I’ve been an appreciator of whisky for a long time now. I’m not in a club or anything, I don’t keep notes or score the ones I’ve tried… but I sure do enjoy a dram.
Despite the Scottish stereotype, whisky was never the drink of choice among my pals. That is, except Andy(my good-friend-come-business-partner) who the only one who seemed to share my thirst for a good glass of Scotch. Which likely explains why we’re such guid pals (and why this site exist that you're reading this on)!
Over the years, Andy and I have had many discussions about whisky, and we’ve developed some similar views on — and a pretty good understanding of — the different facets of the drink and the industry surrounding it. Our interest in whisky has taken us to festivals, tastings, even a Scotch whisky academy, and has introduced us to hundreds of people, all of whom have a unique relationship with the spirit.
However, when whisky becomes the topic of discussion we’ve found there are a few phrases which crop up more regularly than others. So I’d like to take this opportunity to give my thoughts on some of these and who knows, maybe debunk a couple of whisky myths along the way.
“I don’t like whisky”
Every whisky is different but I think most people’s first experience of it is similar to my own — not exactly a positive one. Without the urge to give it a second chance, and discover an entirely different side to the drink, the assumption is that once you’ve tasted one, you’ve tasted them all, and therefore they ‘don’t like whisky’. When, in reality, they just didn’t enjoy that whisky. It’s entirely possible that they won’t like any, but they can’t know for sure without first trying a much wider variety, and I can say with confidence that before too long they’ll probably find something they do like.
“Add water? That’s sacrilege!”
One of the most common taboos in the whisky world seems to be the adding of water. Really, you can add whatever you want to it; cola, ginger ale, ice, milk, after all it is your drink (though I'm not sure of the milk thing). Personally I don’t add anything to my whisky except water (and maybe some more whisky). Because water opens it up, reduces the dominance of alcohol and allows you to really appreciate all the yummy goodness it holds inside. If anything I’d say it’s sacrilege not to at least try it with water.
“I only drink single malts”
Do you know the difference between a single malt and a blended malt? In simple terms, the first is a malt whisky from a cask or casks (usually many, many, many casks) containing the output of just one distillery; the second is a malt whisky from casks containing the output of two or more different distilleries (often far fewer casks than many single malt expressions). And when you consider that single malts make up less than ten percent of all Scotch whisky produced, you can’t help but feel that people who limit themselves to only these are never going to fully experience all that whisky has to offer.
“The older the better”
The older the rarer? Definitely. With the growing popularity and demand in whisky there are fewer and fewer casks aging for longer and as such older whisky is becoming more sought after. The older the more expensive? Yes. With Scotch evaporating at a rate of 2–4% every year you bet it’s expensive; that’s whisky that could’ve otherwise been sold. But the older the better? Not necessarily. Sure it’s exciting, and a great privilege to experience a significantly aged whisky, but this doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy it. At the end of the day, you enjoy what you enjoy and that differs from one person to the next. It is really cool to drink something that started its life before you did though.
“Blends are for cleaning the shower with”
This one I sort of agree with. In fact, I’ve been known to enjoy a dram whilst cleaning a number of bathroom fixtures. Joking aside, one of the reasons I love blended whiskies so much is that they’re often so well balanced that I can enjoy them without being distracted from what I’m meant to be doing. Watching a film, chatting with friends or writing daft blog articles, for example. A good blend complements and satisfies, but rarely demands attention. That’s not to say they can’t be just as fascinating and complex as some single malts… because they certainly can. And as I alluded to before, there's a big difference between a blended scotch and a blended malt, and sadly most people assume they are the same. Truth is, every Scotch deserve a chance... and it's a great feeling when a blend really surprises you.
“I don’t know enough about it”
There’s a really strange common assumption that in order to fully enjoy whisky you need some level of education on the subject, and there’s definitely a sense of intimidation and apprehension surrounding it, which can put people off. This doesn’t seem to be the case for any other drink, and it’s one of the most frustrating myths to try and bust. In order to enjoy whisky you don’t need to know anything about it! I would argue that in some respects the less you know — or the less you think you know — the more honest and real your tasting experience will be. With knowledge comes expectation; your palate shapes itself and you target specific flavours to hunt out. For this reason Andy and I much prefer blind tasting and often ask for a ‘surprise’ when sending the other to the bar for a few halves.
So there you have it, six phrases I hope you will now never say, and some solid facts you can drop anyone who dares to utter one in your presence. Now that we’ve got all that out the way, who fancies a wee nip?