The beauty of whiskey is that it’s timeless and effortless. It can stand alone and when used in a cocktail; the fewer the ingredients, the better. This isn’t to say that whiskey isn’t a complex spirit; quite the contrary. There are regional differences; whiskeys can be single malt, single grain or blended; whisky made in Scotland is referred to as Scotch in the U.S. and Irish whiskey is always spelled with an “e”; some are corn-based and only made Kentucky and others have a sweet flavor and can only be produced in Tennessee.
While it takes years to become a connoisseur, I’ve broken down the art and science of whiskeys so the next time you want to be Cheeky, er, impressive, you can order a Single Highlands Malt Scotch and actually know what you’re talking about.
Irish Whiskey
Similar to Scotch whisky in the sense that both are produced from malted barley, the main difference is in the distillation process. Irish whiskey is distilled three times (Scotch is distilled twice), so smoothness is a consistent quality and there are far fewer distilleries in Ireland than in Scotland.
Bushmills 1608
Jameson
Scotch Whisky
Over ninety percent of the whisky produced in Scotland is blended, meaning the spirit consists of 10-50% malt whisky and grain whisky. Premium blended Scotch whiskies such as The Glenlivet, Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker and J&B have higher malt to grain ratio which produces a finer tasting spirit. Blended Scotch whiskies are more popular than a single malt, so if you’re a novice whisky drinker, try a blended Scotch.
The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch
Scapa 16-Year-Old (New Single Malt from Scotland s Orkney Island)
Chivas Regal 25 year old
Dewar’s 12 year old
Kentucky Bourbon
An American aged whiskey named for Bourbon County, Kentucky, bourbon is legally required to be made of a grain mixture of at least 51% corn which results in a sweet flavor with caramel vanilla aromas and a clean finish. While any U.S. state can produce bourbon (as long as it meets the federal standards of bourbon identity), 90% of distilleries are located in Kentucky. Like a fine wine, there’s bourbon for every occasion and little tweaks like adding a splash of water or switching from a whiskey aged 10 years to 12 years makes a difference.
Knob Creek
Jim Beam Black
Tennessee Whiskey
In general, Tennessee Whiskey meets all of the requirements to be a bourbon, but it’s the charcoal mellowing process – originally introduced as the “Lincoln County Process”- that sets this family apart.
Jack Daniels
New to the Scene:
(ri) 1 Rye Whiskey has a light, slightly spicy flavor and a long, luxurious finish. It has an ultra modern bottle and is, oh-so-sleek and cool. And you thought that whiskey was what your grandpa drank. Nope, it’s uber cheeky.
Try (ri) 1 with your next Manhattan or pair it with pomegranate juice, a fresh cinnamon stick and lemon juice.
Drown your sorrows at any one of the following whiskey bars…
• Delilah’s (2771 N. Lincoln)
• Risque Café (3419 N Clark)
• The Gage (24 S. Michigan)
• The Duke of Perth (2913 N. Clark)
