INTERVIEW: MATT HUSSEY PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES
If alcoholic beverages were
Top Trumps, whiskey would
be unbeatable in the ‘manly’
and ‘sophisticated’ categories.
Beer may like to think it can give
anything a run for its masculine
money, and wine would argue
it has high-end class cornered, but
nothing touches whiskey (or ‘whisky’
if you’re dabbling in Scotch) for subtle
flavours, unique heritage and
It’s the refined spirit king for all occasions, but can you
tell a smoky single malt from an oak-barrel bourbon?
Allow ShortList to give your palate some pointers
unashamed Rat Pack cool. The ‘water of
life’, as the Celts used to call it, has kept
every brooding movie star, sportsman
and monk company for centuries, but
what distinguishes the many varieties
lining the off-licence shelves? And how
do you decide which aged classic to
make your ‘old friend’? Whiskey expert
Arthur Motley from spirits emporium
Royal Mile Whiskies helps you get to
know your perfect drinking partner.
IRISH WHISKEY
How it’s made: “Though only four
distilleries exist in Ireland now, there
are a great many styles. Purists argue
that ‘true’ Irish whiskey is made from a
mixture of malted and unmalted barley
distilled in copper-pot stills. This is
made at Midleton Distillery, which now
produces the majority of the country’s
WHISKEY MASTERCLASS
whiskey, including the lighter grain
variety that’s produced in continuouscolumn
stills for blends. Although
Bushmills in Antrim produces a more
Scottish, single-malt style, this is triple-
distilled, creating a smoother spirit.”
What’s in the taste: “Expect a light
sweetness from the famous Irish
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