Scotch whisky

Scotch whisky (Scottish Gaelic: uisge-

beatha na h-Alba; often simply called
Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky
made in Scotland. Scotch whisky must be
made in a manner specified by law.[1]
Scotch whisky

Type Whisky

Country of origin Scotland

Alcohol by volume 40–94.8%

All Scotch whisky was originally made

from malted barley. Commercial
distilleries began introducing whisky made
from wheat and rye in the late 18th
century.[2] Scotch whisky is divided into
five distinct categories: single malt Scotch
whisky, single grain Scotch whisky,
blended malt Scotch whisky (formerly
called "vatted malt" or "pure malt"),
blended grain Scotch whisky, and blended
Scotch whisky.[1][3]

All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak

barrels for at least three years.[1][3] Any age
statement on a bottle of Scotch whisky,
expressed in numerical form, must reflect
the age of the youngest whisky used to
produce that product. A whisky with an
age statement is known as guaranteed-
age whisky. A whisky without an age
statement is known as a no age statement
(NAS) whisky, the only guarantee being
that all whisky contained in that bottle is at
least three years old.

The first written mention of Scotch whisky

is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland,
1495. A friar named John Cor was the
distiller at Lindores Abbey in the Kingdom
of Fife,[4] where, in October 2017, malt
whisky production restarted for the first
time in 522 years.[5]

Many Scotch whisky drinkers refer to a

unit for drinking as a dram.[6]

Regulations and labelling

Legal definition
As of 23 November 2009, the Scotch
Whisky Regulations 2009 (SWR) define
and regulate the production, labelling,
packaging as well as the advertising of
Scotch whisky in the United Kingdom.
They replace previous regulations that
focused solely on production. International
trade agreements have the effect of
making some provisions of the SWR apply
in various other countries as well as in the
UK. The SWR define "Scotch whisky" as
whisky that is:[1][3]

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:
Processed at that distillery into a
mash
Converted at that distillery to a
fermentable substrate only by
endogenous enzyme systems
Fermented at that distillery only by
adding yeast
Distilled at an alcoholic strength by
volume of less than 94.8% (190 US
proof)
Wholly matured in an excise warehouse
in Scotland in oak casks of a capacity
 not exceeding 700 litres (185 US gal;
154 imp gal) for at least three years
Retaining the colour, aroma, and taste of
the raw materials used in, and the
method of, its production and
maturation
Containing no added substances, other
than water and plain (E150A) caramel
colouring
Comprising a minimum alcoholic
strength by volume of 40% (80 US proof)

Labelling

A Scotch whisky label comprises several

elements that indicate aspects of
production, age, bottling, and ownership.
Some of these elements are regulated by
the SWR,[7] and some reflect tradition and
marketing.[8] The spelling of the term
"whisky" is often debated by journalists
and consumers. Scottish, Australian and
Canadian whiskies use "whisky", Irish
whiskies use "whiskey", while American
and other styles vary in their spelling of the
term.[9]

The label always features a declaration of

the malt or grain whiskies used. A single
malt Scotch whisky is one that is entirely
produced from malt in one distillery. One
may also encounter the term "single cask",
signifying the bottling comes entirely from
one cask.[9] The term "blended malt"
signifies that single malt whisky from
different distilleries are blended in the
bottle.[10] The Cardhu distillery also began
using the term "pure malt" for the same
purpose, causing a controversy in the
process over clarity in labelling[11][12] – the
Glenfiddich distillery was using the term to
describe some single malt bottlings. As a
result, the Scotch Whisky Association
declared that a mixture of single malt
whiskies must be labelled a "blended
malt". The use of the former terms "vatted
malt" and "pure malt" is prohibited. The
term "blended malt" is still debated, as
some bottlers maintain that consumers
confuse the term with "blended Scotch
whisky", which contains some proportion
of grain whisky.[13]

The brand name featured on the label is

usually the same as the distillery name
(for example, the Talisker Distillery labels
its whiskies with the Talisker name).
Indeed, the SWR prohibit bottlers from
using a distillery name when the whisky
was not made there. A bottler name may
also be listed, sometimes independent of
the distillery. In addition to requiring that
Scotch whisky be distilled in Scotland, the
SWR require that it also be bottled and
labelled in Scotland. Labels may also
indicate the region of the distillery (for
example, Islay or Speyside).[14]

