Whisky Facts
What is the name of the food grade colouring that you are legally allowed to add to Scotch Whisky?
E150C
What is a dram?
An arbitrary measure of whisky
Which is the correct spelling of whisky or whiskey.
Both depending on where it was produced; most of the world apart from much of Ireland and some of America does not use the ‘e’
What whisky has the highest PPM?
Bruichladdich Octomore 6.3 has a mind-blowing PPM of 258
How many active distilleries are there in Scotland as at December 2019?
Over 120
What is the % lost to the the Angels’ Share in Scotland?
~2% each year
What is the % lost to the the Angels’ Share in India?
14% each year
Taking two casks one maturing in Scotland and the other in India, what difference would you notice in ABV over time?
In Scotland the ABV goes down
In India the ABV goes up
What species of wood is virtually all whisky matured in around the world?
Oak
What are the three main types of oak used in whisky maturation?
Quercus Robur (European Oak)
Quercus Alba (American Oak)
Quercus Mongolica (Japanese Oak)
How do you pronounce Laphroaig?
La-fr-oy-g
Which distillery in Scotland was the first licensed whisky distillery?
The Glenlivet
What metal are whisky stills made from?
Copper
Name the six basic steps in the whisky making process
Malting > Mashing > Fermenting > Distilling > Ageing > Bottling
What are five styles of Scotch whisky?
Blended Scotch Whisky > Blended Malt Whisky > Single Grain Whisky > Single Malt Whisky > Single Cask Whisky
What is the difference between Single Malt and Blended Scotch Whisky?
Single malt Scotch whisky is still a blend, but it is a blend of whiskies from one distillery whereas blended Scotch whisky is a blend of grain and malt whiskies from multiple distilleries
How much of the Scotch whisky industry does Blended Scotch account for?
Over 91%!
What’s the minimum age a Scotch whisky must be matured for?
3 years
How much of the flavour of whisky comes from the cask?
The cask the spirit goes into makes up around 70% of the flavour of the end whisky
How much of the colour of whisky comes from the cask?
100% ! Yes, it goes in as a clear, fresh spirit and all the colour is drawn from the wood it matures in… unless food grade colouring added to present a consistent product to whisky drinkers
What was the value of Scotch whisky exports in 2018?
Exports of Scotch whisky grew to £4.7bn, according to official HMRC figures
Name the country that is the biggest consumer of Scotch whisky in the world?
France – 188 million bottles per year are consumed
Name the top three biggest whisky drinking nations
France, United States, India
How many bottles of Scotch are exported every second?
41 bottles of Scotch were shipped overseas each second in 2018
How many countries in the world drink Scotch whisky?
175
How many people are employed by the Scotch whisky industry in Scotland?
10,000 directly, and Scotch supports a further 30,000 around the UK
What popular condiment would not exist without whisky casks?
Tabasco
What is the name of the fresh spirit to run from a whisky still?
New make / Clearac / White Dog – depending where you are in the world
What links blenders Johnnie Walker, George Ballantine and John Dewar?
They were all grocers who began blending whisky
Who was the first blender of Scotch whisky?
Andrew Usher in the 19th Century
Greg
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