Everyone has heard of whiskey at least once in their life. This alcoholic drink has become very popular in our country in recent decades. Of course, it is still far from vodka, beer, cognac and wine, but over time, whiskey may well become a traditional spirit for Russia.

Whiskey(whisky or whiskey) is strong alcoholic drink, obtained from various types of grain (mainly barley, wheat, rye, corn). The production uses the processes of malting, distillation and long-term aging in special oak barrels. In fact, it is barley or wheat moonshine.

The alcohol content in whiskey varies from 40 to 50 degrees, the fortress of hotel varieties can reach 60 degrees. The color depends on the raw materials and production technology, traditional whiskey has a light yellow or brown color. The sugar content is close to zero. Whiskey drink, adhering to certain rules and traditions. Basically, the recommendations relate to the serving temperature, the choice of suitable glasses and snacks.

The English word whiskey (whiskey) literally translates as "water of life." Two spellings of this word are used at once, depending on the region of production. In Scottish, Canadian and Japanese they write "whisky", and in Irish and American - "whiskey". Scotch whiskey is also called "Scotch", but this name is rarely used outside of Scotland. American whiskey has another name - "bourbon".

Ireland and Scotland dispute the right to call their country the birthplace of whiskey. The Irish believe that the inventor of whiskey is the patron saint of their country, St. Patrick. Immediately after arriving on the island, he did two charitable things: he began to convert pagans to the true faith and produce whiskey. Therefore, in Ireland, whiskey is considered "holy water".

In turn, the Scots are sure that their country received the method of distilling alcohol from Christian missionaries, who learned this secret from the crusaders who visited the Middle East (it was there that they first learned how to get pure alcohol). The Scots adapted the distillation process to their natural conditions. They replaced the grapes with barley, calling the resulting drink "the water of life."

whiskey with ice

The dispute between these two states regarding the birthplace of whiskey has not yet been resolved, and whether the harm will be resolved in the future. From a marketing point of view, it is very profitable to call your country the "homeland of whiskey." For example, the export of whiskey brings the British treasury more than 2 billion dollars every year. Due to the geographical proximity of Ireland and Scotland, it can be assumed that whiskey appeared in these countries almost simultaneously.

Scotch whiskey is aged for at least 3 years (required by law), Irish - 5 years, Canadian - 6 years. Before the expiration of this period, the drink is called malt moonshine. The most common are varieties with an aging period of 10-12 years. Exclusive and collectible whiskeys are aged up to 21 years. Collectors really appreciate drinks with an aging period of 30-50 years, but these are already unique drinks.

whiskey glass

It is interesting that in Russia three enterprises are engaged in the production of whiskey at once: the Praskoveysky Wine and Cognac Factory (Praskoveyskoye whiskey), the Urzhumsky Distillery (WHISKEY Officer Club brand) and the Kaliningrad Wine and Cognac Factory (7 Yards brand).

Since whiskey has a complex composition, this drink is considered one of the heaviest drinks in terms of the degree of impact on the body. In the same row with him are moonshine and tequila. Impurities create a significant load on the liver and slow down the process of breaking down alcohol in the body. After drinking large doses of whiskey, a hangover is inevitable, so you should not get carried away with this strong drink and use it in moderation (100-150 grams 1-2 times a week).

Why are whiskey, cognac and brandy golden brown?

Spirits such as cognac, whiskey and brandy are initially colorless, unlike beer and wine. Their golden brown color, as well as other shades, is due to the aging process during aging in wooden barrels.

The most important stage is cognac aging. It is believed that it is a decisive factor for the achievement of the drink of the highest degree of quality.
Cognac is aged in 350-liter oak barrels from 3 to 25 years or more. The material from which the barrels are made is of particular importance. Cognacs contain about 500 components, and very old ones contain more than 2000. And all of them pass into alcohol from oak.
Barrel production is a whole science in itself. They are made from the oak of the Limousin forests, located 150 kilometers east of the city of Cognac, as well as the oak that has grown in the Tronce forest. Barrels are made without a single nail. It is believed that the older the barrel, the more valuable it is. Such antiques are literally worth their weight in gold, they are carefully guarded, even specially bred spiders that braid the barrels with cobwebs and protect them from pests.
After several decades of operation, the top layer of wood inside the barrel is "worked out", and it is carefully scraped off (1-2 mm), after which the barrel again helps the drink to be born.
The shelf life of cognac depends on several factors and can reach a hundred years. During storage, the drink evaporates at a rate of 2-4% per year, and also loses strength up to 40 degrees.

Most difficult process- blending, that is, mixing cognac spirits of different aging, different harvests, since one separate grape harvest cannot impart diverse taste and aromatic qualities to cognac.
First, cognacs of approximately the same age are usually mixed, from one to three years but from various Charente vineyards. This type is called the "first brand" (coupe premiere). Then comes the stage of blending cognacs of different ages "mother cup" (coupe mere) and, finally, the final stage (coupe finale) - the final mixing to give the drink the intended characteristics.
At the end of the process, the alcohol content in cognac is reduced to 40% by volume, adding distilled water, and a certain dose of caramel is added to it to give your drink a more saturated color. This operation is completely finished and meets the conviction of consumers who believe that the darker the cognac, the older. However, this opinion is absolutely wrong, since an alcoholic drink that has spent forty years in a lightly burned barrel acquires an amber color, becomes almost light.

