Whisky is probably the best known of the products made in Scotland. Exports grew by 87% in the decade leading up to 2012, contributing more than £4.25 billion to the UK economy, accounting for a quarter of all food and drink revenues. [30] In 2012, the United States was the largest market for Scotch whisky (£655 million), followed by France (£535 million). [31] It is also one of the top five sources of income for the manufacturing sector in the UK, supporting around 35,000 jobs. [32] Major whisky producing areas include Speyside and the Isle of Islay, where nine distilleries are an important source of employment. In many places, the industry is closely linked to tourism, and many distilleries also act as attractions worth £30 million a year. In 1831, Aeneas Coffey patented the Coffey still, which allowed for cheaper and more efficient distillation of whisky.[33] In 1850, Andrew Usher began producing a blended whisky that blended the traditional whisky of the pot still with that of the new Coffey Still. The new distillation method was ridiculed by some Irish distillers who retained their traditional stills. Many Irish people claimed that the new product was not really whisky. [25] In 2022, India was producing many whiskies both for the local market – the world`s most lucrative whisky market – and for export. Indian single malts accounted for 15% of the local market in 2017 and increased to 33% in 2022. In the three years to 2022, Indian malt sales grew by an average of 42% per year, compared to 7% for imported competitors.
[61] Kavalan was the first private whisky distillery in Taiwan. In January 2010, one of the distillery`s products caused a stir by beating three Scotch whiskies and one English whisky at a blind tasting in Leith, Scotland, to celebrate Burns Night. [4] [5] The distillery was named World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year” for 2011 by Whisky Magazine, and its products have won several other awards. [3] In 2012, Kavalan`s soloist, Fino Sherry Cask Malt Whisky, was named “New Whisky of the Year” by Jim Murray in his guide Jim Murray`s Whisky Bible. [6] In 2015, Kavalan`s soloist, Vinho Barrique Single Cask, was named the world`s best single malt whisky by the World Whiskies Awards. [7] [8] In 2016, Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask was named the world`s best single malt whisky by the World Whisky Awards. [81] Canadian whiskies are available worldwide and are a culturally important export. Well-known brands include Crown Royal, Canadian Club, Seagram`s and Wiser`s. The historical popularity of Canadian whisky in the United States is partly due to the fact that rum runners imported it illegally into the country during the American prohibition era. One way to interpret state laws is to say that if federal laws allow whiskey distillation and production at home, a Missouri resident could do so without an additional license, while a resident of Illinois, for example, or Colorado still could not distill whiskey without a state license.
There are some exceptions at the state level. For example, Florida does not allow residents to own or operate stills for “lawful purposes,” even without obtaining a license. They are not hard to find, but something that results in a fine if the law is broken. Column stills are commonly used in the production of grain whiskey and are the type of stills most commonly used in the production of bourbon and other American whiskies. Column stills behave like a series of individual stills formed in a long vertical tube. While a single jar filled with wine can produce 40-60% alcohol-enriched steam, a column can still achieve a vapor alcohol content of 95.6%. An azeotropic mixture of alcohol and water. Making alcohol for drinking, however, is an entirely different beast. According to federal law, the production of alcohol at home is illegal, plain and simple.
What for? The distillation process was still in its infancy; The whisky itself was not allowed to age and therefore had a very raw and brutal taste compared to the current versions. Renaissance whisky was also very potent and undiluted. Over time, whisky has evolved into a much sweeter drink. The government cites several reasons for maintaining illegal distillation. First of all, it can be dangerous. Distilleries bring together two materials – alcohol vapor and heat sources – that can cause catastrophic explosions if not handled properly. In the 1820s, up to 14,000 illegal stills were seized each year, and more than half of the whisky consumed in Scotland was tasted without the tax officer taking his cut. According to a 2016 study, the French are the largest consumers of whisky in the world, especially Scotch. [51] Scotch whiskies are usually distilled twice, although some are distilled a third time and others even up to twenty times. [70] The Scotch Whisky Regulations state that anything bearing the “Scotch” label must be distilled in Scotland and aged in oak barrels for at least three years, among other more specific criteria.
[71] Any age indication on the bottle in the form of a number must reflect the age of the youngest Scotch whisky used to produce that product. A whisky with an indication of age is called a guaranteed age whisky. [72] Ageless Scotch whisky can legally only be three years old. [73] State laws governing the distillation of whiskey differ in two respects: legality and enforcement. In general, most states consider the distillation of whiskey (and other spirits) illegal, but there are some clear exceptions. Missouri, for example, allows residents to distill up to 100 gallons of spirits per year. Other states where distillation to make whiskey at home is legal include Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio and Rhode Island. The basic types of Scotch are malt and grain, which are combined into blends. Scotch malt whiskies have been divided into five main regions: Highland, Lowland, Islay, Speyside and Campbeltown. [74] Each of the whisky-producing regions has its own aromatic profile and different characteristics of the whisky they produce. [75] In 1823, the Excise Act was passed, which sanctioned the distillation of whisky for a licence fee of £10 and a fixed payment per gallon of liquor of evidence.
However, contrary to popular belief, it is not legal to make whiskey at home in the United States. There are urban legends (about how using a gallon even smaller than 1 gallon is acceptable) and TV shows like Moonshiners. But make no mistake, you are breaking various laws if you brew whiskey at home without a permit. Denmark began producing whisky in early 1974. The first Danish single malt released in 2005 was Lille Gadegård from Bornholm. [47] Lille Gadegård is also a winery and uses its own wine barrels to ripen whisky. Japan produces both single malt and blended whiskies. The base is malted barley puree, dried in ovens with a little peat (although less than for some peated Scotch whiskies) and distilled using the stills method. [66] [67] Prior to 2000, Japanese whisky was primarily destined for the domestic market and exports were limited. However, in recent years, Japanese whisky has gained popularity in the global market.