There are five basic classifications of whiskey. I have listed my favorites of each classification:Irish Whiskey (Jameson, Bushmills)
Scotch Whisky (Johnny Walker, Glenlivet)
Bourbon (Maker's Mark)
Canadian Whisky (Crown Royal, Seagram's)
American Whiskey (Jack Daniel's, High West)
As you all may have gathered from your traipses through the world of liquor, there are two legitimate spellings of this distilled grain spirit. The first is whisky - as spelled by Scots and Canadians. The second, whiskey - as spelled by the Irish and Americans. After much deliberation, I have chosen the latter for my preference. Hindsight being 20/20, it seems like the obvious choice.
Scotch and Irish whisky are made the same way, with the exception of malting and distillation process. Whiskey was first produced in Ireland by missionary monks (who make the best booze and beer because the secrets are given to them by God) as early as the sixth century. Along with spreading The Word of The Lord, they also began distilling whiskey, or as it's called in Gaelic, uisce beatha, meaning "water of life." Occupying British soldiers in the 12th century bastardized the pronunciation (as well as the country), and it eventually came out "whiskey".
Whiskey's dark, syrupy hue comes from the wooden barrels in which it is aged. During the aging process, the wood expands and contracts with the change in temperature. Many barrels are charred; this causes more of the woodsy flavor to be imparted on the distilled liquid. It also accounts for the depth smokiness in many aged spirits. During this process, the liquid moves in and out of the wood, absorbing the compounds and flavor from the barrel. Side note: This is why I love Peet's Aged Sumatra coffee-- the woodsy flavor notes from the casks remind me of a great aged whiskey!
The "Angel's share" or "Angel's tax" refers to the 4% of whiskey that evaporates every year. As the story goes, angels "steal" 4% of barreled whiskey. Once you bottle whiskey, though, it's safe. The angels can't touch it. It doesn't evaporate.
The oldest whiskey in the world is almost automatically rarest whiskey because of the annual 4% "angel's tax." The buyer of a very old bottle is drinking a huge percentage of the only whiskey left on the earth from that year. Here's how to calculate how much whiskey is left over from each year. (It works like interest rates, but backwards.)
100 x (0.96) ^ years old = % of whiskey left on earth from that year.
I prefer it neat (straight up, whiskey and glass only, no ice, no water). Ice dulls the flavor. It reduces the temperature too much, inhibiting the flavor and freezing its aroma. If you're a lightweight (a.k.a, a pussy) adding one cube is moderately acceptable. Technically, taking it "neat" is not the proper way to impart the full spectrum of flavors onto your palate. Adding a small splash of water is ideal. Soft still spring water will enhance the aroma and flavor of a whiskey. This prevents the strong alcohol content from numbing your senses. Be careful -- some tap water contains high levels of chlorine that can easily spoil the flavor. Honestly, though, it is all about taste and preference. One person might prefer their whiskey neat, but as I said, a small amount of water or ice will bring out more subtle, nuanced flavors. Give it a try -- just stay away from the mixers. You're a man now.
I will leave you now with some words of wisdom. Erin go Bragh!
“The last time I drank whiskey, I started returning things I never stole.” - Unknown
“What whiskey will not cure, there is no cure for.” - Irish Proverb
“I'm a simple man. All I want is enough sleep for two normal men, enough whiskey for three, and enough women for four.” - Joel Rosenberg
“Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake.” - W. C. Fields
“There are two things a Highlander likes naked, and one of them is malt whisky.”
– Scottish proverb
“My God, so much I like to drink Scotch that sometimes I think my name is Igor Stra-whiskey.” - Igor Stravinsky
“The water was not fit to drink. To make it palatable, we had to add whiskey. By diligent effort, I learnt to like it.” - Winston Churchill
“My friends, I had not intended to discuss this controversial subject at this particular time. However, I want you to know that I do not shun controversy. On the contrary, I will take a stand on any issue at any time, regardless of how fraught with controversy it might be. You have asked me how I feel about whiskey. All right, here is how I feel about whiskey:
If when you say whiskey you mean the devil’s brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster, that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean the evil drink that topples the Christian man and woman from the pinnacle of righteous, gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, and despair, and shame and helplessness, and hopelessness, then certainly I am against it.
But, if when you say whiskey you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their lips, and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean Christmas cheer; if you mean the stimulating drink that puts the spring in the old gentleman’s step on a frosty, crispy morning; if you mean the drink which enables a man to magnify his joy, and his happiness, and to forget, if only for a little while, life’s great tragedies, and heartaches, and sorrows; if you mean that drink, the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of dollars, which are used to provide tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitiful aged and infirm; to build highways and hospitals and schools, then certainly I am for it. This is my stand. I will not retreat from it. I will not compromise.” - Judge Noah S. "Soggy" Sweat, Jr.
aged sumatra.....MEMORIES :)
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