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"OHWO"

Old Hogs Whisky Organisation

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Dear viewer. Welcome to our new pages with Whiskey related information, test, recommendations  etc.  We will as usual write all about our test. New of this years is that we will work more close to our sponsors. This to gatter you more relevant information, maybe some heads up of whats coming. There are many histories regarding whisky and we will bring some of them to you, viewed  and written in a historic way. From time to time we will invite some guest writers who will share their information with us.

Sponsors. To be able to bring this site up to date and write the stories we need to inform you, we have to work closer with the whisky industry. From Disterries, shops and wholesales companys. And try to bring the most valuable information back to you. Sponsors who whant to increase their information and brands can contact the OHWO by mail: Denne e-postadressen er beskyttet mot programmer som samler e-postadresser. Du må aktivere JavaScript for å kunne se adressen

The OHWO Team will as usual bring you all the news that we get and also bring you results from the "Whisky taste seminars" They are closed sessions only for the team just to be able to bring you a objective result of the test results. From time to time we will invite special peoples  to our seminars.

 

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Novembers Editor's choice

Arran Single Cask Bourbon release of the Arran Malt. This whisky has spent all of its maturation in an ex-bourbon cask and is bottled at cask strength, with each bottle individually numbered. Thanks to the sponsor who sendt us a cage of six to test.  More on Arran Single Cask Bourbon and our sponsors later....

 

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Let us proudly present's this months sponsor

Info comming in November's article....

 

 

 

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First of all we whant to give you a short description of the different locations that give the single malt whisky it's uniq tast and flavor, Enjoy the readingThe definition of whisky regions has been much debated and changed since the 1784 Wash Act divided the country roughly into 'Highland' and 'Lowland' for tax purposes. It is now generally agreed that there are six regions and these are based on taste as well as geographical location.
	Islay Considered by many to be the greatest of whisky islands; Islay is blessed with numerous pockets of peat bog, lashed by the wind, rain and sea. It is only 25 miles long, but has no fewer than eight distilleries, although not all are operational. The single malts from this are noted for their seaweed, iodine-like, phenolic character. Islay malt gives the unmistakable tang to many of Scotland's finest blended whiskies.
Highlands By far the biggest region, the Highlands inevitably embraces wide variations. The western part of the Highlands, at least on the mainland, has only a few, scattered, distilleries, and it is difficult to generalise about their character. If they have anything in common, it is a rounded, firm, dry character, with some peatiness. The far north of the Highlands has several whiskies with a notably heathery, spicy, character which probably derives both from the local soil and the coastal location of the distilleries. The more sheltered East Highlands and the Midlands of Scotland (sometimes described as the South Highlands) have a number of notably fruity whiskies.
	Lowlands This area tends to produce whiskies in which the softness of the malted barley itself is evident, untempered by Highland or Island peatiness or coastal brine and seaweed. The Lowlands are defined as being south of a line following old county boundaries and running from the Clyde estuary to the River Tay. The line swings north of Glasgow and Dumbarton and runs to Dundee via Perth.
Islands The Islands are a geographical region rather than a characteristic one. Jura, the island just north of Islay, can be described as a Highland-like whisky. Talisker, on Skye, has an explosive taste, peaty and sweet. On Orkney is the world's northernmost Scotch whisky distillery, Highland Park. Highland Park is also compared with Highland malts, due to its exceptional smoothness and smoky dryness
	Campbeltown Campbeltown is situated on the peninsula called the Mull of Kintyre, on the west coast of Scotland. It once had about 30 distilleries, but now has only two. One of these, Springbank, produces two different styles of single malt whisky. Lightly peated for one style and heavily peated for the other. The Campbeltown single malts are very distinctive, with a briny character.
This was some basic history for whiskey regions, we will wright some more further on this page. As you all know there are several other countries that make single malt whisky, France, Sweden, Ireland, Japan etc, we will  go true them at a later stage. We have tested some of them that will be published during the year.

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Basic History Part II

The year 1494 is a milestone in the history of whisky; in the Exchequer Rolls of that year is recorded a purchase of ‘eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aqua vitae’. This is the first written proof of whisky production in Scotland. As with many other crafts the knowledge of distilling soon spread outside of the monasteries, and eventually the ‘water of life’ came to be produced on almost every farm in Scotland. This widespread household production was to continue until
the 1820s when the Excise Act was passed and local government started to come down harder on illicit distilleries.

Whisky back in the sixteenth century tasted very different from the drink we enjoy today. At that time whisky was consumed very young and had a brutal, raw taste. The discovery that whisky improves and mellows if it is allowed to mature was not made until the mid eighteenth century. As with many other breakthroughs the discovery was made by accident; an old forgotten cask was found, and the lucky owner realised that the whisky had in fact not been destroyed but instead tasted better than ever.

