Whiskey online in the UK
Whiskey is deservedly considered one of the courageous drinks, it has a long and glorious history, which will not be boring to listen to in the company of friends, slowly sipping it from a glass. Our site offers an extensive collection of whisky online, which will please connoisseurs of this drink, and those just starting to get acquainted with it. We present exclusively licensed products from leading brands that have already earned recognition in the global market, and now you can fully appreciate their products.
Buying whiskey is not an easy task, especially when you have not yet decided on your favourite producer or region, so we will try to understand the complex and confusing world of whiskey.
How was whiskey created?
The history of the creation of whiskey is very ambiguous: for several centuries, the Irish and Scots have appropriated the idea of creating whiskey to themselves and categorically refuse to give in to their rival. Therefore, it would be correct to talk in each story separately because the whiskey of both Ireland and Scotland is very different in taste and manufacturing technology, but they play a major role in deciding the question “how to buy whisky online in UK correctly?”
So, the Scots claim that their teachers in the production of whiskey were missionaries who received valuable information from the crusaders who fought in the East about the basics of distillation. It was decided to replace the grapes in the original version with barley, fumigated with peat, add water, which was enough in Scotland, and “season” with marine notes. And already, at the end of the fifteenth century, the name was approved, which, as a result of metamorphosis, was transformed into the modern whiskey.
Their opponents, the Irish, claim that the creation of whiskey is the work of none other than St. Patrick himself! It was the creation of the divine drink that Patrick, first of all, took up, setting foot on Irish land, followed by the conversion of pagans to Christianity and the expulsion of snakes. What the Irish have certainly excelled at is selling whiskey to other countries. While the Scots were enjoying their creation alone, the Irish obtained a patent and were in full swing selling whiskey worldwide through English intermediaries.
How to buy whiskey that’s right for you?
So, let’s divide all whiskey into two categories: malt and blended.
Single Malt Whiskey is a single-distillery barley malt drink that belongs to the highest rank of whiskey. You cannot buy whisky online cheap, but the money spent is worth it.
Whiskey Blend – the second category of whiskey, implying mixing or otherwise blending grain and malt spirits in different proportions, in various quantities and from different distilleries, as it happens – is known only to the master – the blender. This whiskey is cheaper to buy than its opponent, but sometimes the richness of the blend’s aromas can outshine even a single malt competitor.
Which country is better to buy whiskey?
The Scots, after preliminary preparation, dry the barley with peat smoke, which in each region has its own characteristics and, as a result, lays the character of the resulting whiskey. From this malt, in the course of long manipulations, a fermenting mixture is obtained. Later, it is driven twice or three times through the cubes (whoever considers it necessary), receiving pure strong alcohol at the output, placed in wood barrels, where it is kept for at least three years. Then it is filtered, brought to the required condition and poured into containers for further sale. In short, if you want to know more about products before buying whiskey, you will be helped by our online alcohol store. You can buy Scotch Whisky with online delivery in the UK in our store.
The Irish are less scrupulous about the production of whiskey: they write off the delights of their drink on pure Irish water, in which they soak and germinate the grain during the wort creation process when the grain is sufficiently grown, it is ground, brought to the desired consistency and left to ferment. Double or triple distillation (as you like), placing in barrels no more than 700 liters for at least three years – and you have real Irish whiskey in your hands. But not everything is so simple because it is not for nothing that Irish whiskey has so many admirers: if it were empty and uninteresting, they would not drink it.
Do not forget about American and Canadian whiskey, the abundance and popularity of which is simply off the scale. Canadians prefer rye and wheat when preparing their drink, in the United States, it is corn, the percentage of which must be more than half the base to order to bear the title of bourbon. To be called bourbon, the drink must also be produced exclusively in the United States, have a strength of at least 40% and be aged in new, pre-burnt oak. Also, the Americans missed the moment of malting, and the exposure was reduced to a minimum of three months. Bourbon is diverse and beautiful, you just need to be able to figure it out.
There is a separate category of seemingly unusual corners of the Earth: Indian, Japanese, Taiwanese, French whiskey – for every taste and aroma! But they all tend to use Scottish or Irish production methods, adding only their minor adjustments.
Classification by criteria
The flavour profile is directly related to the malting process. Here, the amount of water, filtration, container characteristics, the shape of the distillation product, air temperature and holding time play an important role. The naturalness of the barrel material has positive and negative sides. During the ageing process, a wooden barrel is impregnated with the characteristic aroma of the product, but this is often used in the classic technology of whiskey preparation. After a certain period, the product is moved from one barrel to another, thereby achieving a harmonious mixing of odours. This also affects the taste characteristics of the product.
Scotch whiskey is considered a classic, the name of which comes from the pioneering country. It has average strength, sweetness and the correct aftertaste. Irish whiskey is also popular. It is distributed all over the world. It is important to understand that they differ in production technology. While in Scotland, it is customary to dry malt on peat for a smoky aftertaste, they use peat-free oven drying. In Ireland, the drink gets its maximum softness in this way.
Features of the production and use of whiskey
The drink is characterised by an ageing period of three years, after which the product is called the word whiskey. The minimum term should only apply to the grain base, while this is not enough for malt. For its ripening, in captivity, it is kept up to twenty years. Exclusive varieties are distinguished by the longest period, from twenty years. Rare specimens have been kept for half a century.
Whiskey is accepted as an aperitif and digestif, depending on the country’s traditions of the country and the type of drink. It is recommended to fill the nosing glass with alcohol, the aroma of the drink is most expressed in it. The tapered top helps concentrate liquid vapours in the right direction.
We have selected an assortment based on our own many years of experience, recommendations of our partners, and authoritative international publications for our clients. Our online whisky shop offers you brands that have stood the test of time by experts and consumers all over the world. These are drinks for a romantic dinner, and a festive feast, and a noisy picnic, and a gift to a dear friend, and the creation of an exclusive collection.