Alcoholic strength is expressed on the

label with "Alcohol By Volume" ("ABV") or
sometimes simply "Vol".[14] Typically,
bottled whisky is between 40% and 46%
ABV.[15] Whisky is considerably stronger
when first emerging from the cask—
normally 60–63% ABV.[14][15] Water is then
added to create the desired bottling
strength. If the whisky is not diluted before
bottling, it can be labelled as cask
strength.[15]
A whisky's age may be listed on the bottle
providing a guarantee of the youngest
whisky used. An age statement on the
bottle, in the form of a number, must
reflect the age of the youngest whisky
used to produce that product. A whisky
with an age statement is known as
guaranteed age whisky.[16] Scotch whisky
without an age statement may, by law, be
as young as three years old.[1] In the early
21st century, such "No age statement"
whiskies became more common, as
distilleries responded to the depletion of
aged stocks caused by improved sales. [17]
A label may carry a distillation date or a
bottling date. Whisky does not mature
once bottled, so if no age statement is
provided, one may calculate the age of the
whisky if both the distillation date and
bottling date are given.[14]

Labels may also carry various declarations

of filtration techniques or final maturation
processes. A Scotch whisky labelled as
"natural" or "non-chill-filtered" has not been
through a filtration process during bottling
that removes compounds that some
consumers see as desirable. Whisky is
aged in various types of casks—and often
in used sherry or port casks—during
distinct portions of the maturation
process, and will take on characteristics,
flavour and aromas from such casks.
Special casks are sometimes used at the
end of the maturation process, and such
whiskies may be labelled as "wood
finished", "sherry/port finished", and so
on.[14]

Types

Various Scotch whiskies

There are two basic types of Scotch

whisky, from which all blends are made:
Single malt Scotch whisky means a
Scotch whisky produced from only
water and malted barley at a single
distillery by batch distillation in pot
stills.[3]
Single grain Scotch whisky means a
Scotch whisky distilled at a single
distillery but, in addition to water and
malted barley, may involve whole grains
of other malted or unmalted cereals.
"Single grain" does not mean that only a
single type of grain was used to produce
the whisky—rather, the adjective "single"
refers only to the use of a single
distillery (and making a "single grain"
requires using a mixture of grains, as
 barley is a type of grain and some
malted barley must be used in all Scotch
whisky).

Excluded from the definition of "single

grain Scotch whisky" is any spirit that
qualifies as a single malt Scotch whisky or
as a blended Scotch whisky. The latter
exclusion is to ensure that a blended
Scotch whisky produced from single
malt(s) and single grain(s) distilled at the
same distillery does not also qualify as
single grain Scotch whisky.

Three types of blends are defined for

Scotch whisky:
 Blended malt Scotch whisky means a
blend of two or more single malt Scotch
whiskies from different distilleries.
Blended grain Scotch whisky means a
blend of two or more single grain Scotch
whiskies from different distilleries.
Blended Scotch whisky means a blend
of one or more single malt Scotch
whiskies with one or more single grain
Scotch whiskies.

The five Scotch whisky definitions are

structured in such a way that the
categories are mutually exclusive. The
2009 regulations changed the formal
definition of blended Scotch whisky to
achieve this result, but in a way that
reflected traditional and current practice:
before the 2009 SWR, any combination of
Scotch whiskies qualified as a blended
Scotch whisky, including for example a
blend of single malt Scotch whiskies.

As was the case under the Scotch Whisky

Act 1988, regulation 5 of the SWR 2009
stipulates that the only whisky that may be
manufactured in Scotland is Scotch
whisky. The definition of manufacture is
"keeping for the purpose of maturation;
and keeping, or using, for the purpose of
blending, except for domestic blending for
domestic consumption". This provision
prevents the existence of two "grades" of
whisky originating from Scotland, one
“Scotch whisky” and the other, a "whisky –
product of Scotland" that complies with
the generic EU standard for whisky.
According to the Scotch Whisky
Association, allowing non-Scotch whisky
production in Scotland would make it
difficult to protect Scotch whisky as a
distinctive product.[3]

Single grain

The majority of grain whisky produced in

Scotland goes to make blended Scotch
whisky. The average blended whisky is
60%–85% grain whisky. Some higher-
quality grain whisky from a single distillery
is bottled as single grain whisky.

