Whisky 101

Cooking with KAVU Ep. 3 | Hosted by: Nick Greece

By KAVU

June 18^th, 2021

WHISKY 101

Whisky! What is it good for??? Absolutely everything.

Living in American West ski towns as a young man, one becomes accustomed to drinking many of America’s best-known and least expensive whiskies. The sweet, spicy, and vanilla-laden examples aged in fresh oak casks with short maturations are easily relatable to our naïve palates. The request “Beam and coke” is easily understood by all bartenders, even in the bedlam of a crowded venue. The caffeine supplies energy and the whiskey becomes a flavor of the cola… like something that could be dispensed from a movie-theater beverage machine next to cherry or vanilla options.

But as we grow older our palates evolve, and just as we seek adventure in “dem’ big hills,” we also seek to understand the complex distilling offerings that crafters and tinkers have worked to perfect since the 1st century AD. I became enamored with Scotch Whisky in my early 30’s when I had just enough expendable income to treat myself to the occasional bottle of fine single malt goodness, as a reward for a particular special flying accomplishment and/or to share with close friends on a unique mountain adventure. Some are wary of making a “mistake” when entering this market, as the offerings for fine whisky are understandably varied. I’m here to tell you, “That’s ridiculous.” You can’t make a mistake. Just start tasting and be honest about what you like. I am enamored with the smooth, complex, tasty Speyside offerings from northern Scotland, but if you are into the smoky, peaty Islay whisky…great!

However, I digress. Let’s backtrack. Whisky is created from distilling barley grains in massive, specific copper kettles, most often using a specific spring for the water source. I won’t go into the minutiae of the art, as it is easily available on Google, but the most important ingredients are a fine spring and a good grain, as well as a fuel source, copper vessels for distilling, and barrels for aging. Having a fantastic malt master goes a long way as well. Traditionally, peat is used as the fuel during the kilning of the malt, which creates a byproduct of the smoky-flavored profile prevalent in many libations that Americans associate with whisky. These tend to be from the areas around Islay, one of the southernmost islands off the coast of Scotland.

The Scotch Whisky Guide delineates the regions and characteristics as follows:

https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/the-scotch-whisky-guide/

The Highlands

Known as medium-bodied whisky, these are typically lighter and more luxurious than their brothers from Islay, but stronger than the ones in the Lowlands. Today there are many highland distilleries, some of which include Aberfeldy, Balblair, Ben Nevis, Clynelish, The Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Glen Ord, Glenmorangie, Oban, and Old Pulteney. On the islands, you can find Arran, Jura, Tobermory, Highland Park, and Scapa, as well as Talisker. While many whisky connoisseurs believe the islands should have their own region, they are still technically classified as a part of the highlands.

The Lowlands

Generally considered the lighter and most delicate whiskies, the Lowland distilleries often produce spirits with very-little-to-no peat. The only distilleries still in operation are Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, Glenkinchie, and Daftmill.

Speyside

Home to the most elegant and inspired whiskies in Scotland, Speyside is also home to the most distilleries in the Country, some of which include Aberlour, The Balvenie, Cardhu, Cragganmore, Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Glenglassaugh, Glenlivet, Glen Moray, and The Macallan.

Campbeltown

With the majority of its bottles aged at the 10-year mark, the region is home to just three active distilleries, including Glen Scotia, Glengyle, and Springbank.

Islay

Considered the heavy hitters of Scotch whisky, these spirits are usually heavily peated, often oily, and even sometimes compared to iodine. Islay is home to eight distilleries, including Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig.

Nick went to Scotland a few years ago and visited the Glenfiddich distillery. Here they are in the warehouse sampling a cask from 1977.

Coppersmiths are critical to keeping a distillery in business. This gentlemen, Dennis McBain, was a coppersmith at the Balvenie distillery since 1959! He is demonstrating a antique from when workers at the distillery used to sneak whisky from the grounds.

