The pleasure of a single malt
Whatever you do, never, ever, drown a single malt whisky in soda. The gods that look after whisky drinkers will smite you for the sacrilege.
Whatever you do, never, ever, drown a single malt whisky in soda. The gods that look after whisky drinkers will smite you for the sacrilege. You are allowed a drop or two of water. Or one, solitary ice cube if you must. That is allowed because of our hot climate. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
Thirty years ago, one rarely came across a bottle of single malt whisky. The few who had discovered its pleasures had their stock hidden in cupboards and seldom offered it to guests. The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich were the first brands to gain a wide following. Now there are dozens of brands to choose from. All of them are good if they come from Scotland. I am told that Australia, New Zealand, Japan and even the brewery in Murree in Pakistan produce single malts. But I don’t know anything about them since I have not encountered them. All I can tell you is that you can’t go wrong with Scotch single malts.
Mumbai has a single malts club organised by Anil Dharker. Twenty or so members take turns every month to play host. Several bottles are laid out to be tasted and enjoyed. There is cigar smoke in the air. I was a member when I lived in that city but was somewhat put off by the fact that it was an all-male affair. Shobhaa De wouldn’t let her husband join for that reason and she was right.
So what is a single malt whisky? It’s whisky that has been produced in one distillery. It is not a mixture of malt whiskies from several distilleries. It is made only from barley, as all malt whiskies are. If the bottle contains a mixture of malt whiskies from two or more breweries, it is labelled “Pure Malt” whisky and it is not a single malt whisky. What’s the difference? I am glad you asked.
Single malt Scotches are produced in more than a hundred distilleries. Each distillery uses malted barley as the base, but variants in the atmospheric conditions, the water, the shape of the still and the aging barrels are factors that determine the characteristics of the final product. The produce of two distilleries sitting next to each other can taste quite different.
Famous Grouse, Johnnie Walker and some other companies market whiskies which are labelled “Pure Malt”. It means that the whisky is made from malted barley, like the single malt whiskies. It is not blended with whisky made from any other grain. But it is a mixture of malt whiskies from several distilleries. That is neither here nor there. If you are going to pay that kind of price, you might as well go for whisky from a single distillery since it will have that distillery’s subtle qualities.
A novice would perhaps find a brand like Laphroaig overwhelming. It has the aroma of pipe smoke. It happens to be one of my favourite single malts. For beginners, I would recommend an entry level single malt like Glenfiddich, Glenlivet or Highland Park. They are smooth, easy-to-know whiskies and certainly superior to the more expensive blended Scotch. They cost around $32 in duty-free shops, about six dollars more than Johnnie Walker Black Label.
You can buy these bottles duty-free at our airports when you land. It saves you the hassle of carrying it on the plane from somewhere else. Our customs officers are generous and understanding when it comes to the number of bottles you can bring in, provided you are not loaded with electronic items. Here is a bit of gratuitous advice: never buy anything duty-free at London airport. The prices are ridiculous.
If you develop a taste for single malts you can move on to Macallans 12 year old which costs $37. From there the sky is the limit. Devotees with fat wallets have been known to pay $980 to taste one shot of fine single malt whisky. A bottle of Macallan ’46 is priced at $1,200. Scarcity is part of the appeal.
Traditionally there were four distilling regions in Scotland: Lowland, Highland, Islay and Campbelltown. Speyside is a modern sub-division of Highland. More than half of Scotland’s malt distilleries are located in Speyside. It is the home of Glenfiddich, the world’s best-selling single malt. Laphroaig comes from the island of Islay and one can detect the flavour of salt and seaweed. The ocean washes against the distillery’s walls. I have little patience with experts who get carried away when they describe tastes. They will tell you that a particular single malt has “touches of pear, apple and orange,” or “has a wonderful austerity with pine, tea and dried grass.” This is baloney and pretentious writing.
While the sales of blended Scotch worldwide have stagnated in recent years, those of single malts have soared. I will not bore you by listing the brands. Most single malts are aged at least eight years, some considerably longer. Incidentally, if you buy any eight-year-old Scotch and keep it for 10 years, it will stay eight year old. Ageing takes places in oak barrels, not in bottles.
Single malts are a slow pleasure to be drunk in moderation. Let me put it this way: an open bottle of blended whisky like Red Label does not stay more than a week or so in my cabinet. I have unfinished bottles of single malts that have been with me for months. I share them only with friends who appreciate them.
I will also drink a single malt alone, past midnight, in a Cognac glass, after a particularly satisfying evening out. I will turn on my music system. In the wee small hours of the morning, single malts go very well with melancholy recordings of Talat Mahmood and Geeta Dutt.
Write to patel_brunch@yahoo.co.uk
