WHISKEY MASTERCLASS
Enjoy Jameson Irish whiskey
with ginger ale and lime
blends such as Jameson, Jameson a rich
oiliness from pure pot-still whiskeys
and a nutty maltiness from whiskeys
such as Bushmills. Connemara,
on the other hand, is a smoky law
unto itself.”
Know your history: “While the Irish
began making the spirit before the
Scots, the drink we know and love today
didn’t develop until the 19th century.
By the late 1800s, it was the most
popular spirit in Ireland and England,
and was also exporting significant
quantities to the US. In the 1820s,
an Irishman named Aeneas Coffey
invented a more efficient still, which
was rejected by Irish distillers but
embraced in Scotland, so, in 1870, an
extra ‘e’ was added to turn whisky into
whiskey and distinguish Irish and
American produce. Yet Scotch became
the prominent whisky player, so, in the
Sixties, many Irish distilling companies
joined forces to create the modern
Midleton Distillery.”
Drinking nking tips: “It It can be
appreciated reciated neat, on ice or
with h ginger ale. Hot toddies
are also glorious after
a cold old walk or a bad day:
heat t and mix in a teaspoon
of honey, oney, a stick
of cinnamon innamon and
a lemon mon studded
with h cloves.”
Recommended
commended
tipple: ple: Jameson
12 Irish, rish, £25.50
“A blended Irish
whiskey skey of deserved
repute. ute. Boasting
fresh-cut h-cut peaches
with h a dusting of
spice ce on the nose,
this has been
matured tured for
a minimum
inimum
of 12 2 years and
offers ers bold spices
of cinnamon
innamon
and clove in
the mouth,
without hout ever
being ng aggressive.”
32 / WWW.SHORTLIST.COM
WWW.S H O RTLIST. COM
How it’s made: “The recipe for
American whiskey is essentially
a combination of corn, barley, rye
and wheat. Bourbon, by legal
definition, must be made up of
at least 51 per cent corn (maize)
and aged for a minimum of two
years in new charred oak, while rye
whiskey must have 51 per cent
of rye in the mix, or ‘mashbill’ as it’s
sometimes referred to. Tennessee
whiskey, such as Jack Daniel’s,
is made using the Lincoln
County Process, where each
batch is passed through
a thick layer of maple
charcoal giving it a sweeter,
more syrupy flavour.”
What’s in the taste:
“American whiskey is
a brash, bold spirit matured
quickly in steamy
warehouses, with new oak
barrels containing a greedy
spirit extracting intense,
woody flavours. The
sometimes-sappy oakiness
of bourbon is also packed
How it’s made: “Single malt, the
most common variety of Scotch,
is made using just malted barley.
Malting involves germinating then
toasting the barley, producing a
richness and complexity of flavour,
with the malt often dried over peat
to give an earthy or medicinal
smokiness. Single malts are almost
entirely double-distilled in copper-pot
stills, stil an inefficient process in terms
of time, t money and effort, but
beneficial be
in producing complex
fruity fru and floral flavours. The cold,
windswept win
climate allows Scotch
to ttake
on a bewildering array of
flavours flav and characteristics during
maturation. ma
The ex-Sherry European
oak casks it’s matured in add aromas
of dried d fruits and toffee, whereas
ex-bourbon ex-
casks donate vanilla
and coconut notes.”
What’s W in the taste: “Single malts
have hav broad regions of flavour based
on tradition and technique rather
than tha climate or water, so you can
forget for the precise regionalism of wine.
The Th most common characteristic
to recognise r
is the length of time
peat pea is burned at the malting stage,
and the resultant flavour in the glass.
Lowlands Low
and Speysides are generally
lightly ligh peated, if at all, Highlands
and Islands are often mid-peated,
and the smokiest whiskies of all hail
from fro Islay. Yet the importance of
the peatiness of water has been
greatly gre overstated in the past –
smoky sm drams are also made in
AMERICAN WHISKEY
SCOTCH WHISKY
with vanilla, which comes from
vanillin, a naturally occurring
chemical found in American oak.
Other common bourbon notes are
vanilla fudge and the unlikely taste
of Refresher sweets, whereas ryes
are defined by extra spiciness
and dryness.”
Know your history: “Early
American distilling is tied closely
to religious men, with a Baptist
minister named Elijah Craig ageing
his spirit in charred-oak casks
as early as 1795. He is seen
as a father of the bourbon
industry – to be classed
officially as a bourbon,
the spirit must hail from
Kentucky – although it is
unlikely there was a single
inventor. Contrary to popular
belief, there are no distilleries
within Bourbon County itself.
Instead, Bardstown in Nelson
County (both within the
state of Kentucky) holds
the title ‘Bourbon Capital
Of The World’.”
traditionally non-peaty regions and
vice versa.”
Know your history: “Despite
its confident image of an unchanged
heritage stretching back centuries,
‘uisge beatha’, as Scotch was known,
used to be drunk as a clear, unaged
or very young spirit. The development
of the drink over the years has
been linked to changes in taxation.
After the Act Of Union
in 1707, whisky makers s
went underground to
avoid duty until legislation tion
in 1823 made legal
distilling more profitable; le;
indeed, great distilleries s
such as Glenlivet were
founded by formerly
illicit distillers. From
here, the single
malts were mostly
used to create great
blends such as
Dewar’s and
Johnnie Walker.
The single-malt
revolution only really
began in the Sixties
with brands
such as Glenfiddich
leading the way, but
today there is a
dizzying array
available, including
the lesser-known
vatted, blended
and single-grain
varieties.”
Drinking tips: “Lots of ice is the
classic serve, especially on a hot day.
A rich heritage of cocktails is there
to plunder too, such as the Old
Fashioned and Mint Julep. The
better bourbons and ryes reward
neat nasal examination.”
Recommended tipple: Sazerac
Rye, £25.95 “A sterling example
of the oldest style of American
whiskey on the market. Vibrant
“A rich heritage of
cocktails is there to
plunder, such as the
Old Fashioned and
Mint Julep”
in the glass, vanilla leaps out at
you, but it’s always underpinned
by a grassy, herbal complexity and
persistent spice. This spice carries
over to the palate too, along with
toffee, bitter coffee grounds and
some citrus.”
Drinking tips: “The snobbery
surrounding single malt can be
suffocating and dull – single malt
is a luxury and masking its subtle
flavours in ice or coke just doesn’t
make sense. Use a tulip-shaped
glass to focus aroma. Sniff, sniff,
sniff then sip; add a little mineral
water, then sniff again and sip.
Add more water according to
your preference.”
“The cold, windswept
climate allows Scotch
to take on an array
of flavours during
maturation”
Recommended tipple: Glenfiddich
15 Solera Single Malt, £29.50
“This offers an instantly appealing
nose of apricot jam and slightly
spicy fruitcake. The palate is equally
satisfying with raisins and treacle
toffee coming from the sherry casks
in which the whisky is produced.
Harmonious and balanced, serve this
with some Christmas pudding.”
SHORTLIST.COM
Kick-start your whiskey
drinking by winning a case
(that’s six bottles) of Jameson
at ShortList.com
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