One of the best whisky documentaries I've ever watched, barring the few errors of course. Circa 2001. If only they could have had a crystal ball back then. Then again, maybe they did...
I had no idea that the left overs of single malts went to blended scotch distilleries. I love a dram after dinner (Glenlivet 12 is my favorite) seems to keep the health and spirit well balanced.
Alcohol can trap other flavors in the whiskey because most things are soluble in alcohol. Adding water helps release those flavors and smells. Even master distillers/blenders put the proof at 20% using water quite often to test the product. It's a totally "proper" way to drink whiskey, especially since their really is no "proper" way. ;)
A small correction. Highland Park is not the northernmost distillery in the world. High Coast (formerly Box Distillery) Distillery, the world's northernmost whiskey distillery, is located at the mouth of the Ångerman River in the heart of the Ådalen between Sundsvall and Örnsköldsvik Sweden.
Anyone notice the shirt on the guy talking about the sherry casks? It looks like they said, "You're going to be on camera. Go get a nice shirt" so he ran to the shops and bought one that morning. That shirt still has all the creases from being in the package. LOL.
0:52 “No one can be sure about the origin of whisky” The Irish Monks Discovered the use of alembics from Islamic Scholars 1:02 “How the art of distilling came to Scotland ops also difficult to say” Again the Irish Monks brought it over to Scotland. The world has been thankful ever since. The Irish created Whiskey and The Scots made an Art of it
A few things, since I believe this video to be slightly outdated or simplified. 1) The 6 most accepted regions are: Highlands, Speyside, Lowlands, Islands, Islay and Campbeltown. 2) Glenfiddich should be pronounced with an 'ick' ending and not 'itch'. 3) Not all whiskies taste better with water and if you do add water, you shouldn't swirl the glass. Let the oils rise to the top. Some great footage overall, but some of the information is either outdated, simplified or misleading.
There's something faintly patronising about this video. Maybe it's its age (2003) or old-fashioned narration. But things improve from 9:40 when it gets into the whisky production process, which is interesting and still relevant. Some things have obviously changed over 20 years. Malting is mostly done now by specialist "maltster" firms rather than at each distillery. The maltsters have moved on from blokes with shovels to more high-tech equipment to wet, germinate and kiln dry the barley grains to the required spec. The distilleries than buy in the barley as dried malt kernels, which can then go forward into the milling, fermentation and distillation processes The other big change is in the varieties of barley used. Special malting varieties are now bred for alcohol making. These are tested not just for improved productivity, but also to ensure no dangerous trace compounds end up in the final product. This is a risk in all fermented alcohol products - especially if they are then distilled (so sherry, brandy and rum are also in the frame). But over the years both knowledge of how these compounds form and legal regulation of allowed safety levels has steadily improved. It turns out that for whisky makers selecting safe approved barley varieties by itself gets rid of most of the problem.
This guy hasn't even got the regions right. There are five regions, and "the islands" isn't one of them. The correct classification is: 1) Lowlands 2) Highlands (including "The Islands") 3) Speyside (which used to be part of The Highlands) 4) Campbeltown 5) Islay
great video, but i definitely dont think that adding water is the "proper" way to drink whisky, in fact i think that all it does is dilute flavors, maybe making them mroe accessible for an amatuer pallate. Now once i learn a whsiky i can determine the most pleasant way to drink it, i enjoy johnny walker black with a splash of water and some large ice cubes, but any single malt will stay unadulturated neat in a glencarin glass!
One of the best whisky documentaries I've ever watched, barring the few errors of course. Circa 2001. If only they could have had a crystal ball back then. Then again, maybe they did...
Great video, enjoyed it very much.
Wonderful presentation and thorough information.
TOP Documentation!!
I had no idea that the left overs of single malts went to blended scotch distilleries. I love a dram after dinner (Glenlivet 12 is my favorite) seems to keep the health and spirit well balanced.
not really most keep and re run matey talked alot of kak
The size of those barrels in that workhouse...GODDAMN!