Study the label carefully. If it is glued crookedly with smudges of glue, this should immediately raise doubts about the authenticity of the drink. The inscription "Scotch-type Whiskey" indicates that this is an imitation. The Blended marking says that you have a mixture of different varieties, but the inscription "Distilled and aged in Scotland" is also not a guarantee of the naturalness of the drink. Whiskey could well have been made from semi-finished products and diluted with water outside of Scotland. Labels with Deluxe and Premium inscriptions say that you have elite ones in front of you. This drink cannot contain methanol, ethanol, other alcohol impurities, fragrances, flavors and additives. Mandatory components of whiskey: barley, barley malt, corn.

Carefully consider the color of the drink. In natural whiskey, it varies from light golden to rich, dark golden. Surrogate imitations are often brown, cloudy, and have sediment.

When you open the bottle, feel the aroma of whiskey. It should be light with malty, oaky or sweet undertones, with hints of vanilla, fruit or flowers. A surrogate drink, as a rule, gives off alcohol. Turn the bottle upside down. A fake drink will flow down the walls of the bottle, and if you have purchased high-quality whiskey, then a large drop should fall from the bottom of the bottle.

Taste the whiskey. This drink is soft, it has a balanced taste and leaves a long aftertaste. Good whiskey is made from malt and the finest ingredients. It necessarily goes through several stages of filtration, which affects the taste and leads to a hangover much less.

Buy whiskey only from trusted vendors or reputable stores

note

Don't buy whiskey from online auctions. And remember, cheap whiskey probably has nothing to do with a noble drink.

Helpful advice

According to the manufacturing technology, real whiskey is aged for at least two years, which should be reflected on the label.

Sources:

• All about whiskey.
• how to check whiskey
• How to distinguish the real Jack Daniels from a fake?

Whiskey is one of the oldest and most popular spirits of its group. However, along with the growth in popularity, the number of fakes of expensive alcohol is also growing. Today, even in large wine boutiques, along with collectible whiskey, you can find fakes. However, there are some secrets that allow you to protect yourself from an unpleasant purchase.

Instruction

Appearance bottles can also serve as a guide. Counterfeit manufacturers are counting on the inexperienced consumer of this drink. Take an interest on the manufacturer's website, a bottle and a label, and when buying, carefully examine the product on the shelf.

Take the bottle and shake it well. Look at the bubbles that appear. In real whiskey, they are large and last quite a long time. Have you opened a bottle? Pour into a glass, but don't drink right away. First, gently shake the whiskey in the glass and see how it will flow down the walls. If you have a quality one in front of you, and not a fake, then the streaks, the so-called "", should be neat, beautiful, and drain slowly.

Notice the color. The liquid should be transparent, this indicates the purity of the water used to make whiskey, and the correct distillation of the drink. The color itself should be deep, saturated.

There are also "quality" forgeries. The bottle and label match perfectly, the color is right. In this case, a laboratory test can help. True, the results have to wait for two or three weeks, and it’s not convenient for a simple consumer to engage in such research. Now, however, a new development of British scientists has appeared - a small device that determines the authenticity of whiskey using ultraviolet light. But it does not yet lie on the shelves of department stores, which means that it remains to rely on old methods.

07.04.2014 / 421

Whiskey. This drink is a real cultural dominant of Western civilization, especially the Anglo-Saxon part of it, which has now largely won the status of the number one global strong drink.

This happened largely due to the fact that whiskey is a truly worthy “strong man” in all respects. But we should not discount the marketing myth about whiskey as an obligatory attribute of Western alcohol culture, which made it possible, through many powerful brands, to implant in the consumer's mind a love for the ancient Celtic drink on all continents.

A brief excursion into history

The word “whiskey” itself is a tracing paper from the Celtic language uisce beatha / uisge beatha (in transcription it sounds like “uishke beyatha” and literally means “water of life” - tracing paper from the Latin expression aqua vitae.

It is believed that the art of distilling low-alcohol mash was brought to Scotland by Christian missionaries, who, in the conditions of the British Isles, had to replace grapes with barley. Having passed the chain uisge - uisce - fuisce - uiskie, as well as a number of technological and taste improvements, and finally becoming whiskey, the drink began to subjugate the tastes of the local population.

However, the copyright for the invention immediately began to challenge the Irish. According to them, a similar process on the Emerald Isle was launched by St. Patrick, who took up distilling immediately after the completion of the baptism of pagan Ireland.

Both peoples subsequently made a significant contribution to the development of the drink: the Irishman Enes Coffey significantly improved in 1830 alembic for distillation, while the very first such installation was built by the Scot Robert Stein.

