Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MAKING MALT WHISKY
Malt whisky is made by soaking barley in
steeps
(water cisterns) for two or three days until it
swells, after which it is left to germinate for around seven days, during which the starch in the
barley seed is converted into soluble sugars - this process is known as
malting
. The malted
barley or “green malt” is then dried in a
kiln
over a furnace, which can be oil-fired, peat-fired or,
more often than not, a combination of the two.
Only a few distilleries still do their own malting and kilning in the traditional pagoda-style
kilns; the rest simply have their malted barley delivered from an industrial maltings. The first
process in most distilleries is therefore
milling
, which grinds the malted barley into “grist”. Next
comes the
mashing
, during which the grist is infused in hot water in mashtuns, producing a
sugary concoction called “wort”. After cooling, the wort passes into the washbacks,
traditionally made of wood, where it is fermented with yeast for two to three days. During
fermentation
, the sugar is converted into alcohol, producing a brown foaming liquid known
as “wash”.
Distillation
now takes place, not once but twice: the wash is steam-heated, and the vapours
siphoned off and condensed as a spirit. This is the point at which the whisky is poured into
oak casks - usually ones which have already been used to store bourbon or sherry - and left
to age for a minimum of three years.
The average
maturation
period for a single malt whisky, however, is ten years; and the
longer it matures, the more expensive it is, because two percent evaporates each year. Unlike
wine, as soon as the whisky is bottled, maturation ceases.
sandwiches and other snacks to takeaway. Look out
too for
farmers' markets
(
W
scottishfarmersmarkets.
co.uk), which generally take place on Saturday and
Sunday mornings; local farmers and small producers,
from pig farmers to cheese-makers and small
smokeries, set up stalls to sell their specialist lines.
Scotland is notorious for its sweet tooth, and
cakes
and puddings
are taken very seriously. Bakers with
extensive displays of iced buns, cakes and cream-
filled pastries are a typical feature of any Scottish high
street, while home-made shortbread, scones or tablet
(a hard, crystalline form of fudge) are considered great
treats. In the summer, Scottish berries, in particular
raspberries and strawberries, are particularly tasty.
You'll also find a number of specialist cheese
shops, while many restaurants serve only
Scottish
cheeses
after dinner. Look out for Isle of Mull, a
tangy farmhouse cheddar; Dunsyre Blue, a Scottish
Dolcelatte; or farmhouse Dunlop, the local version
of cheddar.
local hotel bar. In Edinburgh and Glasgow you'll
find traditional pubs supplemented by upbeat,
trendy café-bars.
Pub
opening hours
are generally 11am to
11pm, but in the cities and towns, or anywhere
where there is demand, places stay open much
later. Whatever time the pub closes, “last orders” will
be called by the bar staff about fifteen minutes
before closing time to allow a bit of “drinking-up
time”. In general, you have to be 16 to enter a pub
unaccompanied, though some places are relaxed
about people bringing children in, or have special
family rooms and beer gardens where the kids can
run free. The legal drinking age is 18. As with the
rest of the UK,
smoking
is not allowed in any pubs,
bars or restaurants.
Whisky
Whisky
-
uisge beatha
, or the “water of life” in Gaelic -
has been produced in Scotland since the fifteenth
century, but only really took off in popularity after
the 1780 tax on claret made wine too expensive for
most people. The taxman soon caught up with
whisky, however, and drove the stills underground.
Today, many distilleries operate on the site of
simple cottages that once distilled the stuff illegally.
Despite the dominance of the blended whiskies
such as Johnnie Walker, Bell's, Teacher's and The
Famous Grouse,
single malt whisky
is infinitely
superior and, as a result, a great deal more
expensive.
Drinking
As in the rest of Britain, Scottish
pubs
, which origi-
nated as travellers' hostelries and coaching inns, are
the main social focal points of any community. Pubs
in Scotland vary hugely, from old-fashioned inns
with open fires and a convivial atmosphere, to
raucous theme pubs with loud music and satellite
TV. Out in the islands, pubs are few and far
between, with most drinking taking place in the
Single
malts
vary
in
character
