By now you should have polished off at least one batch of diablos and whipped up another couple for tonight's Day of the Dead party. Need to quench your booze building thirst? Houstonist is enjoying a nice draught of Scotch right now.I love Scotch. Scotchy Scotch Scotch. It goes down. Down into my belly.
Ron Burgundy
Raise your hand if you know what Scotch is? O.K. You're nerds. You probably need to take Step 1. For the rest of you, Scotch was officially defined by the Scotch Whisky Act of 1988 as spirits:(a)which have been produced by the distillation of a mash of cereals which has been:More of Houstonist's super basic Scotch basics after the jump. So JUMP!
(i)saccharified by the diastase of the malt contained therein, with or without other natural enzymes; and
(ii)fermented by the action of yeast, to an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8 per cent by volume so that the distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used; and
(b)which have matured for at least three years in wooden casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 litres.
You've probably heard Scotch referred to as single malt or blended. Single malt, or really 'single' anything, means that all of the spirits in the bottle were produced by the same distillery. In this case, the type of grain used is defined by "malt" which means malted barley. Blended means that the spirits were produced by at least two, potentially more, distilleries. There are also distinctions for the types of grains used as well. Clear? Suuuure.
The key to drinking Scotch is to recognize what's actually in your glass. Scotch, especially a nice single malt, is not something you typically shoot, mix (aside from water or soda) or "pour out for your homies." Further, the flavor of the whisky depends on the region of Scotland in which it was produced. Order up a pour, "Glenfiddich. Neat." Now, fight the urge to feel sophisticated by having just ordered a real drink, and slowly take a sip, letting the whisky float across your tongue. It's the same technique as when you are enjoying a fine bottle of wine. And, that caramelly brown colored fluid in your glass has as much to offer your palate as the bottle of burgundy you polished off during dinner.
Scotch mavens, please do the rest of us a favor: light up the comments to let us know where we can find the best Scotch in town.
Have a drink we should spread to the masses? Send it along [jason at houstonist dot com], and we just may post it after some extensive testing.
Don't be a dumbass. Drink responsibly or take a cab.
--- Photo: flickr user matt.
Contact the author of this article or email tips@houstonist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
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