Whisky Fundamentals
Whisky corks & closures
Published 26/06/2022
In order to be able to reliably store liquids in bottles, they require a tight seal. Over the decades, whiskey bottles have used spring caps, screw caps and corks. The latter being most commonly used today, while these are typically made of cut, or pressed cork, they can also be made of glass or plastic. Each have their respective advantages and disadvantages. This article however is primarily focused on the cork.
Whisky corks & closures
Accelerating whisky maturation
Published 18/06/2022
The whisky shimmers a deep golden hue in the glass, its scent promises complex and delicate aromas but upon taking the first sip you’re left with only disappointment. The single malt tastes narrow, has no depth and somehow seems young. While it is always possible for a whisky to simply have a nose which surpasses the palate it is also possible that your whisky is the result of tricks and techniques to accelerate the perceived maturation and prettify their young distillates.
Accelerating whisky maturation
Whisky Tales
Published 01/05/2022
Whisky is a very interesting product with a great history. Beyond the fascinating science, and production process it’s history also has a number of bizarre and amusing anecdotes to share over a dram. The war for Hans Island & Canadian whisky Where the news is flooded with stories about wars and conflicts resulting in many civilian casualties, Canada and Denmark proved that things can be done differently. While many countries fight fiercely over territorial claims, often to the point of bloodshed, the two northern countries engaged in a bloodless conflict which is only now being settled in 2022.
Whisky Tales
Storing whisky bottles
Published 17/04/2022
For those in a hurry, here are the tips in a nutshell: Whisky should always be stored upright Whisky should always be stored in the dark Whisky can be stored well at room temperature Low humidity is important If you plan to store your whisky for longer than 6 months then lower temperatures are advisable, and it is important to turn your bottles to wet the cork. This will prevent it from drying out and causing oxidisation.
Storing whisky bottles
What is a non-chill filtered whisky?
Published 22/03/2022
If you often drink whisky you have probably heard about chill filtering and enthusiastic drinkers favouring non-chill filtered whiskies. But what exactly does this mean? That is a frequently asked question that we will answer in this article. We will also look at what effect these methods have on your final whisky. Before we talk about non-chill filtered (or un-chillfiltered) whisky, let’s first explain what chill filtering exactly means and how this process works.
What is a non-chill filtered whisky?
Women in Whisky
Published 08/03/2022
They may still exist, the eternal champions of the symbols of masculinity in our world: fast cars, heroic demeanor, rough beards, cigars and a glass of good single malt - yes, whisky is often celebrated as a “proper man’s drink”. However those willing to look past these rigid boundaries and outdated role models will realize quickly that women have, and still do play a huge role in the world of whiskies. Women have been present in the whisky industry, and been responsible for the success of important distilleries such as Laphroaig, Maker’s Mark and Cardhu.
Women in Whisky
Austrian Whisky Trail
Published 12/02/2022
It’s now 27 years since Austria’s first whiskies were distilled at the Waldviertler Roggenhof Distillery in 1995. In that time the learning curve has largely been completed, the mistakes and mis-steps of the pioneers having been made, recognized and corrected. In addition to distilling knowledge, you also have enough anecdotal material that you can serve up in abundance when visitors come to the distilleries. The Austrian Whisky Association (AWA) worked hard on this common storytelling last year A separate video series, in which the specializations of the 13 members are presented authentically, is already in the can. All in all, it also illuminates all aspects of Austrian whisky and the Austrian Whisky Trail.
Austrian Whisky Trail
What is Burns Night on January 25th?
Published 25/01/2022
Who was Robert Burns Robert Burns was a Scottish poet born on January 25, 1759 in a village called Alloway. He has written hundreds of poems, songs and letters. Scots sing “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Day. He died on July 21, 1796 at the age of 37. His birthday is celebrated as Burns Night on January 25 across Scotland and throughout the world. Burns night celebration One of the main ways Burns Night is celebrated is with a very traditional meal. These include Scottish haggis served with mashed turnips (called “neeps”) and potatoes (called “tatties”), also traditionally mashed.
What is Burns Night on January 25th?
Storing whisky - experiments with inert gas, small bottles and oxidisation
Published 26/12/2021
I’m going to preface this by saying that whisky is not intended to be stored for long once opened, and even in the face of extreme measures your open bottle is going to change overtime. It’s also worth understanding that while I did this blend and tried to be as scientific as possible it is simply not possible to account for every variable. The tips and recommendations here are about slowing down the rate of change to allow you longer to enjoy your favourite dram, not creating some sort of whisky time capsule.
Storing whisky - experiments with inert gas, small bottles and oxidisation
Calories in whisky
Published 17/12/2021
What nutrients does whisky have? Whisky consists almost exclusively of water and alcohol. The proteins, fats or carbohydrates that you know from food are missing in pure whisky. Substances such as tannins, lignins and vanillin derived from maturation in wooden barrels are responsible for the taste of the whisky but they are irrelevant for the calculation of the nutrient and calorie content. How to calculate the calories of whisky If you want to know how many calories are in whisky, you first have to find out how many grams of pure alcohol are actually in the respective amount of whisky. A look at the bottle reveals the alcohol percentage, which is usually 40% for a standard bottling. So does 100ml of whisky contain 40 grams of alcohol? No, because the density of alcohol is only 0.8 grams per milliliter.
Calories in whisky