Craze for Scotch Whisky is natural : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Craze for Scotch Whisky is natural

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Despite umpteen varieties of Indian Made Foreign Liquor is made available in the country and in several states the craze for foreign whisky, especially, the Scotch Whisky has been phenomenal. With liberalization of excise rules and thereby allowing foreign brands to be sold in India, even middle-class people prefer them. There are variety of scotch brands now being sold in the country and in the state of Telangana. Simultaneously abuse of duty-free bottles acquisition has also been noticed often. Occasionally spurious foreign whisky brands are also in circulation despite enormous care taken by the governments.

Scotch whisky is malt whisky or grain whisky or a blend of the two made in Scotland. According to data available in 2018, there were as many as 133 Scotch whisky distilleries operating in Scotland. Though exact data is not available, more might have been added later. Law clearly specifies as to how to make Scotch whisky. Every Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. However, commercial distilleries began introducing whisky made from wheat and rye, a cereal plant that tolerates poor soils and low temperatures .

Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: single malt Scotch whisky, single grain Scotch whisky, blended malt Scotch whisky, blended grain Scotch whisky, and blended Scotch whisky.

Single malt Scotch must be distilled at a single distillery using a pot still distillation process and made from a mash of malted barley. Single Grain Scotch whisky means a Scotch whisky distilled at a single distillery but, in addition to water and malted barley, may involve whole grains of other malted or un-malted cereals. "Single grain" does not mean that only a single type of grain was used to produce the whisky, rather, the adjective "single" refers only to the use of a single distillery (and making a "single grain" requires using a mixture of grains, as barley is a type of grain and some malted barley must be used in all Scotch whisky). Whereas malt whisky is distilled as a batch process in pot stills, grain whisky can be distilled continuously in Continuous Stills or Column stills.

Blended malt Scotch whisky means a blend of two or more single malt Scotch whiskies from different distilleries. Blended grain Scotch whisky means a blend of two or more single grain Scotch whiskies from different distilleries. Blended Scotch whisky means a blend of one or more single malt Scotch whiskies with one or more single grain Scotch whiskies. The five Scotch whisky definitions are structured in such a way that the categories are mutually exclusive.

Scotland was traditionally divided into four regions namely, the Highlands, the Lowlands, the Isle of Islay, and Campbelltown. The Speyside area became the fifth, recognised by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) as a distinct region in 2014. The Highlands is by far the largest region in Scotland both in area and in whisky production. This massive area has over 30 distilleries on the mainland.

A whisky with an age statement is known as guaranteed-age whisky. A whisky without an age statement is known as a No-Age-Statement (NAS) whisky, the only guarantee being that all whisky contained in that bottle is at least three years old. The minimum bottling strength according to the regulation is 40% alcohol by volume.

The first written mention of Scotch whisky is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, 1495. John Cor was the distiller at Lindores Abbey in Newburgh, Fife, where, in October 2017, malt whisky production restarted for the first time in 522 years.

The main difference between scotch and whisky is geographic, but also ingredients and spellings. Scotch is whisky made in Scotland, while bourbon is whiskey made in the U.S.A, generally Kentucky. Scotch is made mostly from malted barley, while bourbon is distilled from corn. Whiskey made in India is known as Indian Made Foreign Liquor-IMFL.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest whisky in the world is believed to be a bottle of Glenavon Special Liqueur Whisky. Bottled by the Glenavon Distillery in Ballindalloch, Scotland, the exact age of the bottle of whisky is uncertain.

Coming to some popular brands of scotch whisky, Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch Whiskey which was first established by grocer John Walker. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world, sold in almost every country. John Walker a teetotaller, was selling spirits, including rum, brandy, gin, and whisky. They were sold as made-to-order whiskies, blended to meet specific customer requirements. After Walker's death his son and grandson the Alexander Walkers established the whisky as a favoured brand. Johnnie Walker's first commercial blend was called as Old Highland Whisky.

Now the Johnnie Walker brands that are available in market include, the Red Label (the best-selling scotch whiskey in the world since 1945), Black Label, Double Black Label, Green Label, Gold Label a blend of over 15 malts, Platinum Label now known as Aged 18 years, Blue Label and Johnnie Walker Swing.

Another popular brand is Chivas Regal, a blended scotch whiskey produced by Chivas Brothers. Chivas Regal has been the market-leading Scotch whisky in Europe and Asia Pacific. It is marketed in the names of Chivas Regal 12, Chivas Regal Extra, Chivas Regal 18, Chivas Regal 25, The Chivas Brothers’ Blend, Chivas Regal Ultis, Chivas Regal Mizunara, Chivas Regal the Icon and Chivas Regal XV.

Royal Salute scotch whisky was created in 1953 as a tribute to the British Monarchy. The first bottles were launched at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate that momentous occasion. The name takes inspiration from the 21 Gun Salute, a traditional sign of respect at special Royal occasions. Entrepreneur Sam Bronfman, loved royalty and wanted to create an extraordinary Scotch Whisky fit for a queen. And, that’s exactly what he did with Royal Salute, by selecting some of the rarest Scotch whiskies in the world and blending them to create a luxurious, distinctive spirit. There are Royal Salute 21-year-old, 38-year-old stone of destiny and 62 Gun Salute brands.

Glenfiddich is a single malt scotch whisky produced by William Grant and Sons in Scotland. Glenfiddich means "valley of the deer". Glenfiddich is the world's best-selling single-malt whisky and also the most awarded at the International Spirits Challenge. Glenfiddich is currently managed by the fifth generation of William Grant's descendants.

The Glenlivet distillery in Scotland produces single malt scotch whisky. It is the oldest legal distillery in the parish of Glenlivet.  It was founded in 1824 and has operated almost continuously since. The Glenlivet brand is the biggest selling single malt whisky in the United States and the second biggest selling single malt brand globally. Today, the distillery is owned by the French alcoholic beverages company Pernod Ricard.

Glenmorangie is a distillery in Scotland that produces single malt scotch whisky branded as Glenmorangie. This is categorised as a Highland distillery and the brand is available in Original, 18-, and 25-year-old bottlings, special cask bottlings, cask finishes, extra matured bottlings, and a range of special edition bottlings.

Another popular brand is Ballantine’s whose flavour is dependent on fingerprint malts. The brand has won many accolades and awards for its products. world's second highest selling scotch whisky. Ballantine's produces a range of seven expressions with various characteristics and age statements.

Amrut is an Indian brand and the first single malt whisky to be made in India. Amrut launched their whisky on 24 August 2004 in Glasgow. Amrut single malt whisky is sold in several countries. It is rated as the third best whiskey in the world. Hence craze is natural!