Tasting History takes on Scotland's aqua vitae in "Whisky: Scotland's Water of Life":
Apparently, the rule of thumb is that you spell it whiskey if you're in Ireland or the United States, but whisky if you're in Scotland or much of the rest of the world.
So why do you see the name of the liquor spelled both as “whiskey” and as “whisky?” No, it’s not due to a spelling error or typo. It is generally spelled “whiskey”—with an e—in the United States and Ireland. It is spelled “whisky”—without the e—in Scotland and Canada, which are both well known for their whisk(e)y, and in several other countries. (online Britannica)
I have been waiting for this episode for a long time, ever since Max announced he was going to Scotland. I am so jelly.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! I love Max's videos anyway, so this was a cross-section of perfection for me.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to be "that guy," so I'll just leave my comment here that distillers knew long before the aging law was passed that whisky tastes better after it is aged in oak barrels--in fact, they knew this centuries before that. I suspect Max was just trying to be funny, but it made it sound like they didn't start aging whisky in barrels until the law was passed.
Other interesting tidbits...
* The word "smugglers" in Scotland originally referred to illicit distillers, whether they "smuggled" their product or not (which they usually did).
* The concern about staple grains being used up in alcohol production similarly led to what we know as soju today. It was originally made from rice (and, thanks to the rise of craft soju, is again today more and more), but a shortage of rice led to a ban on its use in alcohol product, leading to soju being made with whatever the cheapest form of starch was that season, be it sweet potatoes, tapioca, etc.
* There was a mention of Glenlivet in the video; although these days everyone familiar with whisky knows the Glenlivet Distillery (I've been there!), it is actually the name of a region ("Valley of the (River) Livet"), and it was originally appended to many whiskies from the area, such as Aberlour (to this day, you can still see "Aberlour Glenlivet" at the distillery... which I of course have also been to). It was basically a synonym for quality whisky, until Glenlivet got a court ruling stating that only a certain number of distilleries could use it, and only they could call themselves "The Glenlivet." Bottom line: the "Glenlivet" referred to in the historical quote may or may not be The Glenlivet we know today.
One more thing: clearach, or new spirit, is actually very drinkable before aging if it is from a good distillery, especially if it is mixed with water. I remember The Glenlivet new spirit being quite fruity and sweet, and very nice.
ReplyDelete(Also, in my previous comment, I think I meant "intersection," not "cross-section.")