WHISKEY

Whiskey is a type of beverage that is alcoholic and is made from grain mash that is

fermented or distilled beer. The word whiskey comes from the Gailec term uisge, a

shortened version of uisge beatha which means "water of life,". Whiskey is also known as

aqua vitae in Latin. In general, whiskey features a grainy, woody, oaky taste with notes of

caramel, vanilla, fruits, and spice. Some whiskeys have a harsh alcohol burn while others are

exceptionally smooth (Filippone, PT, 2019).

INGREDIENTS:

Whiskey has three main ingredients namely water, barley or any type of grain and

yeast. The kind of grain that is used will vary the kind of whiskey that will be produced.

However, all types of whiskey needed a small amount of malted barley for its fermentation

process (Stiver, S., 2019).

METHODS OF PRODUCTION:

According to Shawnna Stiver, the manufacturing process for whiskey typically

includes five simple steps. First is the malting of the grain. All grains, with the exception of

barley are ground into meal in a gristmill. The meal is mixed with water and cooked to break

down the cellulose walls that contain starch granules. The first step of malting barley is to

soak it in water until it’s saturated. It gets spread out and sprinkled with water for about three

weeks until it begins to sprout. Second is the mashing. It is when you mix cooked grain with

malted barley and warm water. The amylase converts the starch into sugars. After several

hours of mashing, you get a thick, sugar-rich liquid known as mash. Third is fermenting.

Once the mash has cooled, it is transferred into large tanks or the fermentation vessels to

begin the fermenting process. These can be closed just like in or open just like in the

America. Yeast is added and turns the sugars present into alcohol. Fermentation usually takes
about 48 hours, however, some distilleries will let it go longer in order to create differing

taste characteristics. After the fermentation is distilling. Modern distilleries often use a

continuous still. There is a tall cylindrical column with perforated plates. Steam enters the

still from the bottom and the distiller’s beer enters from the top. The beer is distilled by

slowly dripping through the plates, and alcohol is condensed back into a liquid. The initial

distilling produces “low wine,” which is unusable in its current state. It gets distilled a second

time to produce “high wine” or new whiskey which is 70 percent alcohol. The temperature at

which the liquid is distilled determines the proportions of water, alcohol and congeners. Last,

is the aging. Once again, water is a key ingredient in the rest of the manufacturing process.

After the high wine is distilled, water is added to reduce the alcohol content down to either

50-60 percent for American whiskeys or 65 percent or higher for Scotch whiskies. American

whiskeys are aged in warmer, drier conditions so they lose water and increase alcohol

content. Scotch whiskies are aged in cool, wet conditions so they absorb water and become

less alcoholic. Whiskey is then aged in wooden barrels, typically made from charred white

oak. White oak is the preferred wood because it can hold a liquid without leaking and it also

allows the water to move back and forth within the pores of the wood, adding flavor to the

whiskey. Maturation for whiskey takes at least two to four years but many whiskeys are aged

for 10 or 15 years. During each year of maturation, about 2 percent of the spirit is lost as a

result of natural evaporation.

COUNTRIES OF PRODUCTION:

There are a lot of countries that produces whiskey. According to last March 2019

survey, here are the top whiskey producing countries of the whole world:

Germany
 The production of German-made whiskey started just last 30 years ago. German

whiskeys are of various styles like single malts, blends, and bourbon.

Taiwan

Taiwan has only one whiskey distillery called Kavalan which has the capacity of at

least 9 million bottles a year.. Kavalan Distillery is owned by the King Car Group and is

located at Yuanshan Township, Yilan County, Taiwan.

Finland

Finnish whiskey was first produced in 1981 at the Koskenkorva alcohol distillery in

Ilmajoki, Finland. Koskenkorva alcohol distillery is run by the state-owned alcohol monopoly

Alko. In 2018, Finland produced 1.9 Million Liters whiskey and exported 6.78 Million Euros

worth of whiskeys.