Alcohol can trap other flavors in the whiskey because most things are soluble in alcohol. Adding water helps release those flavors and smells. Even master distillers/blenders put the proof at 20% using water quite often to test the product. It's a totally "proper" way to drink whiskey, especially since their really is no "proper" way. ;)
Interesting - thanks!
Whiskey originally came from Ireland, but the Scott's hate to admit that. 😅😂
A small correction. Highland Park is not the northernmost distillery in the world.
High Coast (formerly Box Distillery) Distillery, the world's northernmost whiskey distillery, is located at the mouth of the Ångerman River in the heart of the Ådalen between Sundsvall and Örnsköldsvik Sweden.
Anyone notice the shirt on the guy talking about the sherry casks? It looks like they said, "You're going to be on camera. Go get a nice shirt" so he ran to the shops and bought one that morning. That shirt still has all the creases from being in the package. LOL.
0:52 “No one can be sure about the origin of whisky”
The Irish Monks Discovered the use of alembics from Islamic Scholars
1:02 “How the art of distilling came to Scotland ops also difficult to say”
Again the Irish Monks brought it over to Scotland.
The world has been thankful ever since. The Irish created Whiskey and The Scots made an Art of it
4:40 I thought baijiu was the biggest selling short drink in the world.
I think the Egyptians who accidentally discovered the making of beer and has a big influenced the making of other booze. :)
Bourbon barrels are also used in aging Scotch .
Where do all of them gets so much grain?
very good video very knowledgeable..
and now India also produces whisky and specially Amrut Single Malt. One of the best selling in England
Well, actually, this guy hasn't even got the regions right. There are five regions, and "the islands" isn't one of them
A few things, since I believe this video to be slightly outdated or simplified.
1) The 6 most accepted regions are: Highlands, Speyside, Lowlands, Islands, Islay and Campbeltown.
2) Glenfiddich should be pronounced with an 'ick' ending and not 'itch'.
3) Not all whiskies taste better with water and if you do add water, you shouldn't swirl the glass. Let the oils rise to the top.
Some great footage overall, but some of the information is either outdated, simplified or misleading.
💝
nnice video
There's something faintly patronising about this video. Maybe it's its age (2003) or old-fashioned narration. But things improve from 9:40 when it gets into the whisky production process, which is interesting and still relevant.
Some things have obviously changed over 20 years. Malting is mostly done now by specialist "maltster" firms rather than at each distillery. The maltsters have moved on from blokes with shovels to more high-tech equipment to wet, germinate and kiln dry the barley grains to the required spec. The distilleries than buy in the barley as dried malt kernels, which can then go forward into the milling, fermentation and distillation processes
The other big change is in the varieties of barley used. Special malting varieties are now bred for alcohol making. These are tested not just for improved productivity, but also to ensure no dangerous trace compounds end up in the final product. This is a risk in all fermented alcohol products - especially if they are then distilled (so sherry, brandy and rum are also in the frame). But over the years both knowledge of how these compounds form and legal regulation of allowed safety levels has steadily improved. It turns out that for whisky makers selecting safe approved barley varieties by itself gets rid of most of the problem.
This guy hasn't even got the regions right. There are five regions, and "the islands" isn't one of them. The correct classification is:
1) Lowlands
2) Highlands (including "The Islands")
3) Speyside (which used to be part of The Highlands)
4) Campbeltown
5) Islay
spot on he messed up on a fair bit
Ireland during the prohibition:
This documentary got the regions horribly wrong, but perhaps that was due to the simplification.
Wort, pronounced Wert......
great video, but i definitely dont think that adding water is the "proper" way to drink whisky, in fact i think that all it does is dilute flavors, maybe making them mroe accessible for an amatuer pallate. Now once i learn a whsiky i can determine the most pleasant way to drink it, i enjoy johnny walker black with a splash of water and some large ice cubes, but any single malt will stay unadulturated neat in a glencarin glass!
This doco is way out of date ... Tasmania particularly and Australia have become one of the rising stars of Whisky production.
Thanks for the tip! I'll be on the look out for my first Tassie dram ;-)
This comment aged nicely
His pronunciation is terrible, why on earth did'nt they employ a Scottish narrator?