Happy Hour: Single Malt Whisky 101

The Foodies' KitchenAugust 5, 2021

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Single malt whisky is often associated with Scotland, however single malts can be made anywhere in the world but refer to whisky from only one distillery. We can find single malt whisky production in Japan, Italy, India, and Australia, to name a few.

The grain used to produce single malt whisky is malted barley. Blended whiskies are made from malted (barley) whisky and grain whisky, this is where the Master Blender’s job comes in, to ensure the consistent taste year after year.

So, now that you have purchased a quality single malt whisky bottle, or are thinking about it, you should know that drinking single malt, or any whisk(e)y, is a multi-sensory experience, so we will guide you with the basics to make the most out of your dram.

The Temperature

Drinks or cocktails are usually served chilled. But, to really enjoy your single malt’s tasting and smelling notes, it is best served at room temperature.

The Glass

A tulip-shaped glass will allow you to do the following: swirl your whisky around, without spilling it. Swirling your whisky (like you see people do with wine) will help volatize the aromas and flavors. The narrower top helps to concentrate the aromas so you can really smell the notes, you can find these types of glasses online.

Nosing your Single Malt

After pouring your whisky (1.5 oz), you would think to go straight to taking a sip. But, to enjoy the whole experience first you should nose your whisky. This means after pouring it, hold the glass under your nose and take a deep breath to smell it. Take a mental note of what the smell reminds you of. Repeat a few times to see what notes you pick up. As you let the whisky “breathe” for a few minutes different notes will come up.

Tasting

After smelling it a few times and identifying some aromas, it is time to taste. Take a small sip of your whisky and let it sit on your tongue for a moment, let it swirl in your mouth a few times. This way you will be able to appreciate the different tasting notes. By adding maybe half a teaspoon of water to your glass, and swirling to mix, you will “open up” the whisky and different tasting notes will appear.

Water and Ice

Though purists will say single malt whisky should only be drunk neat. If you are to dilute your whisky, it should be with water.

Using ice to serve on the rocks is also common, but reducing the drink’s temperature significantly reduces its flavor, and as the ice melts, it will dilute it. At the end, it all comes down to preference, and the point is to enjoy it.

Singleton 12 is a single malt whisky that is a very good choice for those who are new to whisky tasting. So you can try out our tips for yourself, and since this is a multi-sensory experience, as you read on we will tell you about the nose and tasting notes to see if you can find them too when you purchase your bottle, and we will recommend a food pairing to make it a complete experience. You can find it at Vinoteca stores.

Singleton 12

Color: Deep gold
Body: Smooth, Medium
Nose: First, wood (oak) and nuts (hazelnuts) dominate, then fruits (baked apples, pears) and dried (dates) take over, also brown sugar. Some citrus notes will appear, which is typical of Speyside Whisky Next, there is a mossy note.
Taste: “oily” in texture, at first, and sweet. Warming and pleasant. After, some of the bitter tasting notes make their presence (coffee) It has a long aftertaste with a dry finish. If adding a bit of water (1/2 a teaspoon to 1.5 oz of whiskey), sweeter notes arise and the finish has a nuttier flavor.
Food Pairing:
- Fruits: pears, apples, grapes.
- Cheese: Gouda or Roquefort
- Chocolate: Orange-Chocolate Bread and cured meats.

Helga & Kitty

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