In a large supermarket, a whiskey shelf may contain several dozen or even hundreds of different bottles. When buying whiskey for the first time, it is very difficult to navigate in such a wide range. To facilitate this task, I will talk about the criteria that affect the taste and price of a drink. When choosing, I advise you to focus on the following characteristics:
1. Type of whiskey. This is the most important characteristic that affects the prestige and cost of the drink. Whiskey can be malt (made only from pure barley), grain (other cereals are used in production) and blended (obtained by mixing the two previous types). Separately, bourbon stands out – American corn whiskey, which, due to differences in production technology, does not fall into any of the categories.
Malt whiskey is considered the best, it is divided into the following subspecies:
- Single Malt – whiskey made from malted barley at one distillery, often a mixture of spirits of different aging periods, this is the classic and most common option, trustworthy producers: Highland Park, Aberlour, Bowmore, Dalmore Sirius;
- Single Cask Malt – a drink from one barrel (does not mix with other spirits), retains a unique taste and aroma, even from one manufacturer, different batches (barrels) can differ greatly in organoleptic indicators, it is rarely found on sale, the well-known distillery is Tyrconnell;
- Pure Malt is a mixture of single malt whiskey from different distilleries, with the right blending it hides the shortcomings of the alcohols that make up the composition, often these drinks have standard average properties, the saturation and richness of their taste depends on the skill of the distiller, the most successful combinations are obtained from Ballantine’s and Shieldaig .
Due to the low quality and lack of a unique taste, grain whiskeys (Grain) are not sold in their pure form, they are needed only for the production of blended varieties. The only exception is the Choice Old Cameron Brig brand, but it is quite difficult to find it, especially in Russia.
Blended whiskeys are a mixture of malt and grain varieties. This type accounts for about 90% of world sales, in other words, it is designed for mass consumption. The more malt alcohol in the composition, the better and more expensive the blended whiskey will be.
This is not to say that these are low-quality drinks. It all depends on the selection of alcohols and the technology of their mixing. For example, the world famous brands “White Horse”, “Chivas Regal” and “Johnnie Walker” are also blends.
2. Region of production. Identified by the name on the label. “Whisky” or “Scotch” refers to drinks made in Scotland. Most scotches (especially those produced on the islands) have a peaty smell and a slight smoky flavor. I recommend trying Highland Park, Macallan, Lagavulin.
Irish varieties are called “Whiskey”, they are distinguished by a soft balanced taste and persistent aroma. Top distilleries: Bushmills, Midleton and Cooley.
American corn whiskeys (with a minimum of 51% corn alcohol) are referred to as “Bourbon”. These drinks are famous for their delicate sweetish taste, so for beginners to drink bourbon in its pure form, it is much easier and more pleasant than other varieties. The most publicized representative of bourbons is the Jim Beam distillery from Kentucky.
The exception is another well-known American brand, Jack Daniel’s. Despite the fact that the drink is 80% corn distillate, Jack Daniels is referred to as “Tennessee Whiskey”.
Canadian whiskeys are predominantly made from rye and have the inscription “RYE” on the label. They don’t stand out in anything special. Japanese drinks are more like Scotch whiskeys, such as Nikka, and are sold in Asian countries.
3. Holding time. It is after a long infusion in oak barrels that alcohol turns into a noble drink with unique properties. Age is determined by the maturity of the youngest spirit. For blended varieties, this means that if the label indicates an exposure of 12 years, then the youngest spirit spent at least 12 years in the barrel. After bottling, age is not considered.
The minimum aging period for whiskey is 3 years (bourbon – 2), but most producers insist it much longer, on average from 5 to 10 years. It is at this age that you need to focus on when choosing whiskey. You should not buy the youngest varieties, as often their taste leaves much to be desired.
4. Price. The most expensive whiskey is not always the best. Often the price includes brand awareness and the cost of packaging (the so-called “gift whiskey”). For personal tasting, I advise you to focus on the average price range, in which there are many worthy representatives.
If you choose whiskey as a gift for a person who is not a connoisseur of this alcohol, it is better to buy a drink from a well-known brand in a beautiful designer bottle or expensive packaging. A connoisseur can choose the right whiskey only by knowing his preferences by type and country of production. This is often a very difficult and thankless task.
In terms of price, I advise you to pay attention to another important point – the cost of the selected bottle. It should be approximately the same in all stores (the difference is not more than 20%). If the price is significantly lower in one of the stores, it is possible that this is a fake whiskey, the use of which can lead to alcohol poisoning. Buying it is dangerous.
5. Taste. Although the technology for preparing all types of whiskey is largely identical, but due to the nuances of the output, drinks with very different tastes are obtained. To get acquainted with this unique spirit, you need to taste at least a few varieties from different countries and only after that make a conclusion whether you like whiskey or not. The mistake of beginners is that they form a general opinion about whiskey, having tried only one brand and often not the most worthy one.