Australia

All of Australia`s modern distilleries have been established since 1992, and the most

prominent distillers can be found on the beautiful island of Tasmania, off the southern coast

of Victoria. Australian whiskey has a distinctive taste all its own, resulting from the flavorful

quirks provided by its abundant and unusual landscape. According to Luke Summers’ from

worldwhisky.com, Australia currently has 26 whiskey distilleries, with the most prominent

producers being found in Tasmania.

India

Indian whiskey sells over 120 million cases. To enhance their flavor, many of the

Indian locally made whiskeys use the dressing of Scotch whiskey. India produced 3468.4

Million Liters of Whisky in 2018 and they are believed to be emerging as the fastest growing

global center for whiskey production.

Canada produces over 21 million cases of whiskey. Canada houses about 30

distilleries around the country producing 54.2 Million liters of Whisky. Canadian whiskey is

noted for its light and smooth style, and most of it is blended.

Japan

Japan produces around 94.5 million liters per year and is the fourth biggest whiskey

producer in the world. Japan distills its whiskey twice, in copper pot stills, and it recognizes

the very important role that oak plays in the maturation of the spirit.

Ireland

In 2018, Ireland produced 8.9 Million Liters of Whisky. The use of peat is rare in the

malting process, which means that Irish whiskey has a smoother finish as opposed to the

smoky, earthy overtones common to some Scotches. Ireland currently only has seven

distilleries in operation and three of these are newcomers with no established products in the

market yet.

USA

The USA produces approximately 37 million cases of whiskey each year in 129

distilleries. Jack Daniels and Jim Beam are the two most famous American whiskeys. The

USA clocked 477.4 Million liters in net whiskey production in 2018.

Scotland

Scotland shelters about 97 distilleries and has several different regions producing 700

million liters of whiskey per year. Principal whiskey-producing areas include Speyside and

the Isle of Islay, where there are eight distilleries providing a major source of employment. In
many places, the industry is closely linked to tourism, with many distilleries also functioning

as attractions worth £30 million GVA each year.

DIFFERENCE OF WHISKEY FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES:

1. United States of America.

There are a lot of small but growing numbers of distillers in America of single malts

which is made solely from malted barley or malted wheat. Their most popular

whiskey is the bourbon and rye. After bourbon makers use the barrels, they’re often

sold and shipped to other whiskey, wine, and beer producers. The barrels hold other

liquid and impart a bit of bourbon flavor to everything they touch. Rye on the other

hand is made up with 51 percent rye grains. This was the predominate whiskey in

early America when more states in the Northeast grew rye, but it fell off in popularity.

It’s seeing renewed interest thanks to bartenders. The taste is spicier and less sweet

than bourbon, and it is ideal for cocktails.

2. Scotland

Scotland’s signature spirit has a reputation as a serious drink. While that’s true in

some cases, it’s much more diverse than that — something that’s evident if you ever

get the chance to visit Scotland’s best distilleries. The major Scotch-producing

regions are the Highlands, Speyside, the Lowlands, the Islands, and Islay. The latter

get a lot of attention for big, peaty single malts like Lagavulin and Laphroaig. Other

regions vary in peat levels, and some traditionally produce whisky with no peat

characteristic at all.

3. Ireland

Ireland is, by some accounts, the oldest whiskey producing country in the world.

Today, it’s also one of the fastest growing, with new distilleries opening up every

year. To qualify as Irish whiskey, it has to be made with malted or unmalted barley
 and aged in Ireland in oak barrels (often old bourbon barrels) for a minimum of three

years. The taste is generally on the lighter side though there are Irish whiskeys out

there with deeper chocolate and toffee notes. If you know only one thing about Irish

whiskey, it’s probably Jameson. The brand makes solid whiskeys and has a few

experimental releases, but there are lots of notable Irish whiskeys out there besides

Jameson if you really want to know the style. The best are made in a single pot still,

and whiskey companies new and old are experimenting with different barrel aging

techniques and single malting styles, so there’s always something new to try.

