Single malt whiskey, the rating of which is the highest of all types of "water of life", since this type of drink is considered the highest quality, is prepared only on the basis of barley malt and water. There can be no other grains in the present “single malt”. Depending on the manufacturer, the drink can be double or triple distillation, it can withstand in barrels for 3 years or 20 years. Somewhere it is allowed to add dyes (for example, in the USA it is actually necessary), somewhere not.
The specifics of “single malt”
There are several dozen, if not hundreds, of brands and brands of single malt whiskey in the world. The traditional “water of life” regions, Ireland and Scotland, boast many years of tradition and streamlined production.
For example, Connemara Single Cask single malt Irish whiskey received 20 gold medals at international competitions, including the title of "best in the world" in 2008, 2009. However, other countries are not far behind them - a drink of this category is produced in the USA, Japan, Taiwan and some other countries.
Why single malt whiskey? Variety names contain the name of the distillery that produced the product, and in the case of "single malt" there are several meanings. And one of them is that it is a product of one distillery, and on it it is usually bottled. Sometimes a blend of several varieties of different years of aging is allowed.
The main components for it are barley malt and water. It is widely believed that “single malt,” as this category of drink is called in English, is the highest quality of all types.
In the classic recipe, distillation is carried out in special copper cubes only two times. Only a few Scottish distilleries have an officially confirmed right to distill thrice. Another rule for the preparation of this “single malt” is aging for at least three years, but many manufacturers, if not most, allow the drink to mature in barrels for much more time.
Single Malt Whiskey: WWA Rating (World Whiskies Award)
The World Whiskeys Award was launched by Whiskey Magazine. The WWA Jury includes journalists, producers and sellers of whiskey from around the world. It has been held since 2007 and annually makes a rating of the best drinks available.
In 2014, more than 300 varieties of the drink were offered to the jury, and the title of best was awarded in 10 categories. The winner in the category “The Best Single Malt Whiskey in the World - 2014” was the Sullivans Cove French Oak Cask, made in Tasmania. It is hard to imagine a bigger shock - all the more so since all previous years, starting from 2007, the title of the best jury alternately gave either Scottish or Japanese products.
Now Sullivans - single malt whiskey, whose rating soared "to heaven." Winners in other categories, divided in agreement with the producing country, are as follows.
Australia
Best Whiskey - Sullivans Cove French Oak Cask.
The first distillation cubes appeared here in the XIX century, but the whiskey industry began to develop actively only in the 90s of the XX century. However, already in 2008, one of the most famous experts in his field, the publisher of the Whiskey Bible, Jim Murray, assigned several Australian products a very high rating - more than 90 points out of 100 possible.
USA
Winner - Balcones Texas Single Malt.
In the United States, most of the product there is bourbon, which is considered the country's national drink. However, there are other types, for example, single malt whiskey, the rating and quality of which is no worse than the Scottish and Irish varieties. It is not surprising that the Balcones Texas Single Malt was recognized by WWA as the best American whiskey.
Asia
Best - Kavalan ex-Bourbon Oak, Taiwanese single malt whiskey. The names of the product, and before that plant, were given in honor of the Cavalan ethnic group of the same name, who once lived in the territory where the distillery is now located.
Europe
• In the category with unspecified exposure times, the winner is Slyrs PX Finishing.
• Exposure 12 years or less - Stauning Peated, 2nd Edition.
Ireland
This country is one of the traditional regions for the production of whiskey. Most varieties produced in Ireland are triple distilled. There are only three major manufacturers, including Old Bushmills Distillery, which is the oldest among licensed companies in the country. WWA has identified the following winners among Irish drinks:
• Connemara Peated Single Malt - the best single malt Irish whiskey in the category with unspecified aging time;
• aging 12 years or less - Bushmills 10 Years Old;
• holding time 13-20 years - Bushmills 16 Years Old;
• 21 years of aging and more - Teeling 21 Years Old.
Japan
In the Land of the Rising Sun, the first plant for the production of “water of life” appeared only in 1923, and to the present moment, the definition that is rightfully deserved by many other Japanese products is “high quality” is quite applicable to Japanese whiskey . The distillery products of this country are completely self-sufficient, and have their own unique brand. In the WWA ranking, the top positions were occupied by grades:
• Hakushu (in the category of drinks with unspecified exposure time);
• Miyagiko 12 Years Old Sherry & Sweet (exposure a dozen years or less);
• in the last two categories, Yamazaki won, 18 and 25 years of exposure, respectively.
South Africa - Three Ships 10 Years Old
Whiskey is very popular in South Africa, it produces its various varieties and species, including single malt, blended and others. The production of this drink on the continent began in the 19th century. Winner in 2014 - Three Ships 10 Years Old Whiskey.
Scotland
Scottish single malt whiskey appeared at the end of the XVIII century. Manufacturers of this country consider it useful to withstand whiskey in barrels from 8 to 15 years. It is believed that such a period is necessary for this drink to acquire a special taste and aroma.
Now there are six main areas of Scotch tape production in Scotland: highlands, plains, Isle of Isle, Campbeltown, islands, Speyside.
