Know your Drink – Single Malt, Blended Whisky, Cognac

What is Blended Whisky?

Blended whisky is a mixture of single malt whiskys and ethanol derived from grains. Developed for those who could not stommach the strong taste of whisky, it is a combination of malt and grain whiskys. First distilled and bottled by Andrew Usher in Edinburgh in the early 1860s, it turned out to be softer, lighter and more palatable.
The character of the whisky is determined not only by the proportions of malt and grain whisky, but also by the ages of the individual whiskies and the manner in which they are combined to bring out the finest qualities in each other. Most whisky drunk across the world is blended whisky. Famous Grouse, Bells, Teacher’s, Whyte & Mackay and Johnnie
Walker are a few that are well-known.

What goes better with Whisky – Water or Soda?

Whisky is preferred with water more than soda as soda is carbonated water andit kills the taste of whisky. But real connnoisseurs of whisky like to have it neat or with water on side or with two cubes of ice.

What is Cognac?

The wines of Poitou, La Rochelle and Angoumois, produced from high qualityvineyards, were shipped to Northern Europe where they were enjoyed bythe English, Dutch and Scandinavians as early as the 13th century. Inthe 16th century, they were transformed into eau-de-vie, then matured in oak casks to become Cognac.. That was the start of the
adventure for a town, which was to become the capital of a world famous trade. Cognac is a living thing. During its time in the oak casks it is in permanent contact with the air. This allows it to extract the substances from thewood that give both its colour and its final bouquet.
Ageing is indispensable if an eau-de-vie is to become Cognac. It takes placein casks or barrels that hold between 270 and 450 litres. The natural humidity of the cellars, in which the casks are stored, with its influence on evaporation, is one of the determining factors in the maturing process. With the balance between humidity and dryness, the spirit becomes mellow and ages harmoniously.
Making Cognac is the work of the Master Blender. Applying strict control, experience and intuition, he subtly blends eaux-de-vie of different ages and crus, producing a Cognac that through the years will not only retain its own personality, but will also keep a place in the heart of the consumer.

Hefe-Weizen – a wheat beer, lighter in body, flavour and alcohol strength.

Ice Beer – a high-alcohol beer made by cooling the beer during the process to below the freezing point of water (32 degrees Fahrenheit) but above that of alcohol (-173 degrees Fahrenheit). . When the formed ice is removed and discarded, the beer ends up with a higher alcohol-to-water ratio.

India Pale Ale (IPA) – a generously hopped pale ale.

Kolsch – West German ale, very pale (brassy gold) in hue, with a mild malt flavour and some lactic tartness.

Malt Liquor – Most malt liquors are lagers that are too alcoholic to be labelled lagers or beers.

Ale – Made of the highest quality malts, the driest and most highly hopped beer. Sold as light ale or pale ale in bottle or on draft as bitter.

Pilsner – Delicately dry and aromatic beers.

Porter – A darker (medium to dark reddish brown) ale style beer, full-bodied, a bit on the bitter side. The barley

(or barley-malt) is well roasted, giving the brew a characteristic chocolaty, bittersweet flavour.

Stout beer – Brewed from roasted, full-flavored malts, often with an addition of caramel sugar and a slightly higher proportion of hops. Stouts have a richer, slightly burnt flavour and are dark in colour.

Wheat Beer – A beer in which wheat malt is substituted for barley malt. Usually medium-bodied, with a bit of tartness on the palate

Enjoy.. now you know what you are drinking…