Malt Medicine

We have seen the rise and fall of Ben Ean