It’s called “Scotch” everywhere except its country of origin—Scotland. There, they just call it whisky. Nobody knows when it originated, but there is little doubt it came from Scotland, where the Gaelic word usquebaugh, which meant “water of life,” was transformed into “usky” and then “whisky” over the centuries. Today, only whiskies produced in Scotland may be called Scotch; similar drinks made in other countries are referred to as “whiskey,” with an e.
Ancient records referring to Scotch production make it clear that the industry was well-established by 1494. According to legend, St. Patrick brought the technique of distilling whisky to Scotland in 500 AD, and it may well have come to the region around that time. The distillation method used in whisky production was originally used to make wine, but was applied to grains and cereals in areas like Scotland where grapes were unavailable.
In the Middle Ages, whisky or “aqua vitae,” as it was sometimes called, was used primarily for medical purposes instead of as a drink. It was thought to prolong life, and was used to treat palsy, smallpox, and colic. The whisky of the time was probably much stronger than it is today, due to differences in distilling technology and practices. Far from being a “water of life,” it was most likely dangerous to drink.
Today, Scotch whisky is a golden, honey color. The way it tastes varies depending on the type of Scotch—there are two main types.
Malt Whisky
Malt whisky is made from malted barley, and it’s distilled in pot stills. There are hundreds of malt whisky distilleries in Scotland.
To make malt whisky, barley is steeped in water to the point of germination. The barley releases enzymes during this process that break the grain’s starches into sugars. When the right germination stage is reached, the barley is then smoked and dried, sometimes under a peat fire to give it an especially smoky, earthy flavor. Most distilleries don’t do any malting on their own, and even those that do don’t malt enough to make all their whisky. All malt distilleries order some or all of their supply from malters.
Dried malt is then ground into coarse flour, mixed with hot water, and allowed to steep again, producing a sugary liquid called “wort.” The wort is then cooled and mixed with yeast, which begins the fermentation process. The resulting liquid has an alcohol content of around 5-7%, and is similar to a very basic beer. However, whisky is a purer form of alcohol—and it has several more steps to go.
The next step is to distill the liquid in a wash still. It’s heated to the boiling point, when it evaporates and travels as steam through a pipe to a condenser, where it cools to a liquid with an alcohol content of around 20%. This is distilled a second time and then a third. The second distilled liquid is used as whisky—the first and third are used for further distillation.
The second-cut whisky is put into casks. Traditionally, casks that used to contain sherry were used, because new barrels were pricey. Today, sherry and bourbon casks are most often used, but more rarely casks that formerly contained wine, port, cognac, beer, and other alcohols are also used. The whisky must be aged at least three years to be considered Scotch, although most single malts are aged at least eight years.
There are two types of pure malt whisky: single malt, which consists of malted whisky from a single distillery; and vatted or blended whisky, which contains malted whiskies from several different distilleries.
Grain whisky can be made of malted or unmalted barley, as well as other grains both malted and unmalted, including maize and wheat. There are only seven grain distilleries in existence.
The production process for grain whisky is generally similar to that of malt whisky, except that it’s distilled in a column instead of a pot still. A pot still has a series of pots connected by thin pipes; a column still consists of several columns in which steam rises and wash descends through a series of levels.
Two types of grain whiskies include single grain, which comes from a single distillery; and blended grain, which is a combination of grain whiskies from several distilleries.
Malted and grain whiskies are sometimes combined to make blended Scotch, which usually incorporates malted and grain whiskies from several different distilleries. Most grain whisky in Scotland goes into blended Scotch, which is usually composed of 60-85% grain whisky. Almost 90% of the whisky produced in Scotland is blended.
Whisky distilling is a traditional Scottish craft that has thrived for centuries. Today, Scotch is enjoyed in hundreds of countries, and whiskey is made in countries from America to Japan. It’s a regional drink that has grown to popularity all over the world.