4. Japan

Japanese whisky is one of the trendiest options recently, leading to scarcity and high

prices. Unlike many things in this world, however, the product matches the hype.

Japanese whisky is most similar to Scotch in that there’s a range of light and fruity

whiskies to heavily peated options. The earliest notable whisky producers in Japan

also learned how to distill and age in Scotland. It started making waves in the whiskey

world around 2014, when the Yamazaki Sherry Cask was named the whisky of the

year in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. Today, two distillers, Nikka and Suntory, control

the vast majority of whisky production in the country. The best way to taste Japanese

whisky is to visit Japan’s best distilleries.

Japanese whisky lacks the strict legal definitions of bourbon and Scotch. Basically, it

just has to be made in Japan to qualify. You’ll find whisky that’s aged in casks made

from rare Mizunara oak alongside whiskies aged in ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry

casks. The main consistency from bottle to bottle is that Japanese whisky is

consistently good.

5. India
 When it comes to volume, no one can compete with how much whiskey is consumed

in India. Seven of the top 10 most-sold whiskeys are Indian brands, according to

numbers from Forbes. Only, you’re not likely to see many of the brands in Europe or

the US. Many of the top sellers are a mix of grain spirits and liquor distilled from

sugar or molasses. A new crop of Indian whisky producers is looking to change that

perception and show what the country is capable of, however, with all-grain single

malts comparable to those produced in Scotland. In terms of taste, Indian whisky

varies widely. Some, like those put out by Paul John, are peaty, while others, like

from Rampur, have spice and dark fruit notes.

6. Australia

The first distillery in the country opened in 1992, but Australia’s whiskey industry

really got going in the early 2000s. Today there are a number of producers down

under that are making award-winning whiskies, including Sullivans Cove’s 2014 win

for World’s Best Single Malt — the only win for a distillery not in Scotland or Japan.

The heart of Australian whisky is Tasmania where more than 30 distilleries are

located. The best Tasmanian distilleries use Australian barley and local peat for a

smoky flavor. While Australian whiskies are loved among whiskey nerds, they can be

hard to get outside of Australia.

IRISH WHISKEY INDUSTRY:

The exact origins of whiskey are widely debated, but it has been suggested that Irish

monks may have picked up the skills of distilling perfumes while on trips to the

Mediterranean during the 11th century. Producing Irish whiskey evolved from a local pastime
into an industry in 1608, when Northern Ireland’s Old Bushmills Distillery became the

world’s first licensed whiskey distillery.

Scotland soon caught up with and outproduced the Irish distilleries, especially after

the introduction of the column still there in 1831, which enabled quicker and easier

production of larger quantities. Despite this dominance, Irish whiskey made from a mix of

malted and unmalted barley in a pot still continued to grow in popularity. By the beginning of

the 20th century, it was the most widely consumed whiskey type in the United States.

The Irish War of Independence and prohibition in the United States greatly impacted

the Irish whiskey industry, cutting off access to the two major markets of the UK and the US

respectively. Whiskey production in the country went into decline, leaving only a few

distilleries open. In 1966, John Jameson merged his business with Cork Distillers and John

Powers, forming the umbrella Irish Distillers Group. Ten years later, the New Midleton

Distillery opened in Cork, where much of Irish whiskey is now made.

Irish Distillers was bought by the French distillers Pernod Ricard in 1988, and since

then the popularity of Irish whiskey has soared. Ireland exported more than 7 million cases of

whiskey in 2015, an increase of one million on the previous year. Market forecasts predict

that number will grow to more than 10 million cases a year by 2019. New independent

distilleries are also opening all across Ireland, include Dublin’s Teeling factory, the first

distillery to open in the city in over 125 years.

