The Best of Whiskey: Taste Of The Scots.

 The question of which is the best or better whiskey (or "whisky" as the Scots spell it) is well guessed to be a question for professional tasters. I have to admit, to someone as bland as myself, it should be as clear as morning which is the best (that'd be bourbon, thank you very much). This tug for the adoration and the palates for whiskey enthusiasts goes beyond the preferences of a would-be spirit connoisseur and calls for the accounting of nuances.For those of you (philistines) who are not familiar with whiskeys and the distinctions between, say, classless spirits such as vodkas and a beer, for a alcohol to be said to be a whiskey it must satisfy the following-

• It must be made from fermented grain mash.
• It must have barley in its grain bill.
• It must be aged in wooden casks made from charred white oak.

Of course these are the bear minimum requirements for it to be called a whiskey but there is the question of the proof and alcohol percentile content after distillation and when the whiskey enter the cask. But after all things are considered, the above mentioned criteria should satisfy the classification for an alcohol to be said to be a whiskey.

Okay, so which is the better whiskey?

The Scots claim that the better whiskey is theirs, Scotch Whisky, and you might be obliged to give them the honor of Masters of uisge-beatha, "The Water of Life" on the bases of history and therefore character, having pioneered and defined the category of drink but what of the content and substance of their spirit. To really make the case for  Scotch whisky, you have to single out the best in the four Scottish regions. Some view Speyside as the best of the Scots. This could be because of the popularity of Highland whisky and Speyside is north easterly in mainland. But it's more likely that Speyside of sort of the production center of the Scottish whisky industry. If Scotland is to contend thoroughly for the crown of the best whisky, we'd have to look at the islands east of the mainland. More specifically we'd have to look at Islay, the Ember Republic.

It's said that the Celts came from beyond the mist of the sea to the bays of Islay with the magic of distillation and from there onward the Scots fell in love with the art and drink. Whatever romantic story one prescribes to, there is no denying the distinctiveness of Islay whisky. The difference is no more present than in the smokiness of the drink owed to the inclusion of peat, lending a salty subtlety to it only made and found in those isles whiskies. The better known of those would be in the southern coast of the isle, not far from Port Ellen Distillery, the big three distilleries of Ileach; Ardbeg, Lagavulin and of course Laphroaig. It is with these whiskies that you find an obvious peated attribute which is imparted into the barley during malting by offering the peat when it is dry.  

If you had to sample the best that Islay has to offer, a Laphroaig Quarter Cask is a god place to start. Aged in standard sized bourbon barrels for five years, it's punctuated in barrels a quarter the size for an additional seven months. This is done not a theoretical bases that the additional aging process will further add to the flavour. Usually a gamble like this results in a harsher whisky but Laphroaig nails it producing a young, vibrant, downright exciting dram with that vanilla-toffee sweetness from the bourbon barrels. It is a inexpensive buy but it is still a quality scotch whisky for those of us limited to a bottle. It definitely a joy to drink.

It's for sure that Islay whisky is a special thing. It's more than just a industry... It's part and parcel of the land. The very air, water, soil lands itself to the whiskies and that makes it a winner, at least in that sense.

If you want to learn more about whiskeys, click on the books below to get schooled.

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