Highlands
Geographically, this is the largest area of tape production. It starts with the town of Wieck (in the northern part of the country) and ends with the Glengoyne distillery in the south. Nowadays, more than 30 distilleries operate in this region. Here is located Grlenturret, considered the oldest whiskey in Scotland. The region's distilleries are Royal Lochnagar (once honored with a visit to Queen Victoria), Tomatin (considered the largest in the country), Royal Brackla, Lochside and others.
Plain
It used to be a fairly large region for the production of adhesive tape. At the moment, there are only three distilleries: Auchentoshan (practicing triple distillation), Bladnoch (the southernmost distillery of the country), Glenkinchie.
Isle Island
Whiskey from the island's whiskeys is often described as smoky and medical. The proximity of the sea gives them their unique flavor, completely different from the scents of Scotch highlands or valleys. Here are the distilleries of Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Laphroaig and others.
Speyside
The area near the Spey River. The whiskeys of this region are known as malt scotch tape with a sweet taste. This is one of the production centers in the country, there is the largest number of distilleries. It used to be considered part of the highlands. There are distilleries Cardhu, Glenfiddich, The Macallan and others.
The islands
The district unites all the islands of the country on which adhesive tape is produced, with the exception of Aili - Arran, Mal, Jura, Orkney and Sky. The Scotch Whiskey Association considers these areas part of the highlands. Here are the distilleries of Arran, Jura, Highland Park, Scapa and others.
The 2014 WWA competition was won by Scottish single malt whiskeys of the following varieties (champions were determined in four categories separately for each of the five regions):
- Highlands - Glenmorangie Signet, Aberfeldy 12 Years Old, Tomatin 18 Years Old, and Aberfeldy 21 Years Old;
- Islands - Jura Turas Mara, The Arran Malt 10 Years Old, Tobermory 15 Years Old;
- Islay Island - Ardbeg Ardbog, Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old, Bunnahabhain 18 Years Old, another Bunnahabhain 25 Years Old, and Glenkinchie 12 Years Old Scotch;
- Speyside - Glenfiddich Rick Oak, Benromach 10 Years Old, Glenfiddich 15 Years Old Distillery Edition, The Glenlivet XXV;
- and finally Campbeltown - Longrow, Springbank 10 Years Old, Springbank 18 Years Old.
Gold Outstanding IWSC Competitions
IWSC is an international competition of alcoholic beverages, which is held every year since 1969. This is one of the most prestigious competitions in the world of alcohol, and it has one unique feature - each drink participating in the competition undergoes a mandatory technical analysis for compliance with EU standards. IWSC uses “blind tasting” - drinks are served by the jury in the same dish without any definitive signs in order to achieve maximum objectivity in the assessment.
IWSC awards several awards at various levels. The most honorable is Gold Outstanding, awarded to alcohol of exceptionally high quality and taste. It is these unique properties that the whiskey varieties listed below have.
The best single malt Scotch whiskey (the rating of this drink in the world is still high, despite the competition) was determined in several categories, which ultimately gave 18 names. The Gold Outstanding Award received Scotch tape, selected separately for each region. Among the winners are the products of the distilleries Glenfiddich, Bowmore, Laphroaig, Deanston and others.
Irish whiskey single malt. The rating includes only three products, and two from one distillery: Bushmills 10 and 16 years of aging and Teeling Vintage Reserve 30 years of aging.
Taiwan
In Taiwan, he is only one - Kavalan Single Malt Whiskey.
The plant was built by the King Car industrial group. The corporation itself was founded in 1965 and works in many areas - biotechnology, food, drinks. Her best-known brands are Mr. Brown and RTD Coffee, and now Kavalan. The first bottle of whiskey Kavalan factory released in 2008.
Classic single malt whiskey, whose rating so high thanks to IWSC, is made according to a complex recipe. Several types of barrels are used: fresh from sherry, from bourbon, and reusable barrels.
In addition, the Taiwanese product has one major advantage - thanks to the country's warm climate, whiskey ripens faster, and a three-year-old beverage can compete in taste and aroma with products of 8-15 years old from Scotland and Ireland.
In 2011, IWSC already awarded the Kavalan Single Malt Whiskey - then he received a gold medal. Jim Murray in his “Whiskey Bible” also did not ignore him - the high rating of such an expert is worth a lot and contributes to the well-deserved popularity of the drink.
How much do elite spirits cost?
How much will you have to pay for an elite whiskey, the winner of world competitions, in an average online store? For example, Connemara Peated Single Malt - single malt whiskey, the price for it ranges around 2000 rubles. It is unique in that it was the first product in modern history in the production of which peat-dried malt was used.
Taiwanese Kavalan Single Malt Whiskey sells for about 5,000 rubles. Scotch tape Laphroaig An Cuan Mor Single Malt Scotch Whiskey will cost connoisseurs from 5.5 thousand rubles. up to 7.5 thousand rubles. And the price of Japanese single malt whiskeys only makes it more attractive - after all, the winner of many competitions and the winner of the awards costs “only” about 60 thousand rubles.