Irish whiskey has a smoother finish as opposed to the smoky, earthy overtones

common to Scotch whisky due in part to peating. Peat is rarely used in the malting process

outside of Scotland. There are notable exceptions to these rules in both countries. Examples

include Connemara peated Irish malt (double distilled) whiskey from the Cooley Distillery in

Riverstown, Cooley, County Louth; Pearse Whiskey from Pearse Lyons Distillery, Dublin;
Dunville's peated from Echlinville Distillery, Kircubbin, County Down; and the as yet

unreleased whiskey from Waterford Distillery.

In the early 1800s, Ireland was the largest spirit market in the United Kingdom, with

demand for spirit exceeding that of more populous England. Therefore, as capacities

expanded, Ireland became the largest producer of spirits in the United Kingdom; and Dublin,

then the largest market for spirits in Ireland, emerged as a major distilling centre. By 1823,

Dublin boasted the five largest licensed distilleries in the country. At their peak, the

distilleries in Dublin would grow to become the largest in the world, with a combined output

of almost 10 million gallons per annum, the largest of which, Roe's Thomas Street Distillery,

had an output exceeding 2 million gallons per annum. By 1878, the reputation of Dublin

whiskey was such that Distillers Company Ltd., a Scottish distilling firm, having built a

distillery in Dublin, claimed that Dublin whiskey could sell for a 25% premium over other

Irish whiskeys, and that it had a demand five times that of Scotch at the time. Although these

figures are likely inflated, they give an indication of the esteem in which Dublin whiskey was

held, even by Scottish distillers. During this period, the four largest Dublin distilling firms, of

John Jameson, William Jameson, John Powers and George Roe (all family-run, and

collectively known as the "Big Four") came to dominate the Irish distilling landscape. The

chief output of these distilleries, known as single or "pure pot still" whiskey, was made from

a mix of malted and unmalted barley, and solely distilled in pot stills. The style, having

initially emerged as a means of avoiding a 1785 tax on malt, endured although the tax had

been later repealed. In fact, even by the late 1880s, only two of Ireland's then 28 existing

distilleries were producing single malt whiskey, the rest steadfast in their devotion to "pure

pot still”.
 In this period, when Irish whiskey was at its zenith, it would have been difficult to

imagine that Scotch, then produced by small-scale producers and almost unheard of outside

of Scotland, would soon become the world's preeminent drink, while Irish whiskey, then the

world's most popular whiskey, would enter a century of decline, culminating with all of

Dublin's great distilleries shutting their doors. By the late 20th century, the once-popular pure

pot still whiskey had almost disappeared entirely, with only two specialist bottlings, Green

Spot and Redbreast remaining in existence. However, since 2010, several new single pot

whiskeys have been launched.

If you like a good comeback story, you’ll love Irish Whiskey. To start, Irish Whiskey

has been around for a long time. Distilling was brought over by monks in 600 AD, and by

1405, the first mention of Irish Whiskey was documented. It is one of the oldest Spirits in all

of Europe.

There are 3 different types of Irish Whiskey: single pot still, single malt, and single

grain. Great investment in the industry led to a huge surge in production in the late 18th

century. In 1790 there were over 200 licensed distilleries in Ireland, not to mention the

estimated 2,000-20,000 unlicensed distillers at the time.

A series of events led to the industry’s downfall. Most notably Prohibition in 1919.

Irish Whiskey took a near lethal blow, leaving only two distilleries: Bushmills, and Midleton,

which were soon consolidated by Whiskey behemoth Irish Distillers, who took over the

industry. But in the late 1980’s, through several acquisitions, mergers, and branding

strategies, Irish Whiskey made a comeback.

After decades of being eclipsed by Scotch and American Whisk(e)y Industries, Irish

Whiskey experienced a new surge in the industry, with a constant influx of new brands and

distilleries.
WATERFORD DISTILLERY:

Waterford Distillery launches its 1st Cuvee: Pilgrimage at its on-site open day event

last 25 April 2020. Ireland's Waterford Distillery has released the country's first certified

organic single malt whisky. It is an Irish whisky distillery where they believe in the unique

taste of terroir – how the type of barley, the specific soil and location where it grows can

enhance the flavour of any spirit.

