Scotch, bourbon, Irish, Canadian and even Japanese whiskey ... All these drinks are related to each other. But the countries that produce them use different cooking technologies. The composition of whiskey is also different. How exactly? We will talk about this in our article. Many distillate lovers have noticed that, depending on the country of manufacture, whiskey has its own characteristic taste. Scotch is cocky and bourbon leaves a caramel aftertaste. Irish whiskey is soft, and Scotch is bitter. The brand of the drink also plays an important role. Sometimes the manufacturer uses very soft spring water. There are also those that filter the feed through blocks of peat. Barrel aging gives the drink not only strength. Wood gives it a certain aroma. It is important that the barrels are old and once contained other drinks. Then a bouquet of whiskey will be more complicated, more voluminous. Well, now consider the composition of drinks in more detail.
What determines the taste of whiskey
Unlike cognacs, where terroir, assemblage and blending are important, the drink we are considering is quite simple. It consists of only two elements - the base and water. As for the last, then everything is clear: the purer it will be, the softer the taste of the drink will turn out. The basis in each country is different, and it depends on the prevalence of cereals. For example, Scottish scotch tape is made from barley. This cereal is rich in starch, and therefore the fermentation process is faster. The composition of whiskey from Ireland, in addition to barley, includes rye. Thanks to her, the taste of the drink becomes soft and slightly bitter. The basis of American bourbon is corn with the addition of other cereals (mainly wheat). In addition, the technology for making whiskey in the United States is fundamentally different from the Scottish method. In America, grain is boiled with sugar, and then put on fermentation. In Canada, whiskey is made from wheat, rye and corn. In Japan, craftsmen manage to create a drink from millet and rice. Whiskey is made there according to Scottish technology. But since the raw materials are different, the taste of the drink is very different. And let's not forget that each distillery uses its own secret. Whether it consists of raw materials, water or technology - this will inevitably affect the characteristics of the drink.
Composition of Jack Daniels Whiskey
Well, now let's take a closer look at the contents of the most popular drinks. Let's start with the best-selling American Jack Daniels whiskey. The brand has been produced since 1975 in the state of Tennessee. Like all bourbons, Jack Daniels is made from corn, which accounts for 80 percent. Another 12% is rye, and 8% is barley. Everything else is spring water. But Jack Daniels is not bourbon. Distinguishes it from the American drink "Lincoln Technology." It consists in the fact that the whiskey is filtered through a three-meter layer of coal fired from maple. This company also produces a less strong (35 degrees, not 40) honey drink. Whiskey undergoes double cleaning through a charcoal filter. First - before filling the barrels, and then, four years later, before bottling. The composition of the Jack Daniels Honey whiskey, as you might guess, includes honey. This is evidenced by taste and aroma, and the bee is not on the label. Yes, and the name "Hani" means "honey." Ready aged whiskey “Jack Daniels Old No. 7” is mixed with liquor.
Composition of Red Label Whiskey
This is a typical Scottish scotch tape. It is made on the basis of barley. But the Scots produce two types of whiskey: monosortovaya and blended. "Red Label" refers to the latter. It consists of thirty-five varieties of alcohols. They are aged in barrels from three to five years. This whiskey is a budget drink. In its composition, the dye E 150a gives the drink the color of caramel.
Jamison Whiskey Composition
The homeland of this drink is Ireland. But the ancestor, the founder of the Jamison distillery was still a Scot. Therefore, the drink is not made from rye, but from barley. This is a monosort whiskey. Parts of barley arrange an artificial spring arrival. When the grain sprouts, the malting process is stopped by drying. Then they all fill in with pure spring water and leave to wander. Jamison whiskey includes non-sprouted barley. The founder of the distillery took from the Irish only one detail in the technology of preparing the drink. In his native Scotland, the malt was dried by smoke from burning peat. John Jamison abandoned this idea. Therefore, in his creation there is no smell of smoke characteristic of scotch tape. But there is the aroma of sherry. This is due to barrels in which the drink has been ripening for at least six years. Previously, they contained sherry.
Composition "Chivas Regal"
This brand is deservedly called the prince of Scottish scotch tape. Chivas Regal whiskey contains about forty single malt alcohols. They are all of different origin. Some varieties of barley are grown in the lowlands, others in the highlands, and others in the islands. But the "soul" of the Chivas Regal drink is the Strataila variety. Single malt alcohol has been produced in the picturesque town of Kate since 1786. At the distillery, the drink is aged twelve years. He himself is even visually different from other alcohols. It is heavier, oily, with a taste of eucalyptus and mint.
Nikka All Malt
Japanese drinks compared to Scottish and Irish are newfound upstarts. Which nevertheless managed to consolidate their position and even squeeze the world mastodons out of the market. Nikka is one of the oldest whiskey brands in Japan. He founded the company in the twenties of the last century, Masataka Taketsura. He traveled around Europe, studying the basics of distilling in Scotland and Ireland, and returned home with a fair amount of knowledge. However, Taketsura began to use the more common cereal in Japan - millet. It was also germinated, drained, poured malt with water and fermented. Some whiskey and rye are also added to the whiskey.