Two Basic Types Of Whisky And Officer’s Choice Whisky
Whisky is a spirit made by fermenting and distilling grain mash. The alcoholic content in whisky is 43% abv. Different grains can be used to produce different types of whisky. There are two basic types of whisky: Malt whisky and Blended whisky.
Malt whisky is the original and is made exclusively from barley. A blended whisk is a combination of malt whisky and spirits from other grains. One of the popular Indian brands is Officer’s Choice (OC) which offers Officer’s Choice whisky. It is a blend of finely balanced malts and is an international favourite.
Basic types of whisky
The following are the basic two types of whiskies:
Malt whisky
The barley grain used for making this whisky is harvested and dried. The grain is allowed to germinate till a certain level and for this, it is steeped in water and dried. The grains are allowed to germinate, once they are soft the grains are slightly heated to stop the germination process. During the germination process, the enzymes convert the insoluble starch into soluble.
The malt is dried and then it is ground and hot water is added. This helps to convert the soluble starch into sugars. The liquid mixture is then fermented by adding yeast. In the fermentation process, the yeast breaks down the sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide.
The liquid mixture is then distilled using a large still to produce ‘Low wines’ and then redistilled using a smaller still to get a spirit of about 70% alcohol. The alcohol is then stored in wooden barrels and aged. Different types of barrels like oak, bourbon, sherry and Madeira offer different types of colours and flavours. Whisky is aged for a minimum of 3 years and some of the most superior whiskies are aged for ten to fifteen years.
Blended whisky
This whisky is a combination of a wide variety of malt whiskies with grain whisky. The grain whisky can be made by fermenting and distilling a range of unmalted grains like cron, rye, wheat and barley. The liquid mixture is distilled to produce 90% alcohol. Experienced blenders can blend the different types of whiskies to produce blended whisky. Blending is a skilled occupation. Lighter to fuller blends are made by increasing the proportion of malt whisky.
Neutral grain spirits are added to lighten the flavour and caramel is added to get the specific colour. A small amount of sherry or port wine may be added to help the flavours blend.
Whisky is particularly aged in charred white oak barrels. The alcohol, water and the congeners react over time. Water absorbs substances from wood during ageing. When the wood is charred the substances become more soluble in water. Ageing gives the whisky its colour and flavour.