The Act of Union in 1707 united the parliaments of Scotland and England. The treaty was the result of political and economic factors which all indicated that a union would be mutually beneficial. The government naturally wished to expand the treaty and the turn eventually came to malt. After a violent period with many riots with deadly outcomes an equivalent to the English Malt Tax was finally applied in 1725. This was the start of an era filled with illicit distilleries, smuggling and roving Excisemen. In the beginning of the nineteenth century more than every other bottle of whisky in Scotland was illegally produced.

The following years saw a large number of tax raises, the introduction of different duties for different distilleries and other license regulations. Crime and violence was common and the administration of all the regulations eventually became unmanageable. In the 1820s the government had had enough and passed the Excise Act which made clear exactly what kind of production was legal and what was not. Another act was also passed that substantially increased the penalties for smuggling. The new acts had the desired results and illicit distilling and smuggling was greatly reduced in only a few years.


In 1831 a former Inspector General of Excise in Ireland, Aeneas Coffey, invented a twin-column version of the patent still. This improved technique in continuous distillation lowered production costs and allowed simultaneous use of malted and unmalted barley together with other kinds of corn. The Irish never liked the idea but Coffey managed to introduce it in Scotland. In just a few decades, the Irish standpoint would make them loose the dominance over the whisky industry; the Coffey Still could produce great quantities compared to the traditional stills but produced an inferior product. The solution to this problem was to blend the spirit from the Coffey Still with whisky from traditional stills. Andrew Usher introduced this idea in 1852, and the blending trade was born. Because of the immediate success of blended whisky, the Scottish volumes soon far exceeded the Irish. This advantage in volume soon became important; at about the same time as the introduction of blended whisky the American vine louse Phylloxera vastatrix came to France. The pest rapidly spread and reached the Cognac region by the 1880s. The louse all but destroyed the entire brandy industry and the blended whisky was readily accepted as an alternative. By the time the French vineyards had recovered, whisky had ceased to be ‘only an alternative’ and was firmly established at the top.

Whisky started out as a product for the British market in the 1820s, but today it has become a drink that is appreciated and loved around the world. Much of this incredible development is the result of the introduction of blended whisky; even today approximately 90 percent of all whisky that is produced in Scotland is used in blended whisky. However the interest of single malt whisky has increased in recent years and this development is likely to continue.

 

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Many of the whiskey distillery s have  been closed down over the years. Below you will find some links to those who still are produsing

 

Distilleries by Region in Scotland ! Islay Distilleries: Laphroaig, Caol Ila, Bruichladdich, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Lagavulin and Kilchoman Lowland Distilleries: Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, Glenkinchie, Ladyburn (CM), Littlemill (CM), Inverleven (CM), Rosebank (CM) Campbeltown Distilleries: Glengyle, Glen Scotia, Springbank Island Distilleries: Arran, Blackwood, Highland Park Isle of Jura, Scapa, Talisker, Tobermory Speyside Distilleries: Aberlour, Allt-á-Bhainne, Ardmore, Aultmore, Auchroisk, Balmenach, Balvenie, Banff (CM), Benriach, Benromach, Benrinnes, Braeval (Braes of Glenlivet), Caperdonich, Cardhu, Coleburn (CM), Convalmore(CM), Cragganmore, Craigellachie, Dailuaine, Dallas Dhu (CM), Dufftown, Glenallachie, Glen Elgin, Glen Grant, Glen Keith, Glen Mhor (CM), Glen Moray, Glen Spey, Glenburgie, Glendronach, Glendullan, Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Glenglassaugh, Glenlivet, Glenlossie, Glenrothes, Glentauchers, Imperial (CM), Inchgower, Kininvie, Knockando, Knockdhu, Linkwood, Longmorn, Macallan, Macduff, Mannochmore, Miltonduff, Mortlach, Pittyvaich, Royal Brackla, Speyburn, Speyside, Strathisla, Strathmill, Tamdhu, Tomatin, Tamnavulin (CM), Tomintoul, Tormore Highland Distilleries: Aberfeldy, Balblair, Ben Nevis, Ben Wyvis (CM), Blair Athol, Brora (CM), Clynelish, Dalmore, Dalwhinne, Deanston, Edradour, Fettercairn, Glen Albyn (CM), Glen Esk (CM), Glen Garioch, Glengoyne, Glen Ord, Glencadam, Glenmorangie, Glenturret, Glenugie, Glenury-Royal, Loch Lomond, Lochside, Millburn (CM), North Port, Oban, Pulteney, Royal Lochnagar, Teaninich, Tullibardine

 

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The Production of Malt whisky

 

Malt Whisky is made from three ingredients; barley, water and yeast. The following section describes the basic traditional process of making whisky.

