.
Maturation
Whiskey must be matured in wooden casks for a minimum of three years for it to be legally sold as Scotch whisky. Usually the whisky is aged from 8 to 25 years depending upon the distillery and the bottling. The casks used in the maturation process are made of oak and or generally of two types. Either used Oloroso sherry casks or used American burbon casks are pressed into service as the maturation vessle for Scotch Whisky. The time spent in the cask brings on some changes to the whisky. First aging softens the sharpness of the whisky and allows the flavors to round out and balance. This happens because of chemical processes between the wood and whisky as well as the way the wood breaths in the air of the environment. Every year about 2% of the alcohol content of the cask is exchanged into the air. This loss is called the angels share. (I feel much better knowing I'll be drinking fine cask strength whisky in heaven, now if I could just get an answer about cigars!) This loss is a small price to pay for the added character given to the whisky by this exchange. The very air of the region the whisky is matured in gives is new flavors. This is most evident in the Islay(pronounced EYE-la) whiskies. The briney tang and hints of seaweed are hard to miss.
Bottling, Marrying and Blending
When the whisky is removed from the cask many things can happen to it.
Single/Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Pure Malt Scotch Whisky
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
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As the section headings at the end indicate, additional sections were planned but not completed when this draft FAQ was posted. Some additions, corrections, and development of the FAQ occurred after the last posting to the group, but I do not have a copy of any later versions.
Bushido, a poster from the begining, added his thoughts on the FAQ:
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From: Bushido ( snipped-for-privacy@this.msn.com) Subject: FAQ suggestions:(long) Newsgroups: alt.drinks.scotch-whisky Date: 1998/06/18
I have reviewed the very excellent first rough draft FAQ. It shows that someone put a lot of thought and hard work into its production. I have limited my response to substantive issues, ignoring spelling errors, typos, grammar, etc. I'm currently traveling and don't have my library as a resource, but here's some suggestions off the top of my head.
After having said this, please make sure that all references to scotch whisky are spelled without the "e".
There are two Item #2 s. Production of Single Malt Scotch is actually #3.
Add a new section "The Whisky Producing Regions of Scotland". here's a start:
There are five widely recognized whisky producing regions in Scotland each with their own identifying characteristics:
1) Islay - These whiskies are characterized by the heavy use of peated malt barley and an attendant smokiness/peaty flavor. Most of these distilleries are located on the shores of the sea and the maturation process allows the influx of sea air to impart a decidely salty tang. There are currently six actively producing distilleries on Islay: Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain and Ardbeg. In addition, whiskies can be found from the closed or inactive distilleries of Port Ellen and Bruichladdich. More information on the whiskies of Islay can be found at2) Campbeltown - There is only one currently active distillery in this region, Springbank. These whiskies are characterized by a light salty tang and restrained sweetness and smokiness. Glen Scotia is a closed Campbeltown distillery whose products can sometimes be found in shops. NEED MORE DISCUSSION HERE
3) Highlands - The exact dividing line between the Highlands and Lowlands has been hotly debated throughout the years, especially as the tourist industry has taken off in Scotland. Highland whiskies are characterized as peaty and smoky and slightly spicy/citrus but without the salty tang of an Islay. They include all the other island producers except Islay. Examples include: Talisker, Highland Park, Glenmorangie, Oban, etc.4) Lowlands - These whiskies are characterized by a soft nature and grassy undertones. They are the least pungent as a group and the lightest on the palate. Examples include:Glenkinchie, Littlemill, etc. NEED MORE DISCUSSION HERE
5) Speyside - These whiskies are perhaps the most famous of all the whisky producing regions. The greatest concentration of distilleries in Scotland are located in this subsection of the Highlands which spans the River Spey. They are characterized as lighter in flavor and lower peaty/smoky character and a great many of them are aged for some time in sherry casks which imparts a sweet finish. Examples include: The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, The Macallan, The Balvenie, Glenrothes, etc.Add a new section after #2. "Glossary": here's a start:
Butt - A wooden cask used to hold Sherry.
Pipe - A wooden cask used to hold Port.
Barrel - A wooden cask which holds about 250 bottles worth of whisky.
Hogshead - A wooden cask which holds about 300 bottles worth of whisky.
Distillery Bottling - Scotch whisky which has been produced, aged and bottled by the distillery. Examples: The Glenlivet, United Distillers Rare Malts Collection, etc.
Merchant Bottling - Also called independent bottlings. Scotch whisky which has been purchased by the cask from a distillery which may or may not be aged at the distillery or at a remote warehouse and has been bottled by an independent company. There are an increasing number of merchant bottlings which may vary greatly in quality. Examples are: Cadenhead; Murray McDavid; Signatory; Blackadder; Adelphi, etc.
Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Scotch whisky produced from the output of a single distillery produced from malted barley. A single malt scotch whisky can be derived from a blend of many different casks from a single distillery. Examples are: Laphroaig, The Glenlivet, Highland Park, The Macallan, etc.
Blended Scotch Whisky - Scotch whisky produced by blending the output from one or more distilleries produced from malted barley with grain whiskies. Examples are: The Famous Grouse; Chivas Regal, Johnny Walker; Cutty Sark, etc.
Vatted Malt Scotch Whisky - Also simply called "vatted". Scotch whisky produced by blending the output from two or more distilleries produced from malted barley. These are relatively uncommon outside of Scotland and are poorly understood in the US. The US will not allow producers to use the word "Vattted" on these malts (anyone know why?) Examples are: Century of Malts; Pride of Islay; Sheep Dip, etc.
Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Also called a single/single or single cask whisky. Single malt scotch whisky produced from the output of a single cask from a single distillery produced from malted barley. These may bottled at cask strength or diluted with water before bottling. These are more common in merchant bottlings. Examples of distillery bottlings are: The Balvenie 1967 vintage; UD Rare Malts; etc.
Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Also called simply a cask strength whisky. It is single malt scotch whisky that is not diluted with water before bottling. It can be from a single cask or a blend casks from a single distillery. Examples are: Laphroaig Cask Strength; Bowmore Cask Strength; Cadenhead merchant bottlings, etc.
High Proof Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Single malt scotch whisky which is bottled at significantly higher alcohol content than 40% but which have had water added before bottling. Examples are: Glenfarclas 105; Springbank 100, etc.
The producers of Glengoyne certainly would not be happy to hear that malted barley used in scotch production is only produced from a peat fire. Under "Fire" in Section 2.{sic} add the words "or other combustibles" after moss and make other changes when referring to a peat-fired malting kiln.
Under "Earth" in Section 2.{sic} add "Heather which grows in the fields through which the source waters flow imbues a sweet flowery fragrance to the whisky."
Under "Malting" in the last paragraph, "Currently, MANY distilleries purchase their malt...... I don't think it's a fair assessment that MOST of the distilleries purchase maltings. Add "Only a very few distilleries produce their own traditional hand-turned floor maltings (e.g. Laphroaig). The balance have converted their in-house malting process to automated means. Huge factory-like commercial malting houses are now being used by many distilleries to produce a significant proportion of the malt used to produced their whisky."
Under "Distillation" first paragraph, Add "The shape of the pot stills are given a mystical reverence by some distilleries. It is said that the shape (e.g. long and swan-like or short and squatty) is of paramount importance to determining the characteristics of the final whisky. When replacing the stills, some distilleries have become so superstitous that they have even tried to duplicate the dents found in the older still."
Add a links section to pertinent www URLs: here's a start:
Don't have the URL on my laptop for the defintive website maintained by the University of Edinburgh.
Phew, that's enough for now...
-- Brian Bushido Brewing Co. "Death Before Dishonorable Beer"
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