Probably, one day each of us, even the most avid teetotaler, will be interested, but what kind of national treasure is Scotch single malt? And if it is so good (at least so specific), then what to use it with? After all, there are rules for opening a bouquet of each alcoholic drink. As for whiskey, here lovers adhere to a whole set of recommendations. And it turns out that cocktails based on amber moonshine are sheer abuse of the culture of its use.
What is single malt whiskey?
Single malt is a drink made in one distillery - that is, literally, in one malt. The English name is "single molt." For example, it is obtained by mixing whiskey of different years of aging, but certainly not of different varieties. In general, it is believed that this is a drink of harsh men, since its taste in the original is perhaps too harsh. Therefore, the tradition went - to mix single malt whiskey with water, ice or soda, or add other, milder varieties.
The original molt production concept was renewed in the sixties by such brands as The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Macallan, Glen Grant, Glenmorangie. It is them on the modern market that are rightly considered the producers of real Scottish moonshine. But some giants appeared even earlier: single-malt whiskeys of the Orkney Islands brand were put into continuous production at the beginning of the XVIII century and at first was considered a favorite drink of robbers, and then courtiers.
How to use single malt whiskey?
Now let's talk about some rules, observing which, you can appreciate the bouquet of the purchased bottle. So, for starters, let's choose the right brand: ask the consultant about the taste - is it too bitter, is there any sharpness in the taste? There can be one indicator - a high price. Alas, ah, whiskey is not the kind of drink that people save on.
Moreover, to drink single malt whiskey as English gentlemen do, you need to choose the right glass. You can drink it from a toggle switch with ice, but for this type of alcohol there are special glasses, tulip-shaped or bulbous. Make a couple of these in your sideboard will not be superfluous.
In one portion there should be no more than 50-60 ml, and the volume of the glass is designed for this. Why? It does not allow the upper notes of taste to evaporate with air. Single malt whiskey is used in two or three sips.
Before you take a sip, make a few circular movements so that the drink flows down from the walls of the glass - this is how the “soul” of whiskey is released, its delicate aroma. Of course, inhale it and feel all the charm of an old recipe. Experts even suggest applying a few drops of whiskey on your wrist to better open the bouquet. After the first sip, stop: take a breath and exhale, feel how hot heat spreads. This is exactly how you should drink real alcohol.
And one more tip: if the taste is still too sharp, and you want to dilute the whiskey with water, you must observe the proportions. The maximum allowable ratio is 30/70, where whiskey should still retain a large proportion.