POT STILL

A copper container in which the distillation process takes place. The heating of the contents of the still produces vapors containing the alcohol, which is separated from the water.

POT STILL WHISKEY or PURE POT STILL WHISKEY

The traditional name for Irish whiskey that is produced from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley and distilled in a pot still.

RUM

Rum is not a whiskey, but a distilled spirit made from sugar cane. Whiskey is a sub-category of distilled spirits, made from fermented grain mash. Originating in the Caribbean, rum is a spirit made from sugar cane by-products: molasses and sugarcane juice. It is not a whiskey, which is distilled from barley, corn, and/or rye. The by-products are fermented and then distilled. Like all distillates, rum emerges from the still as a clear liquid and is then typically aged in oak barrels. Some scholars believe that the name derives from the last syllable of the Latin word for sugar, saccharum. Similar spirits from Asia are much older in origin, since sugar cane is native to the Pacific Rim, and its juices were distilled long before the grass was planted in the Caribbean in the 17th century. Slaves first discovered that molasses could be fermented into alcohol, and the origin of rum is believed to be Barbados.

A beautiful modern pot still (photo © Purity Vodka).

An older pot still (photo © Martin Miller’s Gin).

SCOTCH or SCOTTISH WHISKEY

Whiskey from Scotland, informally known as Scotch, has a distinctive flavor attributed to the barley used in the mash. Scotland has internationally protected the term Scotch; for a whiskey to be labeled as such, it must be produced in Scotland. The process begins with malted barley dried over peat fires, which gives a smoky flavor. The barley is then usually aged for at least three years. There are more than 120 brands of Scotch comprising three main styles: Blended Scotch (normally mixed with soda, e.g. Johnnie Walker Red Label), Premium Scotch (drunk neat, e.g. Jonnie Walker Blue Label, Chivas Regal), and Single Malt Scotch (drunk neat—see more below). Within each style, each maker has a process and “recipe” that accounts for the variation in flavor: the type of water used, the char on the oak cask, how long the product is aged in oak casks before bottling, the temperature of the warehouse during aging, etc. Scotch whiskey types include blends, single grains, single malts, and vatted malts. A bottle simply labeled “Scotch Whisky” is likely to be a blend.

Chivas Regal is one of the most admired blended Scotch whiskeys (photo © Chivas).

SINGLE-MALT SCOTCH

A malt whiskey made by a single distillery and only from a malt mash, i.e., unmixed with either grain or pot still whiskeys. While by law single-malt Scotch must be at least three years old, malt whiskies don’t reach peak drinking until they are 10 years or older. Thus, distillers have to carry the inventory and don’t see their money for a decade or longer. Single malt Scotch grew to prominence after World War II. Each area produces a very discernable flavor profile, from highland mountain heather to peat and seaweed from the islands to earthiness in between. Single malts from the Scottish Lowland are relatively muted in flavor (e.g. Glenkinchie, MacLeods), the Highland malts are at the other end of the spectrum, assertive (Dalmore, Dalwhinnie), while Speyside is known for the most complex flavors—floral, fruity, grassy (e.g. Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet). The island of Islay produces peaty whiskies (e.g. Bruichladdich, Laphroaig), and the smaller islands their own distinctive products (e.g. the island of Skye has only one single-malt distillery, Talisker, whose style is a bit peaty but largely peppery).

Laphroaig, a single malt from Islay, is known for its peaty flavors (photo © Laphroaig).