Waterford Distillery is among a new crop of independent spirits makers that is

transforming a sleepy business previously dominated by a handful of giant multinational

companies.

The brand - which calls itself 'barley forward and terroir driven' - has launched

Organic: Gaia 1.1 as part of its new Arcadian series, a provenance-driven range of Irish

whiskies made form organic, biodynamic and heritage grains. It is designed as a continuation

of Waterford's exploration of how microclimates and soil types affect barley growth and the

flavours of the resulting whisky.

Quality has improved too, but no one has yet tried to do anything on the scale of what

Mark Reynier and his Renegade Spirits company are creating in Waterford. In addition to

making a whiskey that is single-malt (which means all of the spirit comes from a single type

of grain, created in a single distillery), Waterford Distillery also is making whiskeys that are

single-farm — all of the grain used comes from individual small holdings.

Waterford Distillery founder and CEO Mark Reynier said: "At Waterford, we have

placed barley - where and how it is grown - at the heart of what we do, curious about where

the real whisky flavour may be found.

"A natural progression of this philosophy is to see what not only single-farm origins

can accomplish but what organically grown barley can do when it is given the right platform.
Compliance for organic status is not straight-forward by any means - there are a lot of hoops

to jump through, deep cleaning regimens, audits and assessments to undergo. So, is it worth

it? We certainly think so - what we lose in yield and hair pulling we gain in purity and

definition of flavour.”

Unlike wine, where the differences between grapes trump all else, most of the

differences in these drinks come from the soil. Since the 1950s, most Irish barley strains are

so similar genetically due to standardized breeding that their effect on the taste of the

whiskey is minimal, says Waterford’s head distiller, Ned Gahan. To investigate this further,

he is planning future releases based on heritage strains of barley, including one from before

the turn of the last century.

So far in 2020, Waterford has released 13 bottlings from six farms, including four

exclusively for the United States. Another five are planned before the end of the year. The

four American-only releases crossed the Atlantic in late September — three from single

farms and the fourth an organic blend called Gaia that was just named Irish organic product

of the year.

These whiskeys are produced in extremely limited amounts, most around only 10,000

bottles and some as little as 1,500 bottles. (By comparison, industry heavyweight Jameson

sells more than 6 million bottles a year.)

This is a product designed for the whiskey aficionado, not the casual tippler, and it

sells out quickly. You can find these whiskeys at some specialty Southern California spirits

retailers or through the distillery’s importer, Glass Revolution.

Each bottle comes with a specific code that allows you to connect on the distillery

website and savor enough background information to satisfy the most ardent nerd.
 The differences are even more obvious before the mellowing effects of the wood have

been added. Trying two base spirits from different farms, one grown on stony soil, the other

on rich loam, is almost like tasting two different beverages. The first is citrusy, smelling and

tasting like a very good grappa. The other is warmer, almost autumnal. Gahan, a burly Irish

farm boy, says the smell reminds him of just-turned soil in a spring field.

Waterford is far from the only new distillery in Ireland. The entire industry is

experiencing a long-overdue rebirth. Just 10 years ago, Ireland had only four distilleries,

owned by international drinks giants such as Casa Cuervo and Pernod-Ricard. These whiskey

makers churned out dozens of different brands ranging from headache-inducing plonk to

venerable greats such as Redbreast and Jameson.

REFERENCE:

1. Filippone, Peggy Trowbridge. What Is Whiskey. 29 Nov. 2019,

www.thespruceeats.com/history-of-whisky-1807685. Accessed 13 Feb. 2021.

2. Stiver, S., 2019. How whiskey is made: water a key whiskey ingredient. Sept. 9, 2019.

https://www.rackhousewhiskeyclub.com/blogs/blog/how-whiskey-is-made-water-a-

key-whiskey-ingredient

3.