It was their joint work that caused a revolution in production in the second half of the 19th century - distilleries were able to significantly increase production volumes, it became possible to talk about the emergence of a new industry in the structure of the British and Irish economy.

It was then that the first large companies specializing in this segment appeared, and used the huge space for creativity provided by new technologies for the production of whiskey family drinks, regional traditions and a variety of ingredients.

It was then that the first experiments began on blending different brands of cask whiskey to create unique aromas and tastes.

But, like any technological revolution, the process also had a downside - the word “whiskey” was legally allowed to call young, three-year-old spirits, and manufacturers began to replace barley with wheat and corn to reduce costs, adding malt varieties “for taste”.

It is these processes that have led to the abundance of varieties, brands and brands that today make up a real galaxy of whiskey.

Whiskey happens...

In modern English, you can find two spellings of the word whiskey - what is produced in Scotland, Canada and Japan is usually referred to as whiskey.

Drinks from Ireland or America are most often referred to as whiskey. The addition of "e" occurred at the end of the 19th century to highlight their products - that is, a pure marketing move that does not tell us anything about the taste and quality of the product.

The standard strength of whiskey varies in the range of 40-50%, but no one limits the scope for creativity of the creators of drinks, so you can also find varieties with a strength of 60%.

First of all, whiskey is malt (malt) - the drink is obtained from pure barley malt and age without mixing with other types of whiskey, such as grain.

The most ideologically pure whiskey of this type is single malt whiskey produced by one distillery, sometimes different years of aging of the same variety are mixed. This is, in fact, the gold standard of whiskey, the original.

Single malt whiskeys are a gourmet delight, offering a huge selection of original flavors, many of which will only be appreciated by people with very specific tastes. At the same time, single malts contain a rich layer of interesting drinks that can give a lot of pleasant moments to the taste buds of a connoisseur.

This is the real soul of Scotland, drinks that require a thoughtful attitude to consumption, savoring either in the company of trusted people who will not distract from the process, or even alone.

The most famous brands are Laphroaig, Maccalan, Glenfiddich, Isle of Jura, Tallisker, Highland and many others, which are presented in abundance on the shelves of numerous Irish and English pubs and bars, as well as in alcohol supermarkets in Russia.

Single malt whiskeys tend to be the most expensive drinks compared to other whiskey classes. The production of many single malts is a small business, at least compared to the well-established brands of widely used and more easily understood blended varieties - less capacity, modest production volumes, longer production cycles: all this, in sum, is the reason that good single malt whiskey starts cost from 1500 rubles per bottle, and there are no limits to this indicator at all.

There is a class of collectible single malts of very long aging, but it is extremely difficult to find them in bars and shops - these are gift drinks for very wealthy citizens.
One of the varieties of single malt drinks is single cask whiskey. Single cask malt whiskey, unmixed. That is, how they poured it, how they left it for aging, they also opened it and bottled it, without adding anything and without changing anything.

There is quarter cask whiskey - the same single cask malt whiskey, but from a smaller cask, usually stronger (up to 50% - the so-called cask strength - cask strength, which also indicates the originality of the drink and the absence of attacks on its integrity).

Malt whiskey is also mixed - blended malt, which is a mixture of malt whiskey from various distilleries. By and large, this is the same single malt - at least for the taste. Only very great connoisseurs and deep experts in the subject area will be able to distinguish mixed "molts" from the originals.

This technology allows you to get original tastes, combine the best from several varieties of single malt drinks in one bottle.

In general, the place where whiskey is made should be given the closest attention - for example, varieties made on Islay Island are historically strikingly different from most other varieties.

A lot of smuggled whiskey was driven on the islands, and to speed up the production process, barley was dried in the smoke from burning peat, the taste of the finished drink received, firstly, notes of smoke, branded " smoked taste”, as well as marine, bright iodine aromas that cannot be confused with anything else. This is a purely Scottish "chip" not used in Ireland. Malt for Irish whiskey is dried in ovens, and the drink itself passes through a triple distillation - the necessary softness is reported, which is not characteristic of most Scottish single molts.

In general, single malts in Scotland are divided by region into Highland Single Malts, Speyside Single Malts, the mentioned Islay Single Malts, Lowland Single Malts and Campbeltown Single Malts.

Next in the classification is grain whiskey - this is the so-called "technical" whiskey: not to be confused with technical alcohol. The term only means the fact that the drink is almost never used in its pure form for sale, but is produced for further blending purposes.

If you try, you can find single grain whiskey on sale - pure grain whiskey by analogy with single malt, but the task is not easy due to the specificity of the drink (almost complete absence of smell and pronounced taste characteristic of classic whiskey). It must be understood that under grain (grain) we mean the same grains of malt, just not germinated, as in the case of the classics.

There are only four bottled pure grain whiskeys in Scotland: Glen Wolf, Black Barrel, Glen Clyde and Invergordon.

