Author: Dirk Chan
Whisky is big and on Saturday, September 20th at 7pm, deVine will host a sit-down tasting of this fascinating spirit with versions from all around the world. Whisky is one of the hottest categories at deVine at the moment and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. With worldwide demand for Whisky on the rise, there are both positive and negative connotations for Alberta consumers. Bottling’s which were once readily available in Alberta are now tightly allocated or (in the case of The Macallan’s Sherry Cask series) have been taken out of our market altogether. Rare bottling’s like the annual Ardbeg special release, Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon or Bruichladdich’s Octomore are becoming harder to find and are commanding top shelf prices.
At the same time, new and often progressive distilleries are now finding their way into the province. High West Distillery out of Utah, Roughstock Disillery out of Montana, Sullivans Cove from Tasmania and Nikka from Japan (which includes the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distiliries) all offer high quality, unique alternatives to Scotch Whisky. This sit-down event is the perfect opportunity to sample and compare different whiskies from around the globe. From Single Malt Scotch to Japanese Whisky to American Rye Whisky to Canadian Whisky, this tasting will showcase the best the world has to offer!
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash where the grain used can be of different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, buckwheat and corn. Whisky is very typically aged in wooden casks, made generally of charred white oak.
There are many classes and types of whiskies, the typical unifying characteristics of the different classes and types are the fermentation of grains, distillation, and aging in wooden barrels being the determinng factor.
There are two spellings – Whisky or whiskey with many schools of thought on the issue. One is that the spelling difference is simply a matter of regional language convention and is just a variation on spelling (like the difference between color and colour; or recognize and recognize), and the 2nd is that the spelling should depend on the style or origin of the spirit being described – there is general agreement that when quoting the proper name printed on a label, the spelling on the label should not be altered as some will take offense to incorrect spelling. Others favour spelling each type of spirit according to the way favoured by its country of origin.
As such, the spelling whisky is generally used in Canada, Japan, Scotland, England, and Wales – while whiskey is more common in Ireland and the United States. The usage is not always consistent. For example, some prominent American brands, such as George Dickel, Maker’s Mark, and Old Forester, use the ‘whisky’ spelling on their labels. “Scotch” is the internationally recognized term for “Scotch whisky”. It is less used in England, Scotland & Wales, where the drink is simply called “whisky”. Yes, very confusing and yes, time for a drink!
Nevertheless, there will be lots to talk about and a lot of sampling of styles at this event, you can pre-register for this event here..