In the 2005 Forbes List of the World's Top 100 Luxury Brands, Jonnie Walker, the "Model of Scotch Whisky," ranked twelfth, making it the world's top whisky. Its classic symbol is a figure that walks forward on crutches, with an enterprising spirit of optimism, persistence and never giving up.
Johnny was awarded the full range
Today, we're going to talk to fans about Whisky in Scotland.
1. What is Scotch whisky?
Before we talk about Scotch whisky, I would like to ask fans to pay attention to the definition of Scotch whisky. The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 clearly state that Whisky in Scotland must:
Brewed from water, yeast, sprouted barley, or other kinds of grains;
Brewling, fermentation, distillation and maturation in wineries in Scotland;
The alcohol content obtained after distillation must be below 94.8 degrees;
must be aged for at least 3 years in a bonded warehouse or in oak barrels "at a permitted location";
The capacity of the cured oak barrels must not exceed 700 liters;
Colour, aroma and taste from raw materials, processing and maturation processes need to be preserved;
The use of additions other than caramel for water and wine is not permitted;
Bottled whiskies should have an alcohol content of more than 40 degrees.
Rye: Rye, Barley: Barley, Corn: Corn
In summary, the whiskies we drink are not only made from barley malt, but may also be made from oats, wheat, rye malt, or corn. However, Scotch whisky is geographically limited and all craft brewing must be done within Scotland.
2. The history of Scotch whisky
The origin of the water of life. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, Scotch whisky was developed from a drink called "Uisge Beatha" (meaning "water of life").
The popularization of whisky. The earliest documentation of Scotch whisky is in 1494, when friar John Corr, a Catholic friar, at the request of the King of England, procured eight cases of malt to brew the first Scotch whisky on the Scottish isle of Ere. At that time, the purchase contract granted by the King of England became the earliest written record of Scotch whisky today. In the 1830s and 1840s, Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in England and dispersed the monks who specialized in whisky to the general public. This allowed whisky-making techniques to spread out of monasteries and among the general population.
Whisky is taxed. After the Union Act of 1707 declared Scotland to belong to England, the United Kingdom began to tax whisky, a policy that led many winemakers to go into hiding and even flee to remote mountain areas to brew private wines.
The European grape phylloxera almost destroyed the wine, but made it a whisky. In 1880, the devastating outbreak of grape phyllosa aphid disease in Europe spread to many countries and nearly destroyed all the vines. At that time, the international wine market was a desolate and desolate scene, which made whisky get a lot of attention.
Prohibition hit American spirits hard, but ushered in a boom in Scotch whisky. In 1920, Prohibition was imposed, and American spirits were severely damaged. With no alcohol to drink, many Americans will turn their attention to foreign spirits. Many wine merchants have taken advantage of the loopholes in the Prohibition Act to bring Scotch whisky to the United States for medicinal purposes. The surge in American demand for Scotch whisky has led to the rapid development of Scotch whisky.
The first bottle of Scottish single malt whisky was born. In 1963, Glenfiddich Single Malt Whisky was introduced to the market. As competition between whisky distilleries intensifies, it has become increasingly difficult to tap into the market for single malt whiskies. It wasn't until 1963 that the single malt whisky market picked up, but much of it was still used as a raw material for blended whiskies, supplied to companies specializing in blended whiskies, rather than being sold directly. In 1963, William Grant & Sons pioneered the first single malt whisky, Glenfiddich.
Graffiti 14 years single malt whisky
3. Scotland's five major whisky regions
Map of Scotch whisky sub-regions
(1) Spencer
The Speyser region is home to three of the world's best-selling Scottish single malt whisky brands: Macallan, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet. The Glenwitt Distillery was the first distillery to legalize operation here, and its founder, George Smith, was also the first licensed businessman in the area.
In the north of Scotland, there is a river called the Spey River, and the Spey River basin has created the richest land in the north of Scotland. This belt has everything you need to produce whisky: moist air, clean water... Currently, half of Scotland's wineries are built here, with more than 50.
McAllen's brilliant single malt whisky
Spencer's prosperity is attributed to the invention of blended whisky. In order to ensure a stable source of raw materials for blended whiskies, major manufacturers have invested heavily in distilleries or invested in the construction of new ones. In this case, the winery often considers whether the resulting whisky can be perfectly integrated with whiskies from other factories.
(2) Highlands
Highland is the largest of all production areas, and it can also be divided into four districts, such as the Northern Highlands, the Western Highlands, the Eastern Highlands, and the Midlands. Its undulating terrain and harsh climate create a strongly individualized whisky product. However, given the large size of the area and the scattered distribution of distilleries in the area, it is not easy to clearly summarize the characteristics of Highland whisky, and some distilleries located on the windward side of the West Coast or on the very northern seashore produce a particularly spicy taste of whisky.
Common brands in Highlands are: Dalwhinnie, Dalmore, Glenmorangie, Ben Nevis, Oban and so on.
Damo Aurora 45 years single malt whisky
(3) Isla Are
Islay is the mecca for whisky today. Peat is abundant here, so whiskies in the region generally exude a strong peat flavor.
Common whisky brands in the region are Bowmore, Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagvulin and more.
Lee & Fur 1999 Whisky
(4) Campbellton
Campbeltown is rich in barley and peat, making it ideal for whisky production. Campbellton was once a thriving, benchmark region in the industry that could compete with Spencer, but due to excessive caterering to market demand, the region began to mass-produce whisky, which eventually led to an overall decline in the quality of production. The more than thirty distilleries of that year shrank to three now, one of which is still not open to the public. However, the few whiskies that remain, with a heavy body and a hint of saltiness of seawater, are loved by many whisky people.
Representative brands in the region include Springbank and Glen Scotia.
