From ABCNews:
Smoky, honey, body, sweetness, medicinal, tobacco, spicy, winey, nutty, malty, fruity and floral.
For anyone trying to pick the perfect single malt whisky, these are the 12 “cardinal flavors” identified by a Scottish academic to tickle the tastebuds of connoisseurs around the world.
After sampling malt whiskies at almost 100 Scottish distilleries, Dr. David Wishart is still standing — and his classification has won official endorsement from the Scotch Whisky Industry.
“This is our national drink and it is Scotland’s biggest export after oil. The industry employs about 40,000 people and it should be taken seriously,” the honorary research fellow at the University of St Andrews told Reuters.
Now, after Wishart’s assiduous analysis, imbibers have an easily applicable guide to the taste and style of single malt whiskies, previously just classified by region.
“The industry has endorsed it,” Wishart said.
It appears this month in his book “Whisky Classified: Choosing Single Malts by Flavour,” published in seven languages.
You’re not a fan of single malt scotch? What you say? Poet Robert Louis Stevenson said it this way in ‘The Scotsman’s Return from Abroad’ in 1880,
Frae Maidenkirk to John o’ Grots,
The king o’ drinks, as I conceive it,
Talisker, Isla, or Glenlivet!
Now updated to include the latest offerings from the main Scottish distilleries, and using a unique profiling system based on whisky’s 12 dimensions of aroma and taste, this rigorously researched volume is a superb and impartial guide to single malt whiskies. Featuring 200 color photos and illustrations.
In Whisky Classified, expert David Wishart eschews the confusing jargon often used to describe malts and replaces it with an objective, easily applied guide to taste. He presents the reader with a new flavor classification system—the result of many distillery visits, whisky tastings, and discussions with industry experts. The profile identifies 12 dimensions to the aroma and taste of malt whisky: body, sweetness, smoky, medicinal, tobacco, honey, spicy, winey, nutty, malty, fruity, and floral. These dimensions incorporate, in an easy manner, over 400 commonly used terms to describe malt whisky. This handy, fully illustrated guide also provides a comprehensive survey of Scottish distilleries, with a history and description of each, as well as tasting notes, visitor information, regional maps, and a profile of the whisky according to classification.
If all of this isn’t enough, then reserve a time with your humble host to sit on his front porch, chat about life, and sip a fine single malt with me. I really enjoy The Glenlivet. Glenfiddich is nasty. Talisker is somewhat potent. Macallan is OK. I would love to try some Oban (hard to find). Laphroaig should be left for cleaning engine parts.
Move ‘zig’. For great justice.
Wishart, Scotch, Whisky, Glenlivet
