Why should one go on a scotland whisky trail

Whenever you think of Scotland whisky is the very first thing that comes to mind. Apart from the breathtaking surroundings, rolling hills as well as beautiful winding roads, whisky is actually what makes Scotland so well-known. The famous Scotch whisky originates from Scotland. Actually so synonymous has good whisky become with Scotch that in England if you ask for a whisky you will be inevitably handed a Scotch if you don’t specify otherwise.

You will find five main categories of Scotch. These categories tend to be single malts, single grain Scotch, blended grain whisky, blended malt Scotch whisky that was earlier called a vatted malt or even pure malt, and blended Scotch. There are some specifics that have to be followed for a whisky to be known as a Scotch. The very first condition being that this whisky must be made specifically in Scotland. Regardless of what specifications tend to be followed, if a whisky isn�t made in Scotland it can’t be called a Scotch. The following point to remember is that after distillation a whisky needs to be aged or aged in fine oak barrels for a period of a minimum of three years. In reality it’s been made compulsory to write the age statement on the bottle.

According to the Scotch Whisky regulations for any whisky to be called a Scotch it has to clear some rules. The first regulation is that this type of whisky has to be produced in a Scottish distillery and should be made with drinking water and malted barley. Additional whole grains could be added to this barley. Secondly, this concoction needs to be processed into mash in a distillery after which fermented only with the addition of yeast. The distilled spirit has to have an alcohol strength of less than 94. 8% through volume. This particular spirit now has to be left to mature in oak casks in warehouses in Scotland. The capacity of the oak casks is also regulated and cannot exceed seven hundred liters. The whisky also needs to mature for at least three years. A whisky is declared a Scotch only after it follows these procedures and then goes through the color and fragrance check.

In order to become a Scotch, the whisky must manage to retain the aroma, color and taste of the raw materials that go into its producing. Apart from drinking water and plain regulated caramel color no external ingredients can be put into enhance flavor or appearance. Lastly, following following all these protocols, a whisky can be declared a Scotch only after it has gone through an alcoholic beverages strength test. A Scotch should have the minimum alcoholic strength by volume of 40%.

If you are visiting Scotland, whisky distillery tours need to be on your mind. Almost all distilleries have tours that take the visitor and introduce him to the fine art of whisky making. There can be many kind of whisky excursions of Scotland. A few tours take you around the distillery and teach you the nuances of whisky producing. Some are even more comprehensive and take you down to the cellars and let you experience fine whisky in some tasting sessions. You can even go on a whisky trail to collect the full experience of the well-known whiskies of Scotland. Both ways you will emerge a whisky lover.