Scotch Whisky is the most popular spirit in the world and a staple of every Home Bar.
There are
five Whisky regions in Scotland. Islands are sometimes mentioned as the sixth region, but are not officially recognized. The largest region in terms of the number of distilleries is
Speyside that is home to over half of all Scotch distilleries, while
Campbelton only remains home to three. It's surrounded by the
Highland Whisky region. Some of the Scotch Whisky regions -
Islay and
Lowland, for instance - produce a very
distinctive style of Scotch, while others are known for their versatilty, but knowing what
part of Scotland a Whisky is from, should give you some general idea about its taste.
Scotch Whisky can be made from
malted barley (in this case it's called
malt Whisky) or from other grains, like corn or wheat (
grain Whisky). Only when a malt Whisky is produced at a single distillery, it's called
single malt. The rest (which is roughly 95% of the time) is
blended Scotch, which means it's a blend of Whiskies from different distilleries.
When tasting Scotch Whisky, try it first on its own (neat), and add ice or water later. While you're not prohibited of drinking it with Coke, we strongly advise against it. Aromas and flavours of Scotch will get lost and you will not be able to truly taste and appreciate them.
Thirsty for more? Explore
Scotch Whisky distilleries.