Blended malt

Blended malt whisky—formerly called

vatted malt or pure malt (terms that are
now prohibited in the SWR 2009)—is one
of the least common types of Scotch: a
blend of single malts from more than one
distillery (possibly with differing ages).
Blended malts contain only malt whiskies
—no grain whiskies—and are usually
distinguished from other types of whisky
by the absence of the word "single" before
"malt" on the bottle, and the absence of a
distillery name. The age of the vat is that
of the youngest of the original ingredients.
For example, a blended malt marked "8
years old" may include older whiskies, with
the youngest constituent being eight years
old. Johnnie Walker Green Label and
Monkey Shoulder are examples of blended
malt whisky. Starting from November
2011, no Scotch whisky could be labelled
as a vatted malt or pure malt, the SWR
requiring them to be labelled blended malt
instead.[18]

Blended
Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky bottles.

Blended Scotch whisky constitutes about

90% of the whisky produced in
Scotland.[19] Blended Scotch whiskies
contain both malt whisky and grain whisky.
Producers combine the various malts and
grain whiskies to produce a consistent
brand style. Notable blended Scotch
whisky brands include Ballantine's, Bell's,
Chivas Regal, Cutty Sark, Dewar's, J&B,
Johnnie Walker, Teacher's Highland
Cream, The Famous Grouse, and Whyte
and Mackay.

Independent bottlers
Most malt distilleries sell a significant
amount of whisky by the cask for blending,
and sometimes to private buyers as well.
Whisky from such casks is sometimes
bottled as a single malt by independent
bottling firms such as Duncan Taylor,
Master of Malt,[20] Gordon & MacPhail,
Cadenhead's, The Scotch Malt Whisky
Society, Murray McDavid, Berry Bros. &
Rudd, Douglas Laing, and others. These
are usually labelled with the distillery's
name, but not using the distillery's
trademarked logos or typefaces. An
"official bottling" (or "proprietary bottling"),
by comparison, is from the distillery (or its
owner). Many independent bottlings are
from single casks, and they may
sometimes be very different from an
official bottling.

For a variety of reasons, some

independent brands do not identify which
facility distilled the whisky in the bottle.
They may instead identify only the general
geographical area of the source, or they
simply market the product using their own
brand name without identifying their
source. This may, in some cases, be
simply to give the independent bottling
company the flexibility to purchase from
multiple distillers without changing their
labels.

History

Greybeard Heather Dew Scotch whisky jug

 To Friar John Cor, by order of the
King, to make aqua vitae, VIII
bolls of malt.

— Exchequer Rolls of Scotland,

1 June 1495.

According to the Scotch Whisky

Association, Scotch whisky evolved from a
Scottish drink called uisge beatha, which
means "water of life". The earliest record
of distillation in Scotland occurred as long
ago as 1494, as documented in the
Exchequer Rolls, which were records of
royal income and expenditure.[21] The
quote above records eight bolls of malt
given to Friar John Cor wherewith to make
aqua vitae (Latin for "water of life," = uisge
beatha) over the previous year. This would
be enough for 1,500 bottles, which
suggests that distillation was well-
established by the late 15th century.[22]

Whisky production was first taxed in 1644,

causing a rise in illicit whisky distilling in
the country. Between the 1760s and the
1830s a substantial unlicensed trade
originated from the Highlands, forming a
significant part of region's export
economy. In 1782, more than 1,000 illegal
stills were seized in the Highlands: these
can only have been a fraction of those in
operation. The Lowland distillers, who had
no opportunity to avoid taxation,
complained that un-taxed Highland whisky
made up more than half the market. The
heavy taxation during the Napoleonic Wars
gave the illicit trade a big advantage, but
their product was also considered better
quality, commanding a higher price in the
Lowlands. This was due to the method of
taxation: malt was subject to tax (at a rate
that climbed substantially between the
1790s and 1822). The licensed distillers
therefore used more raw grain in an effort
to reduce their tax bill.
The Highland magistrates, themselves
members of the landowning classes, had a
lenient attitude to unlicensed distillers - all
of whom would be tenants in the local
area. They understood that the trade
supported the rents paid. Imprisoned
tenants would not be able to pay any rent.

In 1823, Parliament eased restrictions on

licensed distilleries with the "Excise Act",
while at the same time making it harder for
the illegal stills to operate. Magistrates
found counsel for the crown appearing in
their courts, so forcing the maximum
penalties to be applied, with some cases
removed to the Court of Exchequer in
Edinburgh for tougher sentences. Highland
landowners were now happy to remove
tenants who were distillers in clearances
on their estates. These changes ushered
in the modern era of Scotch production: in
1823 2,232,000 gallons of whisky had duty
paid on it; in 1824 this increased to
4,350,000 gallons.[23]:119–134

Two events helped to increase whisky's

popularity: first, the introduction in 1831 of
the column still; the whisky produced with
this process was generally less expensive
to produce and also less intense and
smoother, because a column still can
perform the equivalent of multiple
distillation steps in a continuous
distillation process. Second, the phylloxera
bug destroyed wine and cognac
production in France in 1880.