Blended whiskey - blended or blended whiskey. The most popular and common type of whiskey in the world. According to various estimates, today it accounts for up to 90% of world production. Not to be confused with the blended malt described above - blended whiskey varieties include different spirits - malt, grain, wheat, rye - while blended malt is always a mixture of only malt spirits.

It is with the varieties of blended whiskey that the inexperienced consumer masses associate the very concept of “whiskey”, it is the blend that fills supermarket shelves at an affordable price tag and misleads many alcohol lovers about the entire realm of whiskey. “I drank this whiskey of yours, rare rubbish,” says the average consumer in the Russian Federation, who has tried some cheap “compote” of young spirits worth 499 rubles per bottle of 0.7 liters.

Brands John Dewar's, Johnnie Walker, Jameson, White Horse, Famous Grouse and many, many others ("thousands of them") are the brightest representatives of this class, sometimes also called "table" or "consumer whiskey" (something like " house wine"- an affordable, high-quality drink without frills).

However, a certain gradation also exists inside blended whiskey - brands such as Red Breast or Chivas Regal are distinguished by a high content of high-quality long-aged malt spirits in their composition, which causes a very high level drink quality and price. The addition "Deluxe" (Deluxe) can be added to the name of such varieties.

The same Johnny Walker varies from Red Label, a very modest drink by the standards of connoisseurs in terms of taste, to quite high-quality by the standards of the same connoisseurs Green, Gold, Blue or Platinum Label - extremely expensive and tasty whiskey.

As a rule, in the production of blended whiskey in modern conditions, traditional technology, aging time and many other nuances of the work of old distilleries are violated - the drinks are impersonal, standardized and indistinguishable from one another, but otherwise the volumes of world demand cannot be satisfied.

Finally, bourbon is an American corn whiskey produced using a special technology (aging in oak barrels charred from the inside). Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Jack Daniels and numerous Canadian varieties. An honest drink for adequate money, but not as refined as the Old World varieties, and in the UK or Ireland it is not considered whiskey.

The other two most important characteristics of a drink are the aging time and, given what has been said about the prevalence of blended whiskey, the actual blending process.

Excerpt

The whiskey is aged in oak barrels. Ideally, in sherry casks.

If there are none (and today it simply physically cannot be enough for everyone), then they are kept in containers made of American white oak, where bourbon was previously contained, or they are simply treated with sherry. The barrel is the most important factor in the maturation of the future whiskey: in it it gains strength and gets that very recognizable taste and bouquet of aromas.

By law, Scotch whiskey must be aged for at least 3 years. This is the minimum period after which the malt distillate, after two or three distillations, gets the right to be called the proud word - whiskey.

As a rule, such "youngsters" go to the needs of blending, after which the cheapest temporal brands are born, which are consumed with pleasure as part of cocktails a la "whiskey and cola", or sold under the "three bottles for the price of two" promotion. for 500 rubles and so on.

What goes into the creation of high-quality and elite varieties - single malt whiskeys, are aged for at least 10 years. Classic - 10-12 years of exposure, and then up to 21 years. These are already exclusive varieties, and if we talk about exotic, you can also find 30-50 year old brands.

In other parts of the world, everything is simpler: good "Ireland" is aged on average 5 years, "Canada" - at least 6 years, of course, there are exceptions (12-year-old Jameson, for example).
After the aging is over, it is either time to bottle it for sale or to blend it into new varieties through blending.

Different types of blended whiskeys can mix different types of malt (from 15 to 50 varieties) and grain (3-4) whiskeys of different aging periods (again, at least 3 years).

After obtaining the necessary mixture, it is time to age the whiskey again - but here we are no longer talking about years, a period of several weeks to several months of aging is enough.

The point of blending is to use cheap grain whiskeys, get a standard quality product and combine the best properties of different malt whiskeys in one finished drink.

Old Vatted Glenlivet was developed by Andrew Usher in 1853 as the first blended whiskey in the world.

There are two types of blending: different varieties of malt and grain whiskey are mixed in special vessels, where they are kept for 24 hours. This mixture is then placed in barrels and bottled after a few weeks. In this way, cheap whiskey is obtained (the same one that is widely known thanks to the Famous Grouse, Johnny Walker Red Label, White Horse and others).

Another approach - blended mixtures are aged for 6-8 months in oak barrels. This period is called the "wedding". In this way, more expensive high-quality blended whiskey (Chivas Regal, RedBreast) is produced.

In fact, brands

10. Ballantine's- a very common brand of Scotch whiskey, under which 7 different varieties are sold - Finest, Limited, 12 year old, 17 year old, 21 year old, 30 and 40 years old. In principle, within the line of this brand, you can explore all the main varieties, from simple blended whiskey to collectible 21-40 year old single molts. The basis of the ingredients is a bank of 50 singlemolt spirits, four grain varieties. The brand is widely known for its sponsorship of sports competitions.

9 Imperial Blue- Whiskey, produced in India by the same company that makes Ballantine's, is one of the most popular among an audience with an average monthly income. Very little malt spirits are used in the preparation, the base is molasses.

8. Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American bourbon in the world. Frank Sinatra is buried with a bottle of this drink. Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 is the most popular type of this bourbon, although the manufacturer tries to distance itself from this class, claiming that the drink is filtered through a maple wood charcoal filter, which distinguishes it from other bourbons and makes it closer to a traditional whiskey.

7. Original Choice is another Indian brand. Despite being common within Indian borders, it is a premium product aged in real American oak barrels.

6. Old Tavern- another "Indian". A very soft drink at an extremely affordable price.

5. Royal Stag. And again, an Indian drink from Pernod Ricard (Imperial Blue and Ballantine's). This is a blended variety of Scottish malt spirits and local material - molasses.
The taste is completely atypical for whiskey, but that is why it is popular both at home and abroad.

4. Bagpiper. Yes Yes. India again. Exported to 10 countries, the official drink of Bollywood..

3. McDowell's No.1– whiskey with the aroma of vanilla wood, opens with the addition of a few drops of water. The most popular drink in the Middle East.

2. Officer's Choice. Another and last representative of India, not much different from his fellow tribesmen.

1 Johnnie Walker, sold everywhere a man has set foot, even in the distant Central African powers. 18 million boxes in 2012 speak volumes (a box is a measure of the sales volume of strong alcohol, 9 liters).

The Green Label blend won three gold medals in the World Spirits Competition between 2005 and 2007, an excellent whiskey offering everything from the simplest "canteen" to the finest varieties.

As we can see, there are only a couple of scotchs in the ranking, with no Irish whiskey or exquisite single malts from Scotland. The overwhelming majority of the drinks presented in the rating are sold in the markets of India, China, Latin America and the Middle East, as well as in Eastern Europe.

If we are talking about countries with an established national culture of whiskey consumption, the picture will be completely different - in the USA Jack Daniels takes the confident first place, in Scotland - Glenfiddich, in Ireland - Jameson.

And if you do not take Indian whiskey into account, but look at sales of only Scottish brands, then for obvious reasons, the already mentioned Johhny Walker and Ballantines will be among the leaders, in third place - Chivas Regal, J&B Rare, Grant's, Famous Grouse, Dewar's, William Lawson's, Label 5, and finally Bell's.

While many of these brands have sometimes excellent classic-aged single malts in their ranges, the main selling point for Scotch is also low-key blended brands. The same is true for Irish whiskey.

These are market realities determined by the culture of drinking: people want to consume simply, without ceremony: poured, drank, or poured, diluted with cola, drank. And for this, fine whiskey is not required, it is only necessary that the drink correspond to average ideas and expectations in terms of taste and strength.

Actually, this is where the brand dividing line is - if the consumer wants something in the style of a party, to drink quickly and have the main effect of achieving a quick alcohol intoxication - these are brands in the same category. As a rule, inexpensive (or slightly above average) lens hoods solve the problem in one or two.

If a person appreciates the process of exploring tastes, bouquets, savoring a drink in accordance with the culture of consumption, then completely different brands are needed that satisfy the high gourmet aspirations of the individual.

Whiskey a la Russe

In Russia, relations with whiskey are their own, special. Every year it is drunk more and more - and every year the proportion of counterfeit products increases in a growing volume.
Now its share is about 30% (data from the Center for Research on Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets (CIFRRA)).

The Synovate Comcon research center found that in 2012, 9.8% of Russians over 18 years of age consumed whiskey. For comparison: in 2000 - 1%, in 2006 - 3.1%.
According to the National Alcohol Policy Development Center, the most counterfeited whiskey brands in Russia are Johnnie Walker: Red Label and Black Label, as well as Jack Daniels. A bottle, which in the original costs 1-2 thousand rubles, can be reduced in price to only 200-500.

Actually, this is all you need to know about whiskey in Russia: what is popular is counterfeited. In the mass consciousness, there is still no knowledge of what whiskey can be and how it is drunk - for the vast majority of compatriots, this is the same drink as vodka, which must be drunk in one gulp, or mixed with a sweet carbonated drink a la Cuba Libre.

On the other hand, among economically successful people, the culture of whiskey consumption is undoubtedly developing - in the segment of premium alcohol, whiskey confidently outperforms expensive vodkas.

Bars and pubs are developing, in the lines of which you can find varieties for every taste and color - from pure Black Beast cocktail whiskey (it is difficult to drink it in its pure form) to exquisite Laphroaig Quarter Cask 10 year or Ardberg 10 year.

Establishment staff in in large numbers cases is well versed in the types and varieties of whiskey, will tell you where to start acquaintance, give advice on proper consumption.

True, there is no need to talk about the displacement of vodka yet - the total consumption of whiskey, rum, tequila, gin in the Russian Federation is insignificant against the background of the consumption of vodka, which is drunk about 1 billion liters a year.

So, it’s difficult and simple to understand the hosts of brands at the same time. It is unrealistic to learn them all - only about 2,500 types of scotch tapes are sold in the world (!!!).

You are determined with a purpose. If this is a feast, a holiday and an entertaining evening format, then take simple, understandable blends / blends. As we have already indicated, there are a great many of them, and in their mass they are quite similar, both in terms of characteristics and price.

