The origin of whisky is hard to pinpoint. One theory suggests that the distillation process vital to producing whisky may have been invented in Mesopotamia some 4,000 years ago, and applied to alcohol production around 800 CE. The knowledge could have then been brought to Europe by travelling monks over the next few hundred years. But no one knows for sure.

Perhaps being short on good grapes to make wine, the inhabitants of the British Isles turned instead to barley, wheat, and rye. The result was whisky. The word “whisky” itself has its Gaelic origin from the word “Uisge”, a shortened version of “Uisge Beatha”, which translates to “water of life”. In Latin, this is rendered “aqua vitae”, which incidentally is what Norway also calls its most popular spirit too.

The ongoing debate

Even with the history of whisky woven in mystery, it is generally safe to say that whisky as we know it originated somewhere in the British Isles. However, where exactly is another issue in itself. Is it the invention of the Scottish Highlands and the proudest export of Scotland? Or does it belong to the Irish who claim the “water of life” as their trademark?

The two nations even spell it differently. The Irish spelling, “whiskey”, is also used in the US. The Scottish variation, “whisky”, is used in Canada and Japan. As we’re about to focus on Scottish whisky, we’ve gone for that spelling. Whether from Scotland or Ireland, it didn’t take long for the settlers of the New World to make their own whisky. Bourbon is a popular type of American whiskey made from corn while Canada has a proud tradition of using rye. Successfully copying the Scottish style, Japanese whisky has arrived onto the scene in recent years, and continues to impress those new and old to the world of whisky.

The criteria for “scotch”

For the traditional whisky lovers among you though, nothing probably quite beats an authentic Scottish whisky. For a Scottish whisky to be considered a proper “scotch”, it must be made of water and malted barley, and aged for at least three years in an oak barrel. There can be no additives, except for water and colouring, and it must be bottled with no less than 40% alcohol. Needless to say, authentic scotch must also be made in Scotland.

Scottish whisky is divided into five different styles, each coming from a different region: Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside, Campbelltown, and Islay. Each area has its own history of whisky production and distilleries, producing whiskey with its own distinct flavours, aromas, and textures.

Many say that the secret to great Scottish whisky is the local water. Scottish distilleries are invariably located near a high-quality source and benefit from a wet climate. The rain filters down through the pristine moorland peat, picking up the local character of the ground, and perhaps adding to the character of whiskies produced here.

Blends and single-malts

While Scottish distilleries can make whisky out of any grain, a scotch must include malted barley as one of the key ingredients. Pure malt whisky, made only from malted barley, is often mixed with a grain whisky or even another malt whisky to produce blended whiskies. The result is often a deep and complex marriage of scents on the nose and tastes on the palate.

However, surely the pinnacle of the whisky maker’s art is the single malt. As the name implies, single malts contain just one type of malt whisky, unadulterated with any other. This purist approach means the particular flavour profile of the single malt shines through. Single malts are expensive and their cost is directly related to how long they sit in oak casks. Some decades-old single malts command prices in the many.