Jack Croxford-Scott traces the evolution of Glen Moray from a small brewery producing ale to a worldwide whisky powerhouse, showing that the distillery’s location in Speyside doesn’t automatically qualify it for that moniker.
Whisky is more intricate than ever. Cereal grain is brewed into a beer, then distilled into high-proof, raw alcohol, and finally, the resulting drink is slammed into a barrel to soften the rough edges.
Do you want wheat or barley? Are you using a double or triple distillation process? Do you like it raw or watered down to make it more palatable? Furthermore, shouldn’t you stick to purchasing single-cask bottlings to appreciate the uniqueness of each barrel?
Now we may discuss the many kinds of wood. Although American and European oak is the standard, you could be seduced by bottles aged in amburana or mizunara in Brazil or Japan. But who knows what could have inhabited that wood earlier? Because of it, the whisky will taste different. Is it the first time it’s been used in a distillery? For how long will this be? Which kind of spirit are we talking about, exactly? To what extent does the final product retain its original flavor, or has it been seasoned to order with expensive Spanish sherries to give it a Christmassy tinge?
Please add at least one hundred pounds for that.
It’s all annoying, to be honest. This was initially made as a beverage for farmers. The rural population of Ireland and Scotland would have a rickety still tucked away in a steading. They would distill the remaining grains into a beverage to help them through the cold winter months. Both the standards and the methods used were rather basic. Carving off the center of surrounding fallen trees to age the new-made spirit might be one way they matured. If left untreated and uncharred, this wood would have released horrifying natural contaminants into the heart, which already wasn’t the most balanced cut of hooch.
There was a gloomy ending in store. But in that case, it would have been genuine. It would have been a harsh, forthright representation of the people who drank it and the area from whence it came. Moreover, it was easy to do. Additionally, it is inexpensive.
Where did we go wrong? Simple consumer need plays a role. Scotch was taken throughout the British Empire and beyond by Scottish travelers. Not ones to pass up a good bargain, they also swiped the order books. That necessitated the construction of brand-new distilleries. Currently, Scotland is home to about 140. Many of them are unknown outside the liquor industry and exist exclusively to produce the household blended Scotches that continue to dominate Scotch: Johnnie, Dewars, Chivas, and so on.
Single malt releases from even the oldest distilleries are rising as companies wean themselves off mixing contracts. All of the younger distilleries’ hopes for financial success rest on the strength of their first commercially available single malt release; they seldom enter into blending agreements.
Scotch whisky is separated into legally recognized “regions,” such as Highlands, Speyside, Lowlands, and so on, to standardize the industry and provide consumers with more information.
The idea is plausible, given that this region of Scotland has a long tradition of using locally sourced grains and fuels to produce its distinctive brand of distilled beverages. As a result, whisky displayed some signs of regionality, or terroir, if we may borrow a French word. Grassy and ethereal best described the lowland dram. Because the barley used in Islay distilleries was dried with local peat, the resulting whiskies have a solid maritime flavor and a smoky, monster-like quality. Healthful and honeyed, etc., were some of the characteristics of Highland malts.
From a business perspective, everything was perfect. Everyone can get their brain around it. It’s also convenient because they can have a bottle representing every location. Have a sampling that includes all six if you choose. If they choose one, they might say they’re “more of a Speyside guy” and take pride in that identity.
The production of whisky is an industrial endeavor. Is it a form of art? You may brew as much as you want so long as you have access to sufficient quantities of water, yeast, and barley. And it’s doable pretty much everywhere. You may open a business on a secluded Scottish island and have the staples—grain and peat—sent there by boat. Production techniques from around the nation may be used, and the finished product can be aged in any state. But you’re just going to advertise it under the name of one geographical area? Really?
It’s not necessary to go to this length. It’s a more worthwhile adventure to visit distilleries individually. Find out the process and reasoning behind their malt production. When it comes to barley, whose fields are they working in? Where, exactly, are we looking? For what reason do they import peat from the mainland to smoke it instead of using local peat? Is it because its peculiar combustion process gives the liquor a distinctive personality? Whence comes this wood, and why does it resonate with certain spirits and not others?
It would be much easier to pick up a five-pound map of the countries and purchase a bottle from each one. But the cost justifies the benefit. So you may study as you imbibe.
The making of whisky has always been artful chaos. And a history of the distiller trying out different ingredients and aging them in different barrels.
One distillery that immediately comes to mind is the Glen Moray Distillery in Speyside. There are more than 50 distilleries in this rural paradise in the northeastern part of the nation.
Glen Moray
Originally called “Elgin West,” Glen Moray began operations in 1830 as a brewery. There aren’t many relics from the early times. The owner at the time, Mr. Sinclair, was accused of violating his liquor license, and I was able to track down transcripts of the related court proceedings. The case report is long and confusing, but it seems the brewers spent a Sunday night in lockdown. The doors were locked, the barrels were burst open, and the guests were gathered inside. The situation is humorous on all counts. Unfortunately, some ditzy judge took offense and reported them. Thankfully, Mr. Sinclair was acquitted on a technicality; the dates on which he could sell his items were the only ones covered by his license. He would never have the nerve to demand payment from close friends and relatives. They dismissed the accusations, and the anarchy persisted.
In 1897, they finally started producing whisky. As shown by Stillman’s records from the period, ex-marsala and sherry-seasoned barrels were among the first to be filled with the new spirit. This barrel blend was unusual even for its day. However, because demand was lower, distilleries sometimes sold full barrels to independent grocers rather than shipping individual bottles.
Time and development would be the proper litmus tests for Glen Moray’s early inventiveness. Consistency in quality was essential for the ever-popular mixtures it offered. That often includes predetermined cask types, and conventional still runs. This sounds like the death knell for distillation experiments.
Unfortunately, Glen Moray isn’t entirely accurate in that regard. A French corporation that owns it continues to use it as a supplier for some of its most popular mixes. In addition, it has established a solid reputation as a high-quality single malt. Concurrently juggling the two is a tall order. Glen Moray, though, has made it function.
The fact that it has maintained its experimental status is even more remarkable. I’d say this place has the finest variety of cask types in all of Speyside. Warehouse 1 is one of their older dunnage-style storage facilities, with dirt floors and no more than three levels of barrels piled on their bellies. There are several different types of refill barrels stored there. The mature spirit takes on the color and personality of the barrel it is stored in, whether it is a Hungarian tokaji, a Spanish manzanilla, or a barrique of Italian Barolo wine.
Indeed, some of them do. Not all will and those must be re-racked and aged in another fashion. Alternatively, they may be combined with other barrels until the resulting whisky is perfect. This is entirely OK. That is, at its core, why spirits like whisky are produced in the first place. Of course, saying such words is far simpler than doing them. These rare cask varieties are overpriced for their immaturity. It takes a lot of effort and paperwork to get in touch with them and bring them here.