Irish whiskeys Bushmills Original, Feckin, Finian's, Jameson, Kilbeggan, Merry's, Power and Son, Tullamore Dew, Paddy, as well as Scottish blends Ballantines Finest, Cutty Sark, Dewars White, Grant's 8 do an excellent job. year, J&B, Lauder's, Chivas 12 year, Famous Grouse 12 year, Highland Harvest Organic, Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Bourbons of similar flight height - Gentleman Jack, George Dickel No. 12 Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Black Label, George Dickel Special Barrel, Jack Daniels Single Barrel, Ancient Age, Benchmark, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Early Times, Jim Beam White, Ten High, Wild Turkey 101, Baker's 7 year, Basil Hayden's, Blanton's Single Barrel, Bulleit, Four Rose's Single Barrel, Jim Beam Black, Knob Creek Small Batch, Maker's Mark, Old Rip VanWinkle 15 year and Woodford Reserve.

Canadian varieties - Canadian Club Classic 12 year, Canadian Mist, Black Velvet, Forty Creek Barrel Select, Mountain Rock, Pendelton, Windsor Canadian, 8 Seconds, Canadian Club Sherry Cask 8 year, Crown Royal, Forty Creek Three Grain, Tangle Ridge Double Cask .

All this is an honest "canteen": that is, a good, smooth table whiskey / bourbon, for which it is not a pity to give even more money than they ask. It is also not at all shameful to pour cola into it and add ice and citrus fruits. Get a quality Cuba Libre or Old Fashioned and get drunk fast.

Next up are the more elegant drinks - Bushmills Black Bush, Clontarf Single Malt, Jameson 1780, Michael Collins Single Malt, The Irishman The Original Clan, Tullamore Dew 12 year, Connemara Cask Strength Peated Single Malt, Greenore Single Grain, Jameson 18 year, Red Breast 12 year, The Tyrconnell 10 year Single Malt.

Fine whiskeys that are not ashamed to put on the table on an anniversary, wedding or other solemn occasion.

Bushmills 1608, Bushmills 21 year, Middleton Very Rare, Jameson Rarest Vintage, Ambassador 25 year, Buchanan's 18 year, Johnnie Walker Green, Tomintoul Oloroso 12 year, Chivas 18 year, Compass Box Hedonism, Wild Scotsman, Ballantine's 30 year , Chivas Regal 25 year, Johnnie Walker Blue, Kings Crest 25 year, The Antiquary 21 year, Booker's Small Batch, Eagle Rare 17 year, Jefferson's Reserve, Michter's 10 year, Noah Mill's 15 year, AH Hirsch 16 year, Longrow Cask 10 year, Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 year, Willet 28 year.

More or less luxury drinks are also made in Canada - Seagrams VO, Wisers Deluxe 18 year, Crown Royal Special Reserve, Glen Breton Rare Single Malt, Canadian Club 30 year, Crown Royal XR, J.P. Wiser's Red Letter - all this is already an elite, despite popular brands, drinks of the most serious, gourmet class, suitable for savoring in the quiet of an office or at the bar.

And remember - Scottish single molts are only suitable for such savoring. We list the main ones: Deanston 12 year, Glenfiddich 12 year, Speyburn 10 year, Aberlour 10 year, Ardmore Traditional Cask, Glenlivet 12 year, Highland Park 12 year, Laphroaig Quarter Cask 10 year, Macallan Fin Oak 12 year, Scapa 14 year, Ardberg 10 year, Bowmore 16 year, Bruichladdich 15 year, Glendronach 12 year, Highland Park 18 year, Old Pulteney 17 year, Scapa 16 year, Glenfarclas 25 year, Highland Park 40 year, Macallan 25 year, Springbank 15 year, The Glenrothes 1975, Aberfeldy , Balblair, Ben Nevis, Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Glen Ord, Glenmorangie, Oban, and Old Pulteney, Arran, Jura, Tobermory, and Talisker, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin.

They need to be DRINKED. Specially. Not a snack. Not in one gulp, without diluting with any cola (for in a decent pub you can earn the contempt of the bartender for all eternity). Not getting drunk (or doing it extremely slowly and elegantly).

Single molts, unlike the simpler American, Irish or Canadian varieties, drink according to the rules - the Irish traditionally do not dilute their whiskey (it is extremely soft - Jameson, Paddy as prime examples), while some "Scotch" flavored with ice or refreshed with a few drops of water are recommended (otherwise they may get up in the throat).

Singlemolts are poured and drunk in special tulip-shaped glasses, as it is believed that it allows you to better reveal the aroma of the drink.

No glasses, shots, piles, bowls - only old fashion or a toggle switch. To cool whiskey, it is considered good practice to use, in addition to ice, which still affects the taste, diluting the whiskey, cubes of the so-called soapstone (good luck finding it in the bars of Moscow or St. Petersburg).