Genting Whisky Distillery
(5) Lowlands
Distilleries in the Lowland have been very few, and their number has further declined in recent years. This area is not blown by strong winds like the highlands, and there are few peat swamps. Therefore, the whiskies brewed here generally have a soft plant aroma, like a gentle and delicate woman. Due to the low terrain and abundant farming in the area, many large grain whisky distilleries are located here.
Common lowland whisky brands are mainly from three distilleries, namely Auchentoshan and Bladnoch.
Oakent House Single Malt Whisky
4. Illustration of the flavor of whisky in various regions of Scotland
5. Classification of Scotch whiskies
According to the Scotch Whisky Code, whiskies in the region can be divided into 5 main categories. Two of these categories are "single" types of whiskies. The single reference here is "the same distillery".
(1) Single malt Scotch whisky. This refers to whisky obtained through one or more batches of distillation at the same distillery. It uses only sprouting big sellers as raw materials, and only uses a pot distiller.
(2) Single grain Scotch whisky. Single grain Scotch whisky is a whisky obtained through one or more batches of distillation at the same distillation distillery. It uses cereals such as wheat and corn as raw materials.
Scotch whisky includes three blended whiskies.
(3) Reconcile Scotch whisky. It refers to one or more single-wheat Scotch whiskies, blended with one or more single grain Scotch whiskies. This type of whisky is more common.
Ballantine Scottish blended whisky
(4) Blend malt Scotch whisky. Refers to the blending of two or more single-wheat Scotch whiskies produced by different distilleries. Previously, this whisky was once called "Vatted Scotch Whiskies" by consumers, and there are not many whiskies named after it. The most common whiskies of this type are William Grant's Monkey Shoulder, Flaming Heart, Peat Monster, etc.
(5) Blend grain Scotch whisky. It refers to a mixture of two or more single grain Scotch whiskies produced by different distilleries. This whisky is uncommon, but is better known for compass box hedonism whisky.
The classification is detailed in the figure below.
6. The influence of wooden barrels on the flavor of whisky
After distillation, Scotch whiskies are matured in oak barrels for 3 years, and these whiskies are matured in barrels such as Sherry, Bourbonton, Potter and so on. Unlike American bourbon, Scotch whiskies are never aged in new oak barrels.
The ripening of whisky in wooden barrels will give whisky chocolate, vanilla, nuts and other fragrant aromas, mixed with the whisky's own inherent grain and peat aromas, forming a complex and fascinating multi-layered flavor.
During the barrel maturation process, about 2% of the whiskey evaporates every year, and this part of the wine is called "angel's enjoyment". Whiskies aged in different environments vary in alcohol content, but are eventually blended to 40 degrees before being bottled and sold.
On the far right is the standard bourbon barrel, which generally has a capacity of 200 to 220 liters, and the leftmost standard sherry barrel, which usually has a capacity of 500 liters.
7. Market performance of Scotch whisky
(1) Out of every 3 bottles of Scotch whisky, 2 bottles are blended whiskies, with single malt whiskies leading the growth
Blended whiskies dominate global spirits, with two bottles of blended whisky out of every three bottles of Scotch, which captures the hearts of most customers around the world with its soft taste, low cost and gorgeous packaging.
Single malt whisky flourishes. Exports of Scotland's single malt whisky increased by 14% year-on-year to £1.17 billion in 2017, the second consecutive year that single malt exports exceeded £1 billion, reflecting the trend of preferential treatment of quality products in the global market.
(2) The chinese market has great potential for whisky consumption
The EU continues to be the largest exporter of Scotch whisky, accounting for 32% of the total value of goods in 2017; the North American market is second with 25%; and Asia is third, accounting for 20%.
In an annual report on Scotch whisky exports to China published in July 2016, the Scotch Whisky Association noted that although the total amount of Scotch whisky exported directly to China was only £41 million, ranking 20th in the world. However, the value of Scotch whisky exported indirectly to China through other countries may be even greater (e.g. in 2015, scotch whisky exports totaled more than £200 million, with a significant portion of which was re-exported from Singapore to China).
According to statistics, China consumed a total of 13 million bottles of Scotch whisky in 2015, but this figure is insignificant for the 14 billion bottles of the entire Chinese spirits market in 2015. This also shows that Scotch whisky's share of China's consumer market has a lot of room to expand.
8. Summary: Why is Scotch whisky famous all over the world?
(1) Historical opportunities. In addition to the innate development of pregnancy, historical events such as European phylloxera disease and Prohibition in the United States have made Scotch whisky an opportunity for rapid development.
(2) Superior geographical conditions. The environment of Scotland's famous whisky production area is very suitable for the growth of crops such as barley. Some wineries are close to the coast or have peat deposits, giving whiskies a charming salty or peat flavor. Quality water source – Scotland is rich in high-quality mineral water. This provides a good basis for the dilution and blending of the wine, resulting in a wide variety of Scotch whiskies, such as blended Scotch whiskies.
(3) The promotion effect of big brands. The popularity of Johnnie Ginja Scotch whisky around the world has made more people pay attention to Scotch whisky. It is not only Scotland's best-selling whisky brand, but also the world's largest producer of Scotch whisky.
(4) The success of single malt whisky. The birth of the first bottle of single malt whisky in 1963 established Scotch whisky's supremacy in the single malt world. McAllen Whisky's single malt whisky has swept almost all of the list in the global auction market. It is known for its high-end single malt whisky and is being chased by collectors and investors around the world. From the politician Fujia to the common people, it is its wine powder.
On May 18, 2018, two bottles of McAllen's rare single malt whisky fetched a high price of 13.55 million yuan! In the world's top 10 most expensive whiskies, Scotland's single malt whisky accounts for as many as 9 types! It can be seen that Scotch whisky can be famous all over the world, and the success of single malt whisky is indispensable.