Whisky and adventure have long been friends. Nick looking at the Russian and Chinese border in Mongolia.

Allan Roth striking the whisky ambassador pose above Donner Lake.

A visit to the Scotch Whisky Society in Edinburg is a must for any whisky fan.

Cody and Cherise Tuttle enjoying a dram in the Sierra after a big day in the mountains a few years back.

Jeff Shapiro, Krystle Wright and I finished this bottle after visiting with an eagle hunter in far West Mongolia. Containers are critical in the outback, and this masterpiece made an amazing gift. I smile thinking about what it may be used for now?

Now we have a short rundown of the regions and flavor profiles that represent them, but what about the barrels?

I met up with Allan Roth, Glendfiddich whisky ambassador (you heard that right…he is the West Coast whisky ambassador) to check in on what a person needs to know when considering what dram ( in Scottish, a small drink of whiskey) suits his/her particular needs. And what part does the barrel play?

Allan replied, “Unlike American whisky, Scotch whisky is aged in used barrels during a much longer aging process. Discarded bourbon barrels made of American oak offer sweet vanilla, coconut, and brown sugar taste to the liquid they hold. Because American Oak barrels are widely available and ideal vessels for aging whisky, the vast majority of Scotch Whisky is aged in them. They also reflect a worthwhile commitment to repurposing materials that will last for decades, even generations in some cases, of continued use in Scotland. European oak or sherry casks are much denser and have a dark spicy dried fruit flavor that is very unique and highly sought when the entire process is done well, says Roth.”

Later, Allan stopped by Tahoe so I could show him around the Lake, after which we sat down to taste a dram and talk whisky for another Cooking with Kavu segment.

Glenfiddich—The Valley of the Deer

The early modern church (15th to 19th century) considered alcohol a gift from God to be used moderately and for enjoyment, but not for drunkenness. I would like to echo this sentiment as it relates to the following Cooking with KAVU segment that will focus on one of the best whisky creators in the world, and is, like KAVU, a family-run business—Glenfiddich.

Glenfiddich is and has been an innovator in the world of whisky and although they have a multi-generational history steeped in tradition, one of the things that make them stand out currently is an all-star malt master, Brian Kinsman. I have had the pleasure of meeting Brian and he is a humble gentleman as well as a master of his craft. Allan clearly agrees when queried about what makes the man the man, "Not only does he have a nose capable of detecting and evaluating incredible nuance, he is also trained as a chemist, so he really understands the foundational basis of flavor and aroma. He has a deep knowledge of what’s going on in casks as they age, but more than that, he also has the ability to know how different casks will come together to create the signature flavor profiles that Glenfiddich is known for. All of that adds up to a Malt Master who can’t be beat."

On to the juice...as the in-crowd refers to whisky....

The Glenfiddich 14 is one of my favorite whisky offerings. It’s a perfect entrance to the scotch whisky market for the American palate that’s steeped in bourbon roots. The price point is approachable, at around 45 dollars a bottle, it’s won numerous spirit awards in 2020, and the juice sips sweet and smooth. I have kept this in my stable ever since it was released in 2015 and have included two recipes for you to sample, including the Barry Barr, guaranteed to get every party jumping!

Without further ado, I would like to share with you my time with whiskey ambassador extraordinaire, Allan Roth. We’ll do a virtual tasting of a few storied whiskies, including a newly released, and incredible on-point, 23-year-old called the Grand Cru aged in fine French cuvee casks!

Whisky creates amazing moments for us to share time, and with its strong ability to withstand travel, also evidenced by a whisky deposit recently found from the Shackelton expedition, and delicious taste, I recommend picking up a bottle at duty-free if you are on your way to a grand adventure to bring along to share with those you'll meet along the way after a glorious day in the mountains. Jeff Shapiro and I brought a few bottles to Mongolia with us and shared with our crew around a fire at night. Under the dark of night, thousands of miles from home, it tasted like an angel's brew delivered from above.