Single m alt whiskey: rating. Single m alt whiskey: names, prices

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Single m alt whiskey, which has the highest rating of all types of "water of life", as this type of drink is considered the highest quality, is prepared only on the basis of barley m alt and water. There can be no other grains in the real "single m alt". Depending on the manufacturer, the drink can be double or triple distilled, it can be aged in barrels for 3 years or 20 years. Somewhere it is allowed to add dyes (for example, in the USA it is actually mandatory), somewhere it is not.

The specifics of "single m alt"

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of single m alt whiskey brands in the world. The traditional "water of life" regions of Ireland and Scotland boast years of tradition and well-established production.

For example, Connemara Single Cask single m alt Irish whiskey won 20 gold medals in international competitions, including the title of “best in the world” in 2008, 2009. However,other countries are not far behind - a drink of this category is produced in the USA, Japan, Taiwan and some other countries.

Why "single m alt"? Variety names contain the name of the distillery that produced the product, and in the case of "single m alt" there are several meanings. And one of them is that this is a product of one distillery, where it is usually bottled. Sometimes blending of several varieties of different aging years is allowed.

The main ingredients for it are barley m alt and water. It is widely believed among experts that "single m alt", as this category of drink is called in English, is the highest quality of all types.

In the classic recipe, distillation is carried out in special copper stills only twice. Only a few Scottish distilleries have officially confirmed the right to distill three times. Another rule for making real single m alt is to age for at least three years, but many, if not most, producers allow the drink to mature in barrels for much longer.

Single M alt Whiskey: WWA Ranking (World Whiskeys Award)

The World Whiskeys Award was created by Whiskey Magazine. The WWA judging panel includes journalists, whiskey producers and sellers from all over the world. It has been held since 2007 and annually ranks the best drinks on the market.

In 2014, more than 300 varieties of drink were offered to the jury, and the title of the best was awarded in 10 categories. Winner in the category "Best2014 Single M alt Whiskey in the World" was recognized by Sullivans Cove French Oak Cask, produced in Tasmania. It is difficult to imagine a greater shock - especially since in all previous years, since 2007, the title of the best jury has alternately given either Scottish or Japanese products.

Now Sullivans is a single m alt whiskey that has skyrocketed in ratings. Winners in other categories, divided according to country of origin, are as follows.

Australia

Best whiskey - Sullivans Cove French Oak Cask.

The first stills appeared here in the 19th century, but the whiskey industry began to develop actively only in the 90s of the 20th century. However, already in 2008, one of the most famous experts in his field, the publisher of the Whiskey Bible, Jim Murray, gave several Australian products a very high rating - more than 90 points out of 100 possible.

USA

Winner - Balcones Texas Single M alt.

In the United States of America, most of the product produced there is bourbon, which is considered the country's national drink. However, there are other types, for example, single m alt whiskey, the rating and quality of which is no worse than Scottish and Irish varieties. It's no surprise that Balcones Texas Single M alt was voted Best American Whiskey by the WWA.

Asia

Best - Kavalan ex-Bourbon Oak, Taiwanese single m alt whisky. The names of the product, and before the plant, were givenin honor of the Kavalan people of the same name, who once lived on the territory where the distillery is now located.

Europe

• Slyrs PX Finishing won in the unspecified aging category.• Aged 12 years or less - Stauning Peated, 2nd Edition.

Ireland

This country is one of the traditional regions of whiskey production. Most varieties produced in Ireland are triple distilled. There are only three main producers here, including Old Bushmills Distillery, which is the oldest licensed company in the country. The WWA has selected the following Irish Beverage Winners:

• Connemara Peated Single M alt is the best single m alt Irish whiskey in the unspecified age category;

• aged 12 years or less - Bushmills 10 Years Old;

• aged 13-20 years - Bushmills 16 Years Old;• 21 years old and more - Teeling 21 Years Old.

Japan

In the Land of the Rising Sun, the first factory for the production of "water of life" appeared only in 1923, and by now the definition rightfully deserved by many other Japanese products - "high quality" is quite applicable to Japanese whiskey. The distillery products of this country are quite self-sufficient and have their own unique brand. In the WWA rankings, the top positions were occupied by varieties:

• Hakushu (in the unspecified aging category);

• Miyagiko 12 Years Old Sherry & Sweet (aged a dozen years or less);• in the last twocategories won "Yamazaki", 18 and 25 years old respectively.

South Africa - Three Ships 10 Years Old

Whiskey is very popular in South Africa, producing a variety of whiskey varieties and types, including single m alt, blended and others. The production of this drink on the continent began in the 19th century. 2014 Winner - Three Ships 10 Years Old.

Scotland

Scotch single m alt whiskey appeared at the end of the 18th century. Producers of this country consider it useful to age whiskey in barrels from 8 to 15 years. There is an opinion that this is exactly the time needed for this drink to acquire a special taste and aroma.

Now there are six main areas of scotch production in Scotland: highlands, plains, Isle of Islay, Campbeltown, islands, Speyside.

