Does Truly Good Whisky Only Come from Scotland?
The older the whisky, the better it is; you can instantly recognize coloured whisky; single malts taste better than blends—there are quite a few statements made in the whisky world. But what’s true? And what’s nonsense? I asked whisky expert Sietse Offringa. This week: does truly good whisky only come from Scotland?
Sietse: “What’s better is hugely personal. There’s such enormous diversity. Comparing a Scotch whisky with a bourbon is like comparing coffee and tea. You could say, though, that Scotland has the greatest variety among whiskies; from elegant to rich and spicy, and from fresh and sweet to smoky.” Here you can read more about what the country of origin says about the taste of your whisky.
So how did the idea of Scotland as the ‘best’ whisky country come about?
Sietse: “I think it’s because Scotch whisky was widely available for longer. That set the tone for Europe. During Prohibition in the United States, no alcohol was officially allowed to be made there. This led to a lot of illegal and often unpleasant ‘moonshine’ [editor’s note: homemade spirits]. A few Scottish traders cleverly capitalized on this: they sent their whisky to America. The reputation of Scotch whisky as a quality drink only got better as a result.”
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