Whiskey had been around for centuries. In the early 13th century, this type of drink was used for medicinal purposes by monks of monasteries to treat smallpox and colic. The distillation of alcohol started around this period as well. However, the art of distillation grew in Scotland and Ireland. The first record of whiskey production was around 1494. Throughout the years, the distillation of whiskey has vastly spread. As the growing number of whiskey drinkers has increased, so does the production of quality whiskeys. You will learn more about the different whiskey flavours by going on a whisky tour.
Serene Locations
Most whiskey distilleries need more space for their production facilities. You might notice during your whiskey tour that most of them are outside the city. Distilleries would need an enormous place to store the whiskeys in a big cask. Surrounded by beautiful sceneries, touring around the area is a truly relaxing experience. Several distilleries make the trip exciting by providing various events to make the experience worthwhile.
Different Whiskey Flavours
Although the ingredients of whiskey are simple, the drink itself is complex. During your whiskey tour, you will notice that the flavours of each whiskey vary according to its blended malts, single grains, and cask strengths. As an alcoholic beverage, whiskeys do not age in a bottle, like most wine. The fermentation of whiskey depends on the production time from distillation until bottling. Therefore, when you are doing a whiskey tasting, take the time to savour its rich flavour.
Distillation of Whiskey
The process of whiskey begins with a mash of malt and untreated water. This enables the starch of the grain to turn into sugar, yielding a higher alcohol content. During the fermentation process, yeast is added. The process of distillation varies accordingly before it is poured into the cask to mature. While on a whiskey tour, you will learn that when the drinks are poured in the barrel, the maturation process starts its work by fine-tuning each whiskey. The type of cask that distilleries use is made of white oak.
Aging of Whiskey
To make a good whiskey, it needs at least three years for the drink to mature and reach its perfect level of potency. But, with the newer technology, distilleries can age a whiskey to several years in just a few days. During your whiskey tour, you will notice the different aging techniques of distilleries. However, most whiskey connoisseurs would prefer to drink whiskey that is aged traditionally.
While learning about the aging process, take the time to talk to a master blender. Each distillery hires a master blender that can detect the different compound flavours of the whiskey by nose alone. The master blender is the one to know when a whiskey has aged maturely and how to improve the process if the drink lacks flavour and spirit.
A whiskey tour is a unique experience that will make you appreciate the process of distilling your favourite whiskey. You can arrange for a private tour or host a private event with its beautiful scenery as your backdrop. Most distilleries open their production facility to the public as part of their promotional features. This strategy attracts not only potential distributors but also new entrepreneurs looking to start their brand of whisky.
This article is written by David Smith, a copywriter and content strategist. He helps businesses stop playing around with content marketing and start seeing the tangible ROI quickly. He loves reading books and car racing.