After just over two years Milan AIS and SMC have reorganized an event related to single malts of Scotland, I of course I also participated in this event, held at the Westin Palace.
We had two new speakers who took turns in the story and in the tasting: Trento Luca and Paolo Valente.
Scotch Whisky is a grain mash is aged in barrels using Scotland oak for at least three years with a minimum alcohol content of 40%.
The Single Malt is produced in only one distillery and malting barley.
There is a controversy about the birth of Whisky from Scotland and Ireland, the monks of St. Patrick led, first, the stills in Ireland and Scotland began production of distillate.
In Scotland, the land is windswept, in part, the climate is mild and there are influences from the sea. Cereals, water and peat are the ingredients for the production of whiskey.
From corn and grain products are obtained cakes from rye there are hints of dried fruit and toasted barley and sweet biscuit and you have high levels of starch.
Golden Promise and Optic are the two largest selections of varieties of barley.
Water is important in the production and quality of Whisky, a key feature is the presence of minerals. The distilleries, therefore, were built close to water courses.
barrels are used for two kinds of wood, there is no aging in bottle:
• American Oak (formerly Bourbon) has different levels of toasting, light color and delicate issue, hints of cream, coconut, banana and vanilla.
• European Oak (formerly Sherry) of mainly English origin, gives a good level of tannin, hints of walnut, apple, apricot and nutmeg greater intensity and depth of color.
Peat is an accumulation of plant material in wet and marshy. It features the aromas and taste the final product. 12% of Scottish land is intended to bogs, whose product is also used to heat homes.
Lowland , land south of the country, producing delicate with hints of malt whiskey, the few distilleries using the method of triple distillation, to mention Glenkinchie and Auchentoshan.
Campbeltown peninsula, from Ireland, produced with salt and sour taste, great production in the past, now only three distilleries running, the most important Springbank.
Speyside, in the upper right corner of Scotland, the valley of the River Spey, is home to half the distilleries in Scotland, an area consisting of narrow valleys and woodlands, where they hid well, once the illegal distilleries. Whisky refined and complex, often with a fruity taste. The Macallan, Glen Grant and Glenfiddich, are the major distilleries still very active.
The Macallan Fine Oak 15 years old , characteristic of this distillery is not high stills, producing alcohol very rich, due to less contact with copper. 1824 the year of birth of the distillery, using high amounts of barley Golden Promise, 21 distilling stills with a low flame, European oak casks (ex Sherry), American oak (ex-Sherry and ex Bourbon) for at least 8 years. Golden color lightly loaded, floral notes and vanilla, typical of American oak, cinnamon, light smoky note. The mouth is full bodied and intense, with notes of honey, hazelnut and orange rind. Long finish.
Glen Grant 16 years old, 43% alcohol content, distillery founded in 1840, its characteristics are the clean taste, derived from stills to helmet with purifying membrane. Properties of Campari in 2006. Aged in ex-Bourbon casks, the nose very smooth and elegant, hints of citrus and vanilla, hints of wood. In the mouth, dry and clean, balsamic, bitter finish with hints of dried fruit. Glenfiddich Ancient Reserve
18 years old, 40% alcohol content by volume, year of foundation 1886, Deer Valley, the best-selling whiskey in the world, has features that makes it very pleasant to the public, 28 stills, still owned company the family of the founder, bottling line internal memo valuable because they use the same water for all their process. Have always pursued the path of Single Malt. Aged in former bourbon barrels, 10% ex Sherry first pass. The nose hints of spice and smoky notes, the palate is soft, round, notes of raisins, licorice and sweet bread. Excellent persistence, with notes of orange chocolate, runs an assembly in oak barrels for about three months.
Highlang , the northernmost and largest of Scotland, Whisky in the north have dried, fragrant east, west peaty, south light and delicate, there are about 20 distilleries Total assets.
Glenmorangie 18 years old, and brewery, water is very hard, has the highest stills of Scotland (5.13 mt.) Are always 16. Company has always been at the forefront of testing and transport, with a private railway. The first distillery to bottle in a position full. 15 years in American oak barrels and 3 ex-Sherry casks. Golden honey color, the nose hints of cinnamon and nuts, salty notes, is soft in the mouth with hints of honey, very persistent hazelnut and vanilla.
Island, there is a Whisky particular the influence of the sea, the islands are worth mentioning: Orkney, Skye, Arran and Jura. The island of Islay is par excellence, located in front of Northern Ireland, lashed by the wind, almost no vegetation, there are notes peat, iodine and seaweed.
Bowmore Darkest 15 years old inception in 1779, now owned by Japanese, with notes Whisky peat not intrusive. The stock is aging by the sea, Scotland's oldest still in operation. It has its own malting floor that covers 40% of production. Very intense color to the copper, since the wood of Sherry known peat and salt, honey and vanilla, tobacco and leather. In the mouth, the salty note and iodine feels without being intrusive but very persistent.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask , 48% alcohol content, low production, is the distillery that best represents the peat, Single Malt over ocean. Is only used American oak, the cutting of heads and tails is delayed, stills small, has its own malting floor that covers 15% of production. Double cask matured, unfiltered, cold process that does not impoverish the Whisky. In the tasting notes of peat and iodine feels much stronger back in the mouth peat, also feels the ashes.
Conclude the evening with many favorable impressions on the Whisky tasted, the last two have peaty notes that I like very much, also the first impressed me favorably. Hello
GB
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