Regions

The regions of Scotch whisky

Scotland was traditionally divided into four

regions: The Highlands, The Lowlands, The
Isle of Islay, and Campbeltown.[24] Due to
the large number of distilleries found
there, the Speyside region is now also
recognized by the Scotch Whisky
Association (SWA) as a distinct region.[25]
The whisky-producing islands other than
Islay are not recognised as a distinct
region by the SWA, which groups them into
the Highlands region.[25]

The Lowlands: The southernmost region

of Scotland.
There are five distilleries that
remain in operation: Auchentoshan,
Bladnoch, Glenkinchie, Annandale
and Ailsa Bay from the Girvan
 Distillery plus three more—Daftmill,
Eden Mill, and Kingsbarns—are
currently pending their first
releases.[26][25][27]
Speyside: Speyside gets its name from
the River Spey, which cuts through this
region and provides water to many of
the distilleries.
It has the largest number of
distilleries, which includes:
Aberlour, Balvenie, Cardhu,
Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie,[3]
Glenfarclas, Glenglassaugh,
Glenfiddich, Speyburn, The
Macallan, The Glenlivet, and The
Glenrothes.
 Encompassing the area
surrounding the River Spey in north-
east Scotland, once considered part
of the Highlands, has almost half of
the total number (approx. 105 as of
2013) of distilleries in Scotland
within its geographic boundaries;
consequently it is officially
recognized as a distinct region.
The Highlands: The Highlands is by far
the largest region in Scotland both in
area and in whisky production.
Some Highland distilleries:
Aberfeldy, Edradour, Balblair, Ben
Nevis, Dalmore, Glen Ord,
Glenmorangie, Oban, Glendronach,
 Old Pulteney, Tullibardine and
Tomatin.
The Islands, an unrecognised sub-
region includes all of the whisky-
producing islands (but excludes
Islay): Arran, Jura, Mull, Orkney, and
Skye: with their respective
distilleries: Arran, Jura, Tobermory,
Highland Park and Scapa, and
Talisker.
Campbeltown, once home to over 30
distilleries, currently has only three
distilleries operating: Glen Scotia,
Glengyle, and Springbank.
 Islay /ˈaɪlə/: has eight producing
distilleries: Ardbeg, Bowmore,
Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila,
Kilchoman, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig.

Although only five regions are specifically

described, any Scottish locale may be
used to describe a whisky if it is distilled
entirely within that place; for example a
single malt whisky distilled on Orkney
could be described as Orkney Single Malt
Scotch Whisky[3] instead of as an Island
whisky.

See also
List of whisky brands
 List of whisky distilleries in Scotland

References
Notes

1. Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009.

2. MacLean 2010, p. 10.
3. Scotch Whisky Association 2009.
4. Bender 2005, p. 556.
5. "New distillery opens at Lindores Abbey
in Fife" . BBC News. 6 October 2017.
Retrieved 31 May 2018.
6. Simpson, John A.; Weiner, Edmund S.C.,
eds. (1989). "dram, n." . Oxford English
Dictionary (2nd ed.). Oxford, England:
Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-
861186-8. OCLC 50959346 . Retrieved
2 July 2012. Earlier version first published in
New English Dictionary, 1897.
7. MacLean 2010, p. 20.
8. MacLean 2010, p. 23.
9. Jackson 2010, p. 22.
10. Jackson 2010, p. 23.
11. Whisky branding deal reached , BBC
News, December 4, 2003. Accessed May 2,
2012.
12. Tran, Mark (4 December 2003). "Whisky
industry settles on strict malt definitions" .
The Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
13. Jackson 2010, pp. 419–420.
14. MacLean 2010, p. 21.
15. Jackson 2010, p. 25.
16. Hansell 2010.
17. Mure Dickie (9 December 2013). "Hopes
soar for spirited revival" . Financial Times.
Retrieved 23 January 2014. (registration
required)

