Here's To Uniqlo's Jogger Pants

Style

Here’s To Uniqlo’s Jogger Pants

By Men's Folio
September 09, 2016

Believe it or not, Uniqlo’s latest Jogger Pants look smart and streamlined enough to pair with a black blazer. So after you’ve jazzed up your look with the versatile piece on a Saturday night, why not treat yourself to a whisky? Apart from the obvious (it’s golden-brown in colour, and burns a little when you take whiff and sip of it), how much do you actually know about the spirit? Can you tell the difference between Scotch Whisky and the American version? To set you on the right path, we reached out to, Daryl Haldane, Head of Education at Macallan, to shed some light on this centuries old distilled alcoholic beverage.

What is the difference between American whiskey and Scotch whisky?

We spell whisky properly in Scotland! (laughs) The main difference is the complexity of flavours. American whiskey only uses new American oak barrels. In Scotland we can use new and re-use American oak barrels and casks of varying sizes, and we also use casks made from European oaks. This gives us a wider range of flavours. We can also introduce more subtle flavours that help us create a more complex style of whisky.

What’s the difference then between blended Scotch and single malt whisky?

Single Malt is from one distillery and represents one expression from one area of Scotland, often reflecting the landscape of the region. These are all made from barley. We turn the barley into a beer and then distil to increase the concentration of alcohol to around 70%. Two distillations are normally enough in Scotland. Once we have this spirit we mature in casks for a minimum of three years. We also make a style of whisky in Scotland called Grain Whisky. This is a combination of grains: maize and barley. We turn this into a beer and then distil in larger column stills. This is a lighter style of spirit. We mature this for a minimum of three years and then we have Scotch Grain Whisky.

A Blended Scotch is a blend of single malt and grain whiskies. The Famous grouse is a great example of a blended whisky. Blends like this can contain around 30 different whiskies from all over Scotland. The Macallan is the finest example of a single malt scotch whisky.

Is there a particular way to enjoy whisky?

I believe it depends on how you feel and what you are doing. I love a Macallan 12YO Double Cask on an ice ball early in the evening. At the end of the evening, I love to have a Sherry Oak 12 YO neat alongside a nice coffee. The most important thing is to enjoy a great whisky with great people. The social environment is a vital ingredient to enjoying the finest single malts.

How can you discern the good stuff from the great stuff?

I believe it is more about understanding what you like personally. Defining a great whisky can be very subjective. What I enjoy most may not be suited to what you enjoy. I love a complex and balanced style of single malt. For me, The Macallan Double Cask and The Macallan Fine Oak 15 Year Old are very well suited to what I love about single malt, in terms of flavour. But I have had the opportunity to try some incredible whiskies that are very rare and very special. Those whiskies that celebrate a time and place, or a particular skill are great to sip and savour. Rare cask is a great example of the art of whisky making. A 65 Year Old Macallan in Lalique is history in a glass, and this becomes a much more emotive and sentimental whisky experience.

Why do some whiskies taste more peaty (woody) than others?

Peaty flavours are not derived from wood. Peat is a fuel used to dry barley. It is this peat that gives the ‘peaty’ and smoky experience. A woody flavour will come from the casks. At The Macallan, we have an unrivaled wood policy and we ensure we have the finest sherry seasoned casks in the whisky industry to deliver the highest quality single malt. Wood delivers 100% of the colour in The Macallan, and we believe that up to 80% of the flavour in Macallan can be attributed to the casks we use. It is vital that we maintain this high standard to ensure we always make extraordinary single malt whiskies.

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