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SCOTCH WHISKY
Read through our expert's answers to some of the most commonly asked questions...
 HOSTED by Scotch whisky expert, Marc Laverdiere (Full Bio)
Q: My father used to always add a few drops of water to his scotch – he claimed it made the taste better. If so – how many “drops” should be used?
Adding water opens up a whisky, releasing aromas that would be more challenging to detect otherwise. When pros conduct nosings, they reduce the alcohol strength of the whiskies to 20% ABV. This means that they add on average as much water as they have whisky to cut a 40% ABV dram to 20%. And they don’t even drink it! The key to adding water is to add a little at a time until it suits you just fine.
Take a sniff of your whisky neat, then add water and sniff it again. You will see (nose) the difference. Notice how the water breaks down the oils in your glass. The clear whisky becomes a tad blurred while the water performs its magic. For younger whiskies, adding a teaspoon of good water is a good start and may very well be all you need. For whiskies bottled at cask strength (up to around 60% ABV), you may need to add two teaspoons of water. For older whiskies—the kind you would enjoy after dinner, maybe—you may not need to add water at all. Some whiskies are relatively fragile and the addition of water may spoil your drink. It is all a matter of taste and preference. Experiment and enjoy!
Q: I want to host a scotch tasting for some friends. How should I separate the scotch? By year? By geographic region?
Traditionally, whiskies have been divided by region because typically, each region offers its own style: the Lowlands, the Highlands (including Speyside but encompassing so many distilleries that it is considered a region of its own), the Islands (including Islay but because of its definitive style and character, Islay is also considered a region of its own by some), and Campbeltown. So you could say that there are six regions, with their own sub-regions. But you do not have to stick to this for your tastings. I've conducted nosings based on “color,” which gives you an opportunity to chat about the maturation process quite a bit. I've conducted some based on age (not the participants, the whiskies), and that was fun, too.
Is older better? I’ll let you toy with the answer. You could have a tasting based on styles of whiskies. David Stirk (The Malt Whisky Guide) proposes categories on that basis and it is quite educating. You can also experiment between blended malts and single malts, or between expensive and less pricey. There are a lot of options, and believe me, there’re all pleasant!
Q: I was told that scotch makers age their product in old bourbon barrels from the U.S. Is this true, and if so, why?
By law in the U.S., you must use a brand-new oak barrel to mature bourbon. And you cannot use it twice. You didn’t have to explain this one to the Scots very long. So the whisky industry in Scotland purchases a lot of these “used only once” barrels to mature its single malts (between 300,000 and 400,000 ex-bourbon barrels enter the industry every year). These barrels are made of oak and because they have been charred, they impart delicious vanilla flavors to the whisky as it matures. Some distilleries (The Macallan for example) use former Sherry casks, which are 10 times more expensive that ex-bourbon casks (in Spain, you are allowed to use a sherry butt more than once, so there is no bargain there). These casks impart some rich fruit sweetness and distinctive flavor to the whiskies that make it all worthwhile. Some distilleries have also been using other types of casks to “finish” their whiskies, such as Port, Burgundy wine, etc. … Curious? An ex-bourbon barrel (capacity of 180 to 205 liters) costs around $100 these days. An ex-sherry butt (capacity of 500 liters) costs about $1,000.
Q: How important is the age of scotch? Is an 18-year-old scotch always better than a 12-year-old one?
Is an older Scotch always better than a younger one? Really, it is a matter of taste. Think of this: 95% of all the whisky being consumed in the world is blended and has not been aged for more than a few years. That many folks can’t be wrong! This being said, there are those of us who prefer enjoying single malts that offer more character and flavor than most of the blends (of which there are superb ones out there, by the way). The fact is that as the whisky matures, it picks up a lot of flavors from the cask—wood extractives stored within the staves. A lot happens during maturation as years go by. The wood contracts and expands with the seasons, evaporation occurs, the alcohol content diminishes gradually. Over time, generally, the whisky does get smoother. But as much as it gains some characteristics, it loses others. And distillery employees themselves will tell you that they often prefer an 18-year-old scotch to a 25-year-old one.
Q: How long does an open bottle of scotch stay good?
As you keep pouring from a bottle, you replace whisky with air. At some point, there is as much air as there is whisky. The space above the liquid is called “ullage.” That ullage means that oxidation will occur in the bottle and deteriorate your whisky. But that takes years. Hopefully, you won’t wait that long to enjoy your whisky. Personally, when the ullage reaches more than 50%, I kind of target that bottle for consumption and start looking to replace it with a brand-new one. A 12-year-old whisky that you keep for five years does not become a 17-year-old scotch. What you buy is what you get. You might as well enjoy it!
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