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An Introduction To Single Malt Scotch Whisky
To qualify as scotch whisky, distillation must have been in Scotland ? followed by maturation in oak casks of no shorter than three years and one day. Single Malt Scotch Whisky is usually matured a lot longer. The maturation process finishes when the Single Malt Scotch Whisky leaves the cask ? unlike wine, the whisky does not mature in the bottle. Thus, the age of the whisky is always given as the length of time spent in the cask, not the bottle. Brand new oak casks would impart too strong a flavour on delicate Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and so casks previously seasoned are required. These days, most of these used casks come from American whiskey production; Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey must be aged in fresh oak casks by law. This works out well for the producers of Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Historically, sherry was transported from Spain to Britain in oak casks, casks which were then used to mature Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Although some sherry casks are still used to mature Single Malt Scotch Whisky, nowadays only around seven percent of Single Malt Scotch Whisky is matured this way. There are six Single Malt Scotch Whisky producing regions in Scotland: the Highlands; Islands (a sub set of the Highlands); Speyside; Islay, Lowland and Campbeltown. Speyside has the highest concentration of malt whisky distilleries in all of Scotland. The Single Malt Scotch Whisky produced in each of the six main regions has its own distinctive character and flavour. There are in excess of 5000 types of Single Malt Whisky ? and more than 90 percent of these are produced in Scotland. It is now easier than previously to find Single Malt Scotch Whisky thanks to the internet, on sites like Master of Malts. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Darren Seabrook is a long standing fan of single malt scotch whisky. Darren Seabrook recommends checking out Master of Malts online when searching for quality single malt scotch whisky. |
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