May 21st is World Whisky Day. Just like Mother’s Day, or Women’s Day, I don’t get why we need a single day to celebrate and commemorate the best thing God ever bestowed on us kind. And while raising a respectful toast to the ultimate answer to the question of life, the universe, and everything, surely we can celebrate the ladies in our life a little more, show them more respect and such; they truly deserve it.
So, what does one do on Whisky Day? Why is it not Whiskey Day? Maybe because the Scots, for once, thought up a clever gimmick before the Americans.
Often, bars, restaurants and distilleries organise tastings on this day. If not, gather around a few friends, scavenge a few good bottles, and get cracking. This is how you must structure your tasting flight.
Blended Malt: The most popular category of whisky, and also often the cheapest. This is because grain whisky is quicker to make, both in terms of time and ingredient. Pure grain whisky also exists, but few purists will confess to liking it. Hence, most drink a blend of single malt and grain whisky, called a blended whisky. In the North, we simply call it Black Label. Some may rebut with Chivas and Dewar’s.
Single Malt: This is the name for a whisky that is made purely from cereal (barley) and not in the industrial-looking distilling apparatus that rises high like a tower. Instead, it comes out of a copper still that partly looks like an onion and a swan joint at the head. The onion shape is what most distillers obsess over, as also the length of the swan’s neck, saying that it is what imparts all the flavour and signature style to the whisky. It is not uncommon for some to talk on how a certain bump while installation a 100 years ago in the onion is now replicated in every new still so as to ensure consistency. All this marketing talk is expensive, so needless to say, Single Malts cost more. Sure, they have more flavour, but they also have more edge. So, if you want a smooth consistent taste, prefer blended malts. Single malts are more maverick, e.g. Macallan, Glenmorangie, Balvenie, Singleton.
Peated Single Malt: These are considered the Holy Grail of whisky, ironically by the same guys who bench 10 kg more when there’s a girl working out in the vicinity. It’s an objective choice, either you like the taste of burnt earth or don’t. No medals for either side. e.g. Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Talisker, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Oban.
Bourbon: Speaking of maverick, these guys knock it out of the stadium! Everything subtle and nuanced about Scotch sits boisterous and bold here. Far from being smoky and nutty, these are all about the vanilla and butterscotch, and they don’t shy away from it. In fact, they don’t mind if you drink them up with cola either. But even on the rocks, Bourbon or not, most American whisky is friendly and comes from corn and/or rye. Bulleit, Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, also Jack Daniel’s (a Tennessee whisky but most people mistake it for Bourbon), but just because it’s World Whisky Day, you’ll be forgiven.
The author is India's first sommelier, food, wine and travel writer and TV show host. In his free time, he works.