Highlands

Geographically, this is the largest scotch production area. It starts from the town of Vic (in the northern part of the country) and ends with the Glengoyne distillery in the south. Nowadays, more than 30 distilleries operate in this region. Grlenturret is also located here, considered the oldest distillery in Scotland. Distilleries in the region - Royal Lochnagar (once visited by Queen Victoria), Tomatin (considered the largest in the country), Royal Brackla, Lochside and others.

Plain

Once was a fairly large region for the production of adhesive tape. At the moment, only three distilleries are operating: Auchentoshan (practices triple distillation), Bladnoch (the mostsouthern country distillery), Glenkinchie.

Isle of Islay

Distillery Island whiskeys are often described as 'smoky' and 'medical'. The proximity of the sea gives them their own unique aroma, completely different from the aromas of Scotch highlands or valleys. Distilleries Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Laphroaig and others are located here.

Speyside

Area near the Spey River. Whiskeys from this region are known as m alt scotches with a sweet taste. This is one of the centers of production in the country, here is the largest number of distilleries. Previously considered part of the highlands. Here are the distilleries Cardhu, Glenfiddich, The Macallan and others.

Islands

The area unites all the islands of the country where scotch is produced, with the exception of Islay - Arran, Mal, Jura, Orkney and Skye. The Scotch Whiskey Association considers these areas part of the Highlands. Arran, Jura, Highland Park, Scapa and other distilleries are located here.

The following single m alt Scotch whiskeys won the 2014 WWA competition (champions were determined in four categories separately for each of the five regions):

• highlands - Glenmorangie Signet, Aberfeldy 12 Years Old, Tomatine 18 Years Old, and Aberfeldy 21 Years Old;
• islands - Jura Turas Mara, The Arran M alt 10 Years Old, Tobermory 15 Years Old;
• Isle of Islay - Ardbeg Ardbog, Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old, Bunnahabhain 18 Years Old, another Bunnahabhain 25 Years Old, and Glenkinchie 12 Years Old Scotch;
• Speyside - Glenfiddich Rick Oak, Benromach 10 YearsOld, Glenfiddich 15 Years Old Distillery Edition, The Glenlivet XXV;
• and finally Campbeltown - Longrow, Springbank 10 Years Old, Springbank 18 Years Old.

Gold Outstanding IWSC competitions

IWSC is an international spirits competition that has been held every year since 1969. This is one of the most prestigious competitions in the world of alcohol, and it has one unique feature - each drink participating in the competition undergoes a mandatory technical analysis for compliance with EU standards. IWSC uses "blind tasting" - drinks are served by the jury in the same glassware without any identifying features in order to achieve maximum objectivity in the assessment.

IWSC awards several awards at various levels. The most honorable is Gold Outstanding, awarded to alcohol of exceptionally high quality and taste. These are the unique characteristics of the whiskeys listed below.

Best single m alt Scotch whiskey (still the world's highest rated despite competition) was determined in multiple categories, resulting in 18 titles. The "Gold Outstanding" award was given to scotch tapes, selected separately for each region. Among the winners are products from distilleries Glenfiddich, Bowmore, Laphroaig, Deanston and others.

Irish whiskey single m alt. The rating includes only three products, and two of them are from the same distillery: Bushmills 10 and 16 years old and Teeling Vintage Reserve30 years old.

Taiwan

There is only one in Taiwan - Kavalan Single M alt Whiskey.

The factory was built by King Car Industrial Group. The corporation itself was founded in 1965 and operates in many areas - biotechnology, food, beverages. Her most famous brands include Mr. Brown and RTD Coffee, and now Kavalan. The Kavalan distillery produced its first bottle of whiskey in 2008.

The classic single m alt whiskey, so highly rated by the IWSC, is made from a complex recipe. Several types of casks are used: fresh sherry casks, bourbon casks, and recycled casks.

Besides, the Taiwanese product has one serious advantage - thanks to the warm climate of the country, whiskey matures faster, and a three-year-old drink can compete in taste and aroma with products aged 8-15 years from Scotland and Ireland.

In 2011, IWSC already awarded Kavalan Single M alt Whiskey - then he received a gold medal. Jim Murray in his "Whiskey Bible" also did not ignore him - the high appreciation of such a connoisseur is worth a lot and contributes to the well-deserved popularity of the drink.

How much do elite spirits cost?

How much do you have to pay for an elite whiskey, the winner of world competitions, in an average online store? For example, Connemara Peated Single M alt is a single m alt whiskey, its price fluctuates around 2000 rubles. It is unique in that it was the first product in modern history, inthe production of which used peat-dried m alt.

Taiwanese Kavalan Single M alt Whiskey sells for about 5,000 rubles. Scotch Laphroaig An Cuan Mor Single M alt Scotch Whiskey will cost connoisseurs from 5.5 thousand rubles. up to 7.5 thousand rubles And the price of Japanese single m alt whiskey only makes it more attractive - after all, the winner of many competitions and the owner of awards costs "only" about 60 thousand rubles.