Malting:
The malting process begins as the barley is soaked in water for two-three days in steep tanks. The soaking increases the moisture content of the grains which in turn triggers the germination process. The barley is then moved to a malting facility (e.g. a malting floor or a drum malting) where the germination continues. The purpose of the malting is to convert the starch in the grains into fermentable sugars which will feed the yeast during the fermentation stage. Heat is produced during the germination so it is important to turn the barley continuously to keep the temperature even. If the temperature rises above 22°C the grains will die and the process of converting the starch into sugar will be halted. In a traditional malting floor the barley is turned by hand with wooden shovels called ‘shiels’.

After the germination is completed it is necessary to prevent the grain from developing further, thereby using up its food supply (the fermentable sugars). This is accomplished in a kiln where the malt is dried to remove enough moisture from each grain so that further growth is halted.

A kiln is a two-storey building where the upper floor is perforated to allow hot air to pass through from below. The lower floor contains a furnace where bricks of peat are burned to generate heat and smoke. The heat and smoke rise through the perforations and dry the green malt. It is during this stage that the malt gains its characteristic ‘peat-reek’.

The kiln with its pagoda roof is the most apparent characteristic of a traditional whisky distillery. The roofs are designed to draw the smoke upwards quickly enough so that the malt is not damaged by the heat (the temperature of the malt must be kept under 70°C).

Today the majority of distilleries buy all or most of their malt from centralised commercial maltings such as Port Ellen and Montrose. For example, Glenfiddich buy all their malt whereas Laphroaig malt 30 percent of their barley themselves. Balvenie is an example of a distillery which still do all their malting themselves.

Mashing:
The malt is ground to grist in a mill and is then fed into mash tuns together with water that holds a temperature of about 60°C. The water is changed three or four times during the eight-hour mashing period and the temperature is increased each time. The mashing creates a sugar solution that is called the wort which is then separated from the spent grains. The mass of used grains is called the ‘draff’ and is not used further in the production process but is commonly used for cattle feed.

Fermentation:

 

The finished wort is quite warm and must be cooled before it can be mixed with the yeast. This is done in the ‘washbacks’. These containers are traditionally made from larch or pinewood but today stainless steel washbacks are also common. Nothing definite can be said as to what effect the use of either material has for the finished product. The size of a washback varies from 6 000 to 45 000 litres. Each washback is never filled to the top since the wort froths significantly during the fermentation, a reaction caused by the release of carbon dioxide. After two to three days the yeast is finally killed by the alcohol it has produced and the fermentation process is finished. The resulting liquid has an alcohol content of 5-8 percent and is called the ‘wash’.

Distilling:

The copper pot stills in which the wash is distilled have become the ultimate symbol of whisky distilleries. The stills are made from copper since it is a material that is easy to work with, it does not rust and it is an efficient heat conductor. The copper is worn down slightly during each distillation however and the thickness must be controlled regularly. The minute copper particles that are released from the still during each run add up over time and a still seldom lasts for more than 25 years. The shape of the stills is very important to the characteristics of the final spirit since it determines how much of the various substances that are allowed to pass through during distillation. Therefore great care is taken to make an exact copy any time a replacement is made.

In general malt whisky is distilled twice although some distilleries practice triple distillation, for example Irish distilleries and a few Scottish distilleries. The stills used for the first distillation is called ‘wash stills’. The resulting ‘low wines’ spirit has an alcohol content of 20-26 percent. The low wines spirit is distilled a second time in ‘spirit stills’.

The ‘stillman’ has the critical task to collect only the desired spirits from the second distillation (the ‘spirit run’). A mistake will likely not be discovered until after the whisky has been stored for several years. At his assistance is the ‘spirit safe’ which was developed in the 1820s to allow the government to control the amount of whisky produced at each distillery. The spirit safe is fitted with hydrometers and thermometers which the stillman uses to determine when the alcohol that exits the still is the correct one for making whisky. Before the desired spirit starts to come through however, the stillman has to avoid the first light alcohols that are called the ‘foreshots’. These are allowed to flow into a separate tank and will later be re-distilled together with the next batch of low wines.

The desired spirit is called ‘the middle cut’ or ‘the heart of the run’ and starts to come through as the alcohol content reaches about 75 percent. The heart of the run is the only part of the distillate that will become whisky. The stillman now diverts the spirit into a separate container. This is called ‘cutting on spirit’. How long the heart of the run continues to flow varies from distillery to distillery but on average the stillman cuts off spirit when the alcohol content of the distillate is down to a little more than 60 percent. The following, more heavy, alcohols are called the ‘feints’ ore the ‘tail’ and are diverted to the same container as the foreshots.

