[#AllAboutWhiskyPh] Grain Whisk(e)y.

When we talk about whisky here, there always appears to be a bias towards malt whisky. In the Philippines, leveling up your whisky game always tends to mean buying a nice single malt.

While single malts can be great, one would be missing out if you aren't open to exploring the great whiskies classified as #GrainWhisky. But what is grain whisky?

Don't be confused by the term. Practically all whisky starts their lives as grains. Be it barley, corn, rye, or wheat, among others. The mix of grain components for making the whisky is called a "mash bill". What grain whisky is depends on the country where it is made.

In Scotland, barley is king. To be a "malt whisky" Scottish law requires that the grains used must consist of 100% barley (no other cereal grains) and be distilled in a pot still.

If the whisky consists of some other grain or if it's distilled in a column still, then it is considered a grain whisky.

Since column still distillation can tend to produce more volume, grain whiskies have unfairly earned a reputation as a commercialized blending component.

But there are some great #scotch grain whiskies out there. The #CompassBox Hedonism is an example of an exceptional Blended Grain Scotch. It's nice and crisp but also very creamy.

From the perspective of Irish Law🇨🇮, Irish Grain Whiskey refers to whiskey made using no more than 30% malted barley in combination with other whole unmalted cereals such as corn or wheat, and distilled in column stills.

I've tried the Teeling Single Grain, matured in California Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks. Amazing value for money.

Finally, US Law 🇺🇸 isn't as big on defining grain whiskies. This makes sense considering that their main whiskey product, #bourbon, must have a mash bill that consists of at least 51% corn.

Here I got a great 10yo Russel's Reserve Bourbon. It's a bit different from the other two bottles, but still pretty darn tasty.

So how do grain whiskies differ in taste from malt ones? Well, it actually depends on the grains being used, as corn, rye, wheat and barley all have different taste profiles. Cheers!🥃

Image Courtesy of @WhiskyPH

@WhiskyPH

At its core, whisky appreciation is an exercise in memory. Notes of a whisky enthusiast in the Philippines. 🥃🇵🇭