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Single malt whisky from Scotland is known as Scotch. The whisky must have been prepared from a mash of malted grain and fermented at a single distillery. Moreover, it must have been prepared using a pot still distillation procedure to qualify as a single malt scotch. In Scotland, barley is the only grain that may be used to make single malt whisky.
A single malt scotch must be distilled and matured in Scotland and Scottish oak barrels for a minimum of three years, one day, just like any other scotch whisky. The majority of single malts are aged longer. But there’s more to single malt scotch whisky than meets the eye.
The Two Types of Whiskies
Malted barley was formerly used to make all Scotch whisky. In the late 18th century, industrial distilleries started offering whisky manufactured from wheat and rye. Scotch whisky comes in two varieties:
- Malt whisky, which is produced using a pot still
- Grain whisky, which is produced using a patent still (also known as a Coffey still)
Grain whisky is manufactured from malted barley with unmalted barley and other cereals, as opposed to malt whisky, which is solely made from malted barley. A single distillery uses pot stills to create single malts from malted barley.
The objective is to produce unique tastes and subtleties that perfectly capture the spirit of a specific distillery. Different single malts are mixed with wheat or corn whiskies to create blended scotch whisky in column stills. Only whisky made and aged in Scotland may be called “Scotch.”
Requirements for Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Single malt whisky is a kind of whisky that is manufactured using barley, water, and yeast. Since just one grain is used to make single malt whisky, the term single describes the beverage.
Malting is the process of commencing the barley (or other grain) seed sprouting by soaking it in water and stopping the sprouting using heat. Although un-malted barley, sometimes referred to as whole grain or seed barley, may be used to make whiskies, such whiskies are not single malt whiskies.
Production of Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Single malt is produced like other whiskies. Yeast is used in fermentation to turn sugars in grains into alcohol. After the liquid has been distilled into a powerful alcoholic beverage, it is matured in barrels, mixed, and then bottled. While making single malt whisky, distillers use a few unique methods, many of which are comparable to those used in scotch production.
Like most beers, every malted whisky starts off the same way. The raw grains are malted by immersing them in water to begin germination and then using heat to stop the grain from sprouting.
Barley is the most common grain used (though some use rye). The grains are more prone to fermentation due to the malting process. Un-malted barley (or another grain) is used for other whiskies but not for single malt whisky.
Enjoy Single Malt Scotch Whisky for Smoky Flavor
Single malt often has rich flavors of vanilla, caramel, nut, fruit, and undertones of oak, malt, and wood. Single malts enhance and mellow out the taste character, making it very smooth. Single malt scotch whisky is smokey and has a greater flavor than blended malt. So, you can enjoy something unique when you go with this whisky.