18. Scotch Whisky Association 2009,

Chapter 11.
19. "Statistical Report" (PDF). scotch-
whisky.org. 2009. Retrieved 16 November
2011.
20. "Buy Whisky Online - Single Malt Whisky
& More - Master of Malt" . Master of Malt.
21. Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, 1494–95,
vol 10, p. 487, "Et per liberacionem factam
fratri Johanni Cor per perceptum
compotorum rotulatoris, ut asserit, de
mandato domini regis ad faciendum
aquavite infra hoc compotum viij bolle
brasii.": See also Accounts of the Lord High
Treasurer of Scotland, vol 1, (Edinburgh
1877), pp. ccxiii-iv, 373, December 1497,
"Item, to the barbour that brocht acqua vitae
to the King in Dundee, by the King's
command, xxxi shillings."
22. "History" . Scotch Whisky Association.
Retrieved 16 July 2012.
23. Devine, T M (1994). Clanship to Crofters'
War: The social transformation of the
Scottish Highlands (2013 ed.). Manchester
University Press. ISBN 978-0-7190-9076-9.
24. The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 –
Chapter 8 section 1
25. "Whisky Regions & Tours" . Scotch
Whisky Association. Retrieved 13 May
2014.
26.
https://scotchwhisky.com/whiskypedia/298
5/eden-mill/
27.
http://www.whiskiesofscotland.com/distille
ry/daftmill
Cited sources

Bender, David A (2005). A Dictionary of

Food and Nutrition. Oxford: Oxford
University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-860961-
2.
Hansell, John (28 June 2010). "What
Does a Whisky's Age Really Mean?" .
Whisky Advocate. Retrieved 17 March
2012.
MacLean, Charles (2010). Whiskypedia:
A Compendium of Scottish Whisky.
Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1-61608-
076-1.
MacLean, Charles, ed. (2009). World
Whiskey: A Nation-by-Nation Guide to the
 Best. DK Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7566-
5443-6.
Jackson, Michael (2010). Michael
Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt
Scotch (6th ed.). DK Publishing.
ISBN 978-0-7566-5898-4.
"The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009:
Guidance for Producers and Bottlers"
(PDF). Scotch Whisky Association. 2
December 2009. Retrieved
24 September 2012.
"The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009" .
UK Parliament. 2009. Retrieved 30 April
2012.

Other sources
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.
Bruce Lockhart, Sir Robert (2011).
Scotch: The Whisky of Scotland in Fact
and Story (8th ed.). Glasgow: Angels'
Share (Neil Wilson Publishing).
ISBN 978-1-906476-22-9.
Buxton, Ian; Hughes, Paul S. (2014). The
Science and Commerce of Whisky.
Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry.
ISBN 978-1-84973-150-8.
Erskine, Kevin (2006). The Instant
Expert's Guide to Single Malt Scotch –
Second Edition. Richmond, VA. Doceon
Press. ISBN 0-9771991-1-8.
MacLean, Charles (2003). Scotch
Whisky: A Liquid History. Cassell
Illustrated. ISBN 1-84403-078-4.
McDougall, John; Smith, Gavin D. (2000).
Wort, Worms & Washbacks: Memoirs
from the Stillhouse. Glasgow: Angels'
Share (Neil Wilson Publishing).
ISBN 978-1-897784-65-5.
Mitchell, Ian R. Wee Scotch Whisky Tales.
Glasgow: Angels' Share (Neil Wilson
Publishing). ISBN 978-1-906476-28-1.
Smith, Gavin D. (2013). Stillhouse Stories
- Tunroom Tales. Glasgow: Angels' Share
(Neil Wilson Publishing). ISBN 978-1-
906000-15-8.
Townsend, Brian (2015). Scotch Missed:
The Original Guide to the Lost Distilleries
of Scotland (4th ed.). Glasgow: Angels'
Share (Neil Wilson Publishing).
ISBN 978-1-906000-82-0.
Wilson, Neil (2003). The Island Whisky
Trail: An Illustrated Guide to The
Hebridean Whisky Distilleries. Glasgow:
Angels' Share (Neil Wilson Publishing).
ISBN 1903238498.
 Wishart, David (2006). Whisky
Classified – Second Edition. London.
Pavilion Books. ISBN 1-86205-716-8.

Further reading
Henley, Jon (15 April 2011). "How the
world fell in love with [Scotch] whisky" .
The Guardian. London. Retrieved
22 March 2014.

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related
to Scotch whisky.

Scotch Whisky Association

Distillery Pronunciation Guide
 Scotch whisky at Curlie (based on
DMOZ)

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Scotch_whisky&oldid=843883989"

Last edited 6 days ago by ClueBot NG

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

otherwise noted.