How to pour
a scotch in
Let the bottle and glass reach room temperature, 18 to 20 degrees. Straight from the refrigerator, the aroma closes up and you mainly taste alcohol.
Pour 4 cl into the tulip-shaped glass, just above the widest point. Filling it higher allows the vapours to overpower the finer notes.
Smell it from a distance first, then bring it closer, with your mouth slightly open. With a peated whisky, this is where you smell the smoke absorbed by the grain while the malt was being dried.
Take small sips, then add two drops of cold water. This brings out notes that initially faded away; ice does the opposite and closes off the aroma.
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The story
The classification of scotch revolves around two questions: which grain, and how many distilleries. Single malt comes from a single distillery and is made only from malted barley. Single grain also comes from a single distillery, but other grains may be included. Blended malt mixes single malts from multiple distilleries, blended grain does the same with single grains, and blended scotch combines malt with grain. Blended is therefore not inferior to single malt; it is something different: the blender seeks a consistent profile that makes every bottle taste the same, while a single malt conveys the character of a single place.
The right glass
For scotch, you want a tulip-shaped glass: the bowl gives the aroma room, and the inward-curving rim directs it to your nose. A wide tumbler does the opposite and lets the vapors spread out, putting the alcohol first. We do not sell a glass with the word scotch on it; these two models are made for whisky and do exactly that job. Both stand on a sturdy, solid base rather than a long stem, so hold them at the bottom; otherwise your hand will warm the whisky. More shapes are available among the tasting glasses.
Schott Zwiesel Bar Special Whisky Nosing Glass 32 cl (6 pieces)
Lehmann Islay tasting glass 12 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 86,65.
The right tools
For a scotch, besides the glass, use a jigger to measure 4 cl and a bar spoon to add the water drop by drop. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 79,60.
What does this go with?
Scotch belongs in the cabinet alongside the other aged grains and grapes. Put it next to bourbon to hear what corn does to whiskey, and next to Jameson for the Irish answer to the same question. On every drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails pair with it and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
If you want to look beyond the bottle you know, visit the five regions: Speyside, Highlands, Lowlands, Islay and Campbeltown. A peated Islay alongside a lighter Lowland in the same glass immediately shows how far those styles differ. Also take a look at Japanese whisky, which took the Scottish way of working as its example and keeps the spelling without an e. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Servingtip
Pour 4 cl at 18 to 20 degrees and place a glass of cold water beside it. Two drops of water open up the aroma; ice cools the whisky so much that little of its aroma remains. A piece of dark chocolate or a handful of walnuts softens the alcohol without suppressing the fruit.
Good to know
Whisky without an e, whiskey with an e
Scotch is spelled whisky, without an e. Irish and American bottles usually say whiskey, with an e, while Japanese bottles follow the Scottish spelling. It is not a seal of quality and says nothing about the quality, but on a label it is the first thing that reveals where the bottle comes from.
Five types under one name
Single malt comes from a single distillery and is made only from malted barley. Single grain also comes from a single distillery, but may contain other grains. Blended malt mixes single malts from multiple distilleries, blended grain does the same with single grains, and blended Scotch combines malt with grain. Blended is therefore not inferior to single malt; it is simply different.
Where the smoke comes from
The smoke in whisky does not come from the cask but from drying the malt. If wet barley is dried over a peat fire, the smoke settles into the grain and remains there all the way to the glass. Without peat, there is no smoke. Islay is known for heavily peated whisky, but unpeated whisky is also made there.
At least three years in oak, in Scotland
Scotch must mature in oak casks for at least three years, and this must happen in Scotland. After that, it may be bottled. Many bottles mature for longer, but three years is the minimum; if there is no age statement on the label, you only know that this minimum has been met.
The age is that of the youngest whisky
If there is an age statement on the bottle, it refers to the youngest whisky it contains. Older whisky may be included, but never younger whisky. So in a blend from dozens of casks, the youngest cask determines what may appear on the label.
The five regions
Speyside has the most distilleries of all the regions. The Highlands are the largest area, and therefore also the area with the broadest range of styles. The Lowlands are known for lighter, softer whisky. Islay is the island known for peated, smoky whisky. Campbeltown is the smallest region, with just a handful of distilleries.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between scotch and whisky?
Scotch is whisky from Scotland. Whisky is the collective term for a spirit made from grain and matured in oak casks; scotch is the Scottish version, with its own rules. It must spend at least three years in oak casks in Scotland, and you spell it without an e.
What is the difference between single malt and blended scotch?
Single malt comes from a single distillery and is made only from malted barley. Blended scotch combines malt whisky with grain whisky, usually from multiple distilleries. Blended is therefore not inferior, but simply different: the blender aims for a consistent profile that makes every bottle taste the same.
Why does some scotch taste smoky?
That smoke comes from peat. When malted barley is dried over a peat fire, the smoke settles into the grain, and you can taste it in the glass. The cask has nothing to do with it. Without peat, there is no smoke.
Which glass do you use for scotch?
A tulip-shaped nosing glass holding roughly 10 to 20 cl. The bowl gives the aroma room, while the narrow rim directs it towards your nose. In a wide tumbler, the vapour disperses and the alcohol takes centre stage; that tumbler is mainly for whisky with one large ice cube.
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