When the spirit is cut on and off varies between distilleries, for example Glengoyne and Aberlour cuts on spirit early at 73 and 71 percent respectively. Some of the heavier more medicinal whiskies such as Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Caol Ila cut off spirit as late as at about 60 percent. Together with the shape of the stills, these differences are among the most important reason behind the different characteristics of these whiskies.

Filling and maturation:
After the distillation the spirit is cut to the strength it will have when it is filled into the casks. Most distilleries cut their spirit to 63.5 percent as it is commonly believed that whisky matures best at this specific alcohol content.

All casks used to store whisky are made from oak. Most distilleries use oak casks that have contained sherry or bourbon (Macallan is the only distillery to exclusively use sherry casks). Whisky receives its natural amber colour from interacting with the wood, although it has become increasingly common to artificially add colour by using the E150 additive.

The spirit is not legally considered to be whisky until it has been stored in wood for at least three years. Some of the whisky evaporates through the wood during storage. About 1-2 percent of the whisky evaporates each year in a natural process which is called the ‘angel’s share’. Since the alcohol content must be at least 40 percent in order for whisky to be called whisky, this means that there is a theoretical limit to how many years a whisky can be stored before it has to be bottled. For example, if a whisky looses 1.5 percent of its alcohol content each year it may only be stored for 32 years before the alcohol content drops below 40 percent. Because of this it is unusual for whisky to be stored much longer than 30 years. Yet another reason for the limited maturation period is that whisky constantly picks up tannin from the wood, and too much tannin ruins the whisky. The greater part of all single malt whisky is stored between 8 and 12 years.

Bottling

Before the whisky is bottled it is usually filled into large tanks to be cut with de-mineralised water to 40, 43 or 46 percent. Some bottlings are filled straight from the cask however, and are thus called ‘cask strength’ or ‘raw cask’. This whisky is best enjoyed with some water although most whisky will in fact benefit from a slight measure of water since it enhances both the flavour and the aroma of the whisky.

After the whisky is cut it is common to chill-filter it. This is done in order to remove slight impurities from the whisky which otherwise would cause a clouding effect at low temperatures. Not all distilleries practise chill-filtering since they believe that it removes some of the character of the stored whisky.

Most distilleries do not have their own bottling facilities and buy the service instead from specialised bottling plants. There are a few, however, such as Springbank, Glenfiddich and Bruichladdich who still do their own bottling on site –these also use the same spring water that is used during the production process when they make the final cut of the whisky.

Not all matured whisky are bottled and sold as official bottlings; it is for example possible for a private individual to buy their own cask at many distilleries. It is even more common for distilleries to sell some of their casks to independent bottling companies. Some of the larger independent bottlers are Signatory, Murray & McDavid, Cadenhead’s, Gordon and Macphail and Douglas Laing.

 

 

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Well guys....  Now we have been giving you all the basic information about whisky, from it's start and up til today. Further down we will bring you the fun and tast seminars that we have had at the club. The OHWO Have been testing whisky since it's early start in 2006. And from that date we have investigated hard, drunk alot of excellent whiskey and had fun, extremely fun. All this just to be able to bring you the fantastic history and reviews from the tast sessions....

And again,  sponsors wanted.  We have as you have seen below used alot of money just to be able to give you the top and new result from the taste sessions that we arrange here at the club. Sponsors are mostly welcome to join us when we have taste session. Sponsors can also send ut bottles for test  or by  

PayPal

 

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The OHWO have done their taste seminars  since back in 2006. We will on the  pages below publish the results of the taste seminars.  If you need any more information regarding OHWO. Mail us at Denne e-postadressen er beskyttet mot programmer som samler e-postadresser. Du må aktivere JavaScript for å kunne se adressen

 

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ the link below is under construction before they are released...  Please be patient]

Bowmore Tested Feb 06	The Balvenie Doubble Wood Tested May 06	The Balvenie Singel Barrel Tested Jun 06
Glenlivet Dont remember	Lagavulin Tested Feb 06	Glenfarclas Tested Aug 06
Glenfarclas Cask Tested Jul 06	Cragganmore Tested May 06 or .....	Oban- Desillers Edition Tested Jun 06
Laphoaig	Old Pulteney Tested Aug 06	ARDBEG TEN Tested Aug 06
Smokehead Tested Aug 06	Caol Ila 12 & 18 Tested Sept 06	MacAllan 10, Cask strenge, tested Sept 06
Bushmills	Finlaggan	Glen Garioch
Glenfiddich	Lock Lomond Tested Spring 06	Glen Grant Tested Mar 06
Ledaig Tested May 06	Bunnahabain Next test i hope