Deciphering The Language Of Whisky

Whether you long for a dram, wish to savour a toddy, or tempt your taste buds with a sip of nectar, there is only one beverage which you can be referring to – whisky. The great history of whisky in Scotland dates back over thousands of years, and through the generations a language which is specific to the whisky industry, has been created.

Indecipherable to the some but extremely familiar to whisky aficionados, there are a wealth of words to describe actions and attributes of the distilling process, and for the “water of life” itself.

Mark Reynier, Chairman of The Whisky Coast offers explanations for just some of the mystical and magical phrases and unusual and unique words and terms, coined and utilised within the world of whisky production:

“Uisge beatha” - gaelic for “water of life” is the earliest recorded term used to describe what we now know as whisky. Through the centuries the word became “usky” before the abbreviated word Whisky was developed.

Scotch – Far from simply a word often used to describe whisky, legally a spirit can only be labelled Scotch if it has actually been produced in Scotland. You can be assured that any whisky which is called Scotch, has been created in Scotland and the tastes captured in the spirit will be directly reflective of where the whisky has been distilled. For example, a whisky produced on the west coast of Scotland will generally have a salty tang due to the coastal location of many of the distilleries in this area.

Whiskey – The word Whisky is often wrongly spelt with an ‘e’. The reasoning behind the two different spellings of the word can be attributed to geography. Whilst Scotch whisky is by far the most recognised and world renowned of the spirits, many other countries distil their own whiskies or whiskeys. Irish and the majority of American distillers insert the ‘e’, traditionally to differentiate their product from Scotch whisky.

Whilst distillers in Japan, Canada and India typically use the same spelling as Scotch whisky, as a result of historical connections with Scotland, Canadian and Indian distillers are believed to share the spelling due to the fact that they were part of the British Empire, whilst Japan’s first whisky distillers are thought to have been educated in the trade in Scotland.

Single Malt – The term refers to a whisky which comes from a single distillery as opposed to a spirit which is manufactured through a blend of whiskies from a number of distilleries. Single malt whisky is acknowledged as the finest quality of Scotch whisky products.

Dram – The Scottish term for a measure or a small glass of Scotch whisky.

“Middle Cut” also known as “Heart of the run” – This term refers to the only part of the distillate which will become whisky. In general, during the production process the spirit goes through two distillations. The first distillation, results in “low wines” spirit which has an alcohol content of 20-26 percent. The second distillation, known as the spirit run produces the desired spirit or “the heart of the run” which has an alcohol content of around 70 percent.

The Angel’s Share – During the ageing process a percentage of whisky is lost to the atmosphere, evaporating through the wood when stored in the cask. Every year 2% of all Scotch whisky that is being matured is lost through evaporation. The term Angel’s Share is used to describe the quantity of alcohol which is dispersed. It is imagined that the alcohol has not disappeared fruitlessly, but rather stolen and savoured by the Angels.

Factors such as temperature and the quality of the cask have an impact on the quantity of whisky which is dispersed in this process, but generally the older the whisky, the more alcohol is lost. For example, a 20 year old cask of whisky may have lost 40% of its original volume by the time it is bottled.

The Whisky Coast is a company formed through collaboration between sixteen distilleries, three tour companies, eighteen hotels, restaurants, golf courses and attractions on the West Coast of Scotland. The Whisky Coast aims to raise the profile of the West Coast as an area blessed with a high concentration of distilleries against the backdrop of a dramatic rugged coastline.

For more information on The Whisky Coast visit Whiskycoast.com.

To book a tour in the area visit Rabbies.com or Scotsell.com.