The popularity of whiskey in Russia is growing every year. The noble drink has become an indispensable attribute of good taste and wealth, just like a cigar or cufflinks. However, there are a lot of whiskeys, and it can be difficult to choose a really good one.
What is whiskey
Whiskey is made by distilling fermentation products of various grains - barley or wheat, but malt is most often used. Depending on the production technology, whiskey varieties are divided into malt, grain and blended. A separate line is bourbon - American whiskey based on corn. Among connoisseurs, the most recognized type of malt whiskey, the alcohol for which was produced at one "distillery" - the so-called single malt (single malt). It is believed that it is the single malt whiskey that has the richest taste and fat content, allowing you to delay the onset of intoxication. However, all types of malt whiskeys are valued higher than blended ones.
The word whiskey itself comes from the Celtic language, where it means "water of life". Scotland or Ireland is considered the birthplace of whiskey, but they still argue over which of them gave the world the first barrel of whiskey.
Blended whiskey is a mixture of malt spirit and grain. Almost all of the produced volume of grain whiskey is used for the production of blended, since pure grain whiskey does not have a pronounced taste and aroma. When choosing a good blended whiskey, look for the Deluxe label on the label, indicating the high percentage of malt alcohol in the bottle. Of course, aesthetes consider blended whiskey suitable only for cocktails, but for the first acquaintance with this noble drink, it is quite suitable.
What to look for in the store
Having prepared theoretically, you can proceed directly to the selection and purchase. One of the important criteria here is the aging period. Don't be tempted by the low price of a 3-year-old whiskey, especially if you're looking for a gift bottle. It is better to pay a little extra and buy whiskey of a more respectable age - 5-7 years.
Good whiskey is consumed either neat or with a little water, soda, or ice. This is especially true for single malt whiskey, as it allows you to more fully reveal all the shades of taste of the drink.
The next thing to look out for is the label. As a rule, good whiskey is made in Ireland, Scotland, England or the USA, but it is better not to experiment with other countries. In addition, the composition plays an important role: in no case should ethyl alcohol and flavors be included. If the ingredients are only malt, barley, rye or corn, this means that you have real whiskey in your hands. Another way to test the quality of a drink is to shake the bottle vigorously. Large bubbles should form, which will hold for quite a long time. But even the oldest whiskey shouldn't have any sediment.
