<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[<p>Quick, what's common to Inspector Alan Banks, Captain Haddock, John Rain and Inspector Dalziel? Apart from being much-loved fictional characters fighting crime (blistering barnacles and all), it's their love for single malts. So while Captain Haddock is often seen nursing a glass (or rather a bottle) of Loch Lomond, even as he accompanies Tintin on his varied adventures, Peter Robinson's lovable Inspector Alan Banks and Barry Eisler's assassin John Rain often like to retire with a glass of Laphroaig.</p>
<p><br>On the other hand, in the sublime ‘Dalziel & Pasco' series by Reginald Hill, Highland Park is Inspector Dalziel's tipple of choice.<br><br>The love for single malts is not restricted only to famous characters in books; television serials and movies too show protagonists as well as villains enjoying a glass of the golden liquid. While Donald Sutherland was shown nursing a Cragganmore 12 in A Time To Kill, the Trinity Killer in Dexter seems to fancy Glenfiddich for a toast.<br><br>So what is it that attracts them and millions of others (real people) to single malt? Purists will tell you it's the drink to beat all drinks. The earliest known Gaelic (the old language spoken in Scotland and Ireland) records refer to malt whisky as ‘Uisgebaugh'. This evolved over time to ‘Uisge Beatha', related to the Latin phrase ‘Aqua Vitae' which translates as ‘The Water of Life'. With a name like that, its credentials have been in place for centuries.<br><br>"It is in the end an acquired taste like different coffees and teas; if you are a connoisseur then you can tell the difference between the taste of a blend and a single malt," says Jimmy Kuruvilla, F&B manager at the Leela Palace Kempinski in Bangalore.<br><br>What makes the single malt special is the amount of care that is taken in producing each cask. Malt whisky is produced from 100 per cent malted barley which is fermented with yeast and distilled batch by batch in huge, copper pot stills. Unlike blended or grain whisky, except for water, no other grain or fermentable material is permitted. The single malt whisky, which is the product of one single distillery, not blended with those of other distilleries, is considered superior by connoisseurs and purists to its cousin — the vatted malt whisky where different malt whiskies from more than one distillery are blended together. <br><br></p>
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<td><span><strong>UNIQUENESS OF SCOTTISH SINGLE MALTS</strong><br></span><br><span><strong>SPEYSIDE:</strong><span style="color: #333399;"> Is the north-east region, known for its sweet and light whiskies (Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Aberlour, Glenrothes, Macallan and Deveronall aged 10-40 years)</span><br></span><br><span style="color: #333399;"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>HIGHLANDS:</strong></span> Northern region, known for rounded,dry flavours with some peatiness (Oban, Glenmorangie, Loch Lomondaged 10-40 years)<br></span><br><span style="color: #333399;"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>LOWLANDS:</strong></span> Southern region,known for its less peaty and maltier flavour (Ailsa Bay, Auchentoshan and Rose bank 10-30 years)<br></span><br><span style="color: #333399;"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>CAMPBLETOWN:</strong></span> South eastern region, known for whiskies with a hint of briny flavour (Glengyle, GlenScotia aged 10-25 years)<br></span><br><span style="color: #333399;"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>ISLAY: </strong></span>South-eastern island, known for smoky and peaty whiskies (Laphroaig and Bowmore aged 10-30 years)</span></td>
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<p><br>And even among the single malts, the holy grail is the ‘single single' or the single cask single malt. While it's otherwise the same as a normal single malt, what makes it special is that all the bottles are taken from a single cask. Now that's truly a limited edition, considering a cask usually comprises only 300 bottles of whisky. Drinking it is not only a special experience, it can be a potent brew as the alcohol percentage could be well over 60 per cent compared to normal single malts with 40-43 per cent.<br><br>While it was the Scots and the Irish who traditionally produced all whisky, including single malts, love for the golden liquid has seen the mushrooming of distilleries across the world in the US, Canada, South Africa, Japan and even India. The Indian single malt whisky called Amrut Peated and Fusion Single Malt, made by Amrut Distilleries, is fruitier and peat flavoured.<br><br>The Japanese, known to sip sweet rice wine Sake, have managed to create a name for themselves in the industry. "It is the whole process of whisky making that is a great science, the malting, mashing, fermentation and the distilling process is unique to many distilleries," says Hiroshi Miyamoto, master distiller and general manager at Suntory Liquors. Suntory's single malts such as the Yamazaki and Hakushu are full bodied malts with leafy and citrusy aromas.<br><br>The amazing complexity and variation that can be found in single malts is caused by the large number of variables that play a role in their production and maturity. Apart from ‘geography' or ‘terroir', other significant variables are the quality of barley sourced, the shape and utilisation of the stills and the quality of casks used for aging (See ‘Barrels For Aging Single Malts').</p>
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<p>Like with all superior drinks, there's a certain etiquette involved with drinking single malts. While common perception is to have whisky on the rocks, purists actually frown upon adding ice to single malt as it not only ruins the structure of the malt on the palate, it also dilutes three-fourths of the fragrances. Ideally, single malts should be had neat. But if you have to dilute it, do it with water, just a wee bit. Soda is a strict no-no. And if you were to mix it with cola or any other sweet drink, you can be assured that the Scots will deem it a cardinal offence. The Scots actually have a proverb which goes: "There are two things a Highlander likes naked, and one of them is malt whisky!" That said, the idea is to enjoy and savour your single malt, so have your poison the way you like it. <br><br><span>(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 18-06-2012)</span></p>