Introducing our Whisky Flavour Map
In our first post, we are introducing our own whisky flavour map! Using a 10 x 10 grid, we have consolidated the information in the web and plotted some of our favourite whiskies.
- Delicate: The whiskies at this end of the axis normally use no peat in the malting process. While movement up the axis sees an increase in complexity, this is without any discernible level of smokiness derived by peat. Towards the light end there is a floral, grassy freshness. Moving towards the richer side of the map, subtler nutty, barley and biscuity flavours start to come through.
- Smoky: Single malts found in the two smoky quadrants all contain discernible levels of peat, which is burned in the malting process. Ranging from scented smoke and bonfires, to kippers and lapsang souchong, they’re epitomised by Islay malts such as Lagavulin and Caol Ila.
- Light: This end of the vertical axis houses whiskies whose characteristics exhibit fresh flavours: green grass, soft fruits, cereal. Such flavours tend to reflect the processes followed by a distillery, such as fermentation or size and shape of the stills.
- Rich: Whiskies at the rich end of the axis contain characteristics often derived from the nature of the wood used during maturation. Typical flavours range from vanilla (given by American oak casks) to nuttiness to cigar box, chocolate and dried fruit (from European oak casks). Whether a cask is first fill or refill will make a difference to flavour.
(via malts.com)
Light and Smoky
The unlikely combination of light flavours and peatiness brings a different level of complexity to those in this category. Every taste just seems oh so slightly different, leading to intense discussions on exactly where to place these whiskies. The best way to verify this is to try them all!
Our pick for this category is the Springbank 10 YO. The Springbank distillery is one of the three distilleries in Campbeltown, which was once called the “whisky capital of Scotland” and home to more than 30 distilleries.
Springbank is produced using lightly-peated barley and a unique two-and-a-half-times distillation. This gives the whisky a character all of its own, making it stand out as a must-have dram on anyone’s shelf. Produced using the most traditional of production techniques, from floor malting all the way through to the bottling stage, Springbank can best be described as a “hand-made” single malt. (springbankwhisky.com)
Smoky and Rich
The whiskies in this quadrant are described as “pungent smoky, peaty richness with hints of dried fruits and sherry richness”. Often paired with a cigar or cheese to bring out the myriad of flavours. Yum!
Our pick for this category is the Lagavulin 16 YO. A classic Islay single malt with massive peat. We could go on and on about this iconic bottling but we think the following review from Amazon says it best!
You open the bottle and the smell hits you. This ain’t no frilly Scotch. This Scotch is going to put hair in places you may not be accustomed to having it. You take a sip and your voice drops. You take a second sip and suddenly you have an oversized sword in your left hand. At this point your wife is confused and the kids are scared, but there’s no turning back. After the third sip the accent comes. Slowly at first. An ‘aye’ here, a ‘lad’ there. But slowly takes a back seat after the fourth sip. Your accent is now full steam, you look out the window and Brian Cox nods in approval. A kilt falls from the ceiling as you realize you’re now naked. You stand proud, take the fifth sip, and your wife looks at you with hunger in her eyes. It’s a good day to be a Scotch drinker.
Light and Delicate
Many of our local favourites make an appearance in this category. Fragrant and fresh with a clean, crisp aftertaste, we always start our whisky tasting sessions with one of these to get the juices flowing.
Our pick for this category is the Deanston 12 YO. Deanston started life as a cotton mill in 1785 before being transformed into a distillery in 1966. The constant supply of pure water from the River Teith contributed to the decision to turn the mill into a distillery and Deanston is now the only distillery in Scotland to be self-sufficient in electricity, with power generated by an on-site hydro-energy facility. The 12 YO bottling is a lightly peated, pleasant “any time of the day” whisky with unexpectedly long finish.
I don’t feel this whisky is trying to be something it’s not and what it is is fantastically unique. A single malt that starts out with some wonderfully light sweetness and then proceeds to balance that out with some tartness on the mid palate and finally finishes off dry. Spectacularly unique
(via whisky-advice.com)
Rich & Delicate
Deep flavours with fruity and nutty overtones, these whiskies are a tasty treat!
Our pick for the category is the Bunnahabhain 18 YO. The Bunnahabhain distillery is referred to as the “contrarian of Islay distilleries” for using unpeated or lightly peated malt for its whiskies hence its appearance in this category. We chose this as a unique representation of this category of whiskies as it is delicate and yet still representative of the distinctive oily/waxy taste of Islay.
There is something quirky and odd about this one. Something akin to a distinguished old man wandering the halls of a nursing home with his ass hanging out the back of his dressing gown. Bearing both age and zip, this Lazarus act is one of the whisky sphere’s greatest miracles in recent years (Curt)
Hope this was informative. Cheers and have a great week ahead!
