Four ways to distinguish a good Scotch whiskey

There are a lot of ways, traditions, standards, and even beliefs when it comes to making a fine bottle of scotch whiskey, which varies across a lot of distilleries around the world. From your usual single malt scotches to the famous American bourbons and the popular names like Jack Daniels and the very rare products from the far-flung areas of the Scottish Isles, there are a lot of elements that go towards in choosing a good whiskey.

If you are not a huge whiskey drinker, there is still a lot of reasons for you to buy a bottle of Scotch whiskey. It might be for yourself, or for a present, or you just want to stock it in your liquor cabinet, finding a bottle can be so easy, however, finding the best one out there is still a mystery.

So, how do you define a good bottle of Scotch whiskey? To find out more, keep reading this post from a well-known scotch whisky distillery in Scotland that will give you some important factors that will help you define a good Scotch whiskey.

1. Determine if there is an age statement– If the whiskey does not have its own age statement on it, this can mean that the liquid is anywhere between three to ten years old. While there are many superb younger whiskeys out there that has no age statement on its bottle, there are a lot of other types out there that are overpriced. Unless you are very sure that the bottle of a young whiskey that you bought is good, maybe that is ten years or even older especially if it has no age statement on its bottle.
2. Identify the five categories of Scotch whisky– There are five different categories of whiskies; the single malt which is the highest quality, the blended malt that is made from two or more distilleries, the single grain which is made from corn or wheat and not from barley, the blended grain that is made from malt along with wheat and corn, and the blended type that is a combination of malt, grain, and comes from two or more distilleries. Each type has its own quality and distinct taste and characteristics.
3. Find the maturation information– Almost a hundred percent of Scotch whiskey is matured in casks that come from other industries of alcoholic drinks, and sometimes its bottle includes some information about its maturity history. The American oak is providing a lighter and creamier profile, while the Sherry casks have a fruitier and tannic flavor to it while other casks like port or wine provide a fruitier element to it.
4. Determine if there are tasting notes– There is a lot of Scotch whiskey bottles that include tasting notes that describe its own contents and are served as a passable guide for your own expectations. The more the detail you can identify on the tasting notes, the better the whiskey. You can either identify tastes such as peat, smoky, heavy profile and even tastes like a bonfire, which are usually printed on its bottle to give you a hint of its flavor before pouring it on your glass.