The history of whisky production within Scotland, Ireland and England is rich in history. Uisge Beatha – the water of life – has a story that is both religious and rebellious.
For centuries it provided an unregulated, but essential income source to rural people in Scotland and Ireland and was an indulgence for Highland ladies and English the aristocracy.
The brief background of distillation
Distillation, particularly in its most simple form, has been used in Great Britain and Ireland for centuries. However, this ancient tradition is said to date back over millennia, in areas that were civilised, but not part of Europe.
It is through the transfer of knowledge about distillation and the modification of the ingredients and methods used to create whisky, that the art of whisky-making has emerged.
Early distilling techniques were most likely used to create of ‘perfumes, aromatics’, rather than the distillations of alcohol. The earliest record of alcohol being distilled occurred in Italy, in the 13th Century.
As the practice of distilling spirits became more widespread throughout the medieval period of Europe, it was predominantly employed for medicinal reasons by monks, who created it in monasteries.
The origins of whisky were in England, Scotland and Ireland
There is no clear known evidence to support the precise origins of whisky’s origins in England, Scotland and Ireland. Some believe that the crude precursor of modern whisky may have been discovered by farmers who were who were distilling spirit from excess grains.
Another, more widely-held theory has it that distillation of whisky was brought over by missionary monks travelling between Ireland, Scotland and mainland Europe.
According to some, the use of distilled spirits remained a largely medical and religious practice until the 1500s.
Between 1536 between 1536 and 1541 Between 1536 and 1541, King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries and scattered monks among the general population. This caused whisky and distillery production to be taken up in the homes or on the farms.
Etymology
Its Latin name for distilled alcohol was ‘aquavitae meaning ‘water of life which was translated into Gaelic as “uisge beatha” (pronounced uska beg). In time, the name was changed to uska, and later evolved into “whisky” as we know it in the present.
Certain dates that are significant throughout the history of whisky
1405 – The first written record of whisky was found within the Irish Annals of Clonmacnoise, where it was documented that the chief of one of the clans had died due to ‘taking an excess of aqua vitale’
1494 – documented evidence of the distilling of whisky occurring in Scotland. It’s recorded on the Exchequer Rolls of 1494 that King James IV of Scotland ‘granted 8 bolls’ of grain to make aqua vitae’ for Friar John Corr
1536 -1541 1536-1541 Henry VIII dissolves the monasteries. Monks, along with their distillation practices, eventually become part of the general population
The 1600s saw whisky distillation introduced into North America by Scottish and Irish immigrants
1608 – royal licence issued to Old Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland to distill whisky.
1707 The Acts of Union merged the Kingdoms of Scotland and England, as well as their legislatures. This was the year that saw increasing attempts to tax and control illicit whisky distillation
1725 – a malt taxes is imposed, which could threaten the small-scale whisky distillers that are not legally operating.
1822 1822 – 1822 – The Illicit Distillation (Scotland) Act implemented, which imposes harsher penalties for the production or consumption of whisky that is illegally produced.
1823 Excise Duty Act – a license fee for distilling whisky was enacted and the whiskey duty was significantly decreased
1830 1830 – Aeneas Coffey patents his “continuous still that would later revolutionize whisky production and allow blended whisky varieties to enter the market.
A cottage industry
Once distillation’s knowledge was spread to the general population in Scotland and Ireland Whisky production grew into an increasingly popular cottage industry for centuries to come.
The process of distillation however, was quite new. The spirit that was produced was not aged like modern whisky. This resulted in rough, strong and unbalanced product.
Duty and tax on whisky
In 1707, The Acts of Union took effect and the Kingdoms of Scotland and England were united in order to create Great Britain. The Government tried to control whisky production, by imposing a range of taxes.
In 1725, Parliament enacted the malt tax, which was major danger to the small-scale cottage industry of whisky production. Scottish as well as Irish distillers generally did not respond by avoiding the tax which made whisky production increasingly a criminal business.
In Ireland, the introduction of the tax for whisky manufacturing was a major blow to the legal whisky industry. Licenced distillers of ‘parliament whiskey’ (whisky legally produced under licence) plummeted from 1,228 in 1779 to 246 by 1780.
Moonshine and pomegranate
Whilst the new taxes being brought in to try and regulate whisky production were reaping ruin on the legitimate industry in Ireland, the production of poteen (whisky’s illicit counterpart) was booming. Poteen was generally regarded as of a higher quality than “parliament” whiskey because of the pressures licensed distilleries were subjected to in order to turn out their product and turn profits.
In 1882, there were just 40 legally licensed distilleries across the whole of Ireland however it is thought that, in the Donegal region alone, there were over 800 illicit stills brewing whisky.
In Scotland there was a lot of acceptance by the public of whisky that was illegal production. The illicit stills were usually small scale and provided an important product for local communities at a low cost.
Highland lairds were often able to turn their backs to the illicit stills being filmed on their land because the revenue they generated on behalf of their tenants was probably the only way they could pay rent. But, there were revenue officials to be avoided.
Illicit stills were often located in remote, well-hidden areas. Whisky production also became a night-time activity to disguise the smoke produced in this process of distillation. It is this practice that earned whisky the name ‘moonshine’.
The rise of licensed distilleries
With illicit stills and whisky production booming across Ireland and Scotland in the early 1800s, the government intervened by imposing further tax laws.
In 1822 In 1822, in 1822, the Illicit Distillation Act was passed in Scotland. The Act allowed the production, selling or drinking of illegally produced whisky came with severe punishments.
However, in the year following was 1823, when the Excise Act was passed. This Act brought about a major reduction in the amount of duty that was charged on the gallon of whisky and also the introduction of a distilling license.
The Excise Act saw a huge change to the production of whisky, bringing about a practical end to the massive production of illicit whisky in Scotland.
The decrease in duty to two shillings, and 3 pence (roughly twelve pence) for a gallon and the low cost of licensing fees allowed for a legal and fair trade, as well as exports of whisky into England was suddenly more appealing as well.
By 1824 there were approximately 167 licenced distilleries registered in Scotland In 1826 the number was up to 264.
The introduction of casks as well as barrel maturing
The aging of whisky, that is now known to steep the spirit in its rich tones and enhances its distinctive flavor profile was likely discovered by an accident in the 1800s.
Prior to being aged in casks or barrels whisky was typically consumed “raw,” directly away from the still.
Spanish sherry barrels were more readily available in the 19th century, after Blight had destroyed the wine harvest within the Cognac region of France. In the midst of Cognac supply greatly impaired in England as well as Scotland, Spanish sherry was brought in as a substitute.
Because it was inefficient and economical to transport empty barrels to Spain, Scottish distillers seized the opportunity to buy up empty barrels, which are likely to be better than the vessels they had been keeping their whisky products in.
It is due to this accidental discovery that the genesis of whisky aged in casks was established.
DISTILLATION METHODS
Prior to the 19th century, Irish and Scottish whisky was made in a pot still in batches. The distillation process in a pot created smooth, creamy and flavoursome whiskies.
In the 1820s, a new design of was emerging which was later licensed by Aeneas Coffey around 1830. Coffey was the former Chief Inspector of Excise in Ireland established what was referred to as a “continuous’ or ‘column’ still.
Pot still
This simple distillation apparatus is associated with the traditional that whisky is produced. They vary greatly in both size and form, in large part, based on the amount and type of spirit distilled The pot still consists of an individual heating chamber and an arm, or piping that leads to an insulated vessel that collects the distillate alcohol.
Never ending
A column still acts as a set of pot stills arranged into an extended, vertical tube. The still creates the rising vapour, which is initially lower in alcohol content, but expands and is enriched by alcohol as it moves to the top of the column.
Coffey’s development of the column nevertheless allowed whisky producers to make their whisky in an efficient and cost-effective way.
Rather than distilling in batches however, Coffey’s continued to operate continuously and produced much larger quantities of whisky with an increased alcohol content, even though the resulting whisky was largely deemed to be less aromatic and flavoursome than the pot stills, especially from Irish distillers.
Modern stills
While column stills were an integral part of whisky production, and continue to be the most preferred equipment for the production of many distilled spirits, the pot still process remains a key component in the modern distillation of single malt whisky and single pot still types of whisky.
Both pot and continuous still designs are usually made of copper, as copper helps in removing alcohol containing sulphur-based substances in the distillation process.
Today, many modern stills are made from stainless steel and copper lined.
A NEW ENTRY INSIDE THE WHISKY MARKET
The continuous design of Coffey’s stills paved the way to the development of blended varieties of whisky that opened up an entire new market for whisky production.
In spite of Coffey who was Irish however, the majority of the established Irish distilleries at the time opposed his idea, opting instead of their traditional pot still method. This caused Coffey to bring his still design to Scotland and Scotland, where it was much more enthusiastically received.
In time, the whisky blended Scotch whisky was invented and took over that of Irish whiskey that was created by the traditional pot still method.
STYLES OF WHISKY
Single Malt Whisky: is a whisky produced using one malted grain at the distillery of a single person. Single malt whisky typically made using the pot still distillation process.
Blended Whisky: Typically blended whisky is produced from various grains and is often a blend of several whiskies that have been seasoned. Blended whisky may also refer to whisky that isn’t compatible with any of the standard kinds. Blended whisky is typically distilled with the column or continuous still process.
Scotch Whisky: according to law, Scotch whisky cannot be identified as such in the event that it was produced in Scotland (and is made using a particular distillation method). Scotch whisky can be single malt or blended whisky. Scotch is famous for its distinctive peaty or smoky aroma that comes from the malt used to create it being dried over a peat-fuelled fire.
Irish Whiskey: as with Scotch, Irish whiskey is only legally allowed to bear the label if it is produced using an exact distillation procedure, and is made in Ireland. Although typically mixed, Irish single malts also are available.
Rye Whisky While rye whisky has its roots in North America, there is no geographic restriction on where it can be made. Rye whisky is, naturally, produced using an rye-based grain, however other grains like barley and wheat could be used in the production of.
NEW WORLD WHISKIES
New World Whisky refers to whisky produced outside of the traditional whisky-making countries or “whisky that is made in a way which is not usually associated with the country that it is made in”, as described by Distill Ventures, an independent drinks accelerator.
Traditional whisky-producing nations comprise Scotland, Ireland, the USA, Canada, and Japan. As countries across the globe expand their presence in the production of whisky the world of whisky is booming to bring a new dimension to the spirit industry.
In most cases, New World Whisky producers employ traditional mixing techniques in line with historic and traditional whisky-making techniques, but also explore innovative production methods.
New World Whisky makers such as those in Australia, Bolivia, Scandinavia, and South Africa, are forging their own unique styles, welcoming a new generation of customers and shaping how the industry will evolve in the coming years.
ENGLISH WHISKY
While the whisky’s history in England isn’t as extensive as Scotland or Ireland’s, whisky production within England goes back around the 1800s at a minimum. In 1903, the nation’s last distillery, Lea Valley Distillery, Stratford, sadly closed its doors, drying up English whisky distilleries in England for a century.
In the past decade however, distillers who are craft in England have popped up, revitalizing English whisky making. There are now more than 30 English whisky distilleries that are in different levels of development. Most of English whisky distilleries are in operation that produce and sell mature whisky. However, some are still under construction.