Single molts are expensive drinks: a shot in a pub will cost 400-500 rubles (however, there are varieties within 300-350 rubles), and a bottle - from 2.5 to 15-16 thousand (we do not consider the super-elite segment of 30 and above years of aging, these are presidential drinks, and even then not all presidents of the world, probably, had the good fortune to try them).

You need to understand that for this money you will not always (far from always) get what you like. Single molts are often very original drinks that will be appreciated only by very big connoisseurs and lovers, so paying quite a lot of money by the standards of average salaries in modern Russia for tasting experiments, with the goal of just relaxing after a working day, is probably inappropriate.

But if you want to indulge in something like that, break your drinking routine and open up a new space for research, study and comparison - then single molts are an excellent subject area for this kind of task.
It is worth remembering that the world of whiskey brands is not a static hierarchy, where nothing new happens and everything is frozen in the eternal harmony of peaceful coexistence.

New brands are appearing - Japan has been performing quite worthily (for a long time, but it’s not so easy to find the famous Suntory in our bar menu, however, they are sold in stores), Canadian varieties become a pleasant discovery in terms of price / quality ratio for many (completely unpromoted brands save on marketing and do not raise the price tag for a big name, offering a quality drink almost for nothing), manufacturers are trying to improve the existing varieties, to create something original based on the classics.

In the end, well-known varieties in the West are making their way to the Russian market - not so long ago, an excellent Scottish single malt AnСnoc appeared - it is not available in bars, and in stores an excellent drink is sold for unexpectedly low money with excellent quality of the mildest taste of real Scottish single malt.

And there are a lot of such surprises - mostly pleasant ones - in the world of whiskey.

I would like to start this topic with a question that causes a lot of controversy: “Is Jack Daniels whiskey or bourbon?”.

If you look at the composition, which is 80% corn, then this is a classic bourbon. And if you look at the production process, then it adds another additional step - filtering the drink through charcoal from sugar maple wood. It is this little procedure that takes Jack Daniels from the bourbon category to the whiskey category. But not just whiskey, but Tennessee Whiskey, all bottles of the drink are marked with this inscription.

The popular and beloved American whiskey Jack Daniels began its history in the 19th century. Then the young boy Jasper Newton Daniel, who was only 13 years old, created this famous male drink.

Despite the fact that, at the legislative level of America, the production alcoholic beverages such a plan is allowed only in the state of Kentucky, for "Jack" they made an exception.

This brand of whiskey is aged in oak wine barrels, which gives it a special taste and aroma. Today, the rights to manufacture and sell the drink belong to the American company Brown-Forman Corporation.

Chivas Regal (Scotland)

One of the most famous brands of Scotch whiskey, which occupies a special place in the premium segment.

The company was founded in 1801 by two brothers, John and James Chivas. Although before this type of whiskey, Chivas Brothers produced other brands that were popular among the high ranks of Great Britain and even with Queen Victoria herself.

To date, there are six types of whiskey in the Chivas Regal line.

The best selling brand worldwide. The company was founded in 1867 by Johnny Walker's son.

More than 130 million bottles are produced annually. Under this brand, both inexpensive whiskeys with a minimum aging period and long-aged whiskeys of the premium segment are produced.

The Johnnie Walker line starts with Red Label. This is a standard blend. It consists of 9 varieties aged 3-5 years. This whiskey first saw the light in 1906-1908 and was called Old highland Scotch Whiskey. The modern name according to the color on the bottle label appeared in 1909.

To date, the Johnny Walker brand is owned by the British company Diageo. It is the largest manufacturer of premium drinks.

In addition to the classic Johnnie Walker color line, this brand produces:

1. Exclusive line of blended whiskey John Walker & Sons
2. Johnnie Walker Limited Edition
3. Unique collection of Johnnie Walker Explorers "Club Collection

One of the best Scotch whiskeys, today it ranks 3rd in the world in terms of sales.

George Ballantine's & Sons was founded by George Ballantine back in 1827. And trademark Ballantines was registered only in 1920. And in Europe, they learned about this drink only in 1960.

The composition of the blends does not change and is kept a strict secret for decades. Currently, the Ballantine's brand is owned by the French company Pernod Ricard and the line includes 12 types of whiskey.

The only whiskey distiller to win the Guinness World Record for selling £250,000 of collectible Macallan Fine & Rare vintage whiskey.

The Macallan distillery was founded in the 18th century, and it received official permission to produce whiskey one of the first in Scotland - in 1824.

For the production of this brand of whiskey, a special variety of barley is used, characterized by low yields. Small copper stills provide a dense whiskey flavor. The drink is aged in oak barrels from sherry and bourbon.

The Macallan Collections:

1. Sherry Oak
2. fine oak
3. The 1824 Collection
4. Distillery Exclusives
5. Masters Of Photography
6. fine and rare
7. Lalique

The company was founded in 1757 and named after its founders Beaumont Hankey and Hugh Bannister. To date, the rights to manufacture and sell the drink of this brand belong to the corporation Inver House Distillers Ltd.

Hanky ​​Bannester blends use single malt whiskeys from distilleries owned by the aforementioned corporation: Balblair, Speyburn, Pultney, Knockdhu and Balmenach. Blenders carefully select the best whiskeys and create a smooth, light and balanced blend that harmoniously combines the lightness of Lowland grain whiskeys and the intensity of Highland malt whiskeys.

The blended whiskey company was founded in 1883 by James Logan Mackey. Also, his family owned a small tavern "White Horse Inn" and it was in her honor that a strong Scottish drink was named.

It is curious that the number 1742 on the White Horse logo is not the date the whiskey recipe was created: the same tavern was built in 1742.

The composition of this drink includes 40 varieties of malt and grain whiskey. This blend creates a harmonious balanced taste. The leading role in it is played by Lagavulin, a single malt whiskey grown on the island of Islay.

Today the brand is owned by British alcohol giant Diageo.

This “famous partridge”, this is how the name is translated from English, has become one of the favorite brands of connoisseurs of burning drinks. Although according to the history of the brand, which dates back to 1896, this whiskey was originally called simply "Grouse" (partridge) - in honor of the favorite game of the Scots.

As part of a blend of whiskey Famous Grouse - single malt and grain whiskeys. Glenmorangie (Scotland)

In 1843, William Matthewson built a small distillery, where he launched the production of whiskey according to own recipe. To date, the distillery, or as it is also called the Glenmorangie distillery, is one of the smallest in Scotland and it specializes in the production of single malt whiskey.

special soft slightly creamy taste The drink is obtained by aging in oak bourbon barrels for at least ten years.

This is a fairly well-known blended Scotch whisky. It is produced by the family company William Grant & Sons. Today it is already the fifth generation, which is engaged in the development of the family business.

The distillery was built in 1887, and the first bottle of Grant's whiskey was bottled 11 years later in 1898.

This brand has won numerous worldwide awards, including the World Whiskeys Awards as "Best Blended Scotch Whiskey aged at least 12 years".

This is a fairly inexpensive blended Scotch whiskey with a mild honey taste. The drink is produced according to a unique recipe developed by James Buchanan in the 80s of the XIX century.

The whiskey distillery is by far the highest in Scotland. It is located at an altitude of 327 meters above sea level.

Now the rights to sell and manufacture the legendary Black and White belong to the London giant Diageo.

The most recognizable and best-selling Irish whiskey in the world. The company was founded by John Jameson in 1780. Shortly after its founding, the John Jameson & Son distillery became one of the largest distilleries in Ireland.

Today, whiskey is produced according to the same technology as 200 years ago - malt drying in closed ovens, triple distillation, long exposure (up to 10 years) in oak barrels.

The Jameson label features John Jameson's coat of arms and his family motto, "Sine metu" ("Without Fear").

The taste of the mass brand is very mediocre, fakes are often found.

The history of the legendary Tullamore Dew began in 1829, when Michael Mallo built a distillery on a hill in the agricultural region of County Offaly.

Tullamore Dew, like almost 190 years ago, is one of the most famous drinks in Ireland. Elite Tullamore Dew 12-year-old is in special demand.

To date, this brand of alcohol is owned by Cantrell & Cochrane Corporation.

This is a truly legendary Irish whiskey with a 400-year history. He appeared in 1608, and in other countries they learned about him four years later in 1612.

Today, the Old Bushmills Distillery is the oldest distillery in Europe and the only historical distillery in Ireland.

True gourmets say that the taste of this whiskey cannot be confused with anything else, it is one of a kind. This is facilitated by a unique production technology and high environmental friendliness of the region.

To date, the brand belongs to the London company Diageo.

The mass brand taste has "noble" flavor notes, but don't expect anything out of the ordinary.

This drink is the undisputed leader among Canadian whiskey and it is sold in 50 countries around the world.

For the first time Black Velvet was born in 1951, but under a different name - Black Label. When master distiller Jack Napier and part-time creator of the drink took a sample of the first batch of whiskey, without any doubt changed the name to Black Velvet.

To date, on sale you can find Black Velvet Canadian and American counterparts. Although they are produced at the same distillery, they still vary greatly in taste. Since the American version is bottled in the USA and customized to their taste standards.

Legendary Canadian whiskey, the creation of which was timed to coincide with the arrival of the English monarch George VI in 1939. The best masters of Seagram's worked on it. It includes about 50 of the most the best varieties whiskey of varying degrees of exposure.

On an industrial scale, Crown Royal began to be produced only in 1964, but it was an incredible success. A beautiful bottle in the form of a cut diamond, with a crowned cap in a velvet blue case, could not leave anyone indifferent.

The Crown Royal brand is currently owned by Diageo.

Japanese whiskey

We have reviewed before. And in order not to repeat ourselves, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with this topic on our website.

Summing up all of the above, I would like to say that in one topic it is difficult to fit all the varieties and brands of whiskey that are worthy of your attention.

But we tried to make a brief overview of the most popular brands that will help you choose the right vector to dive irrevocably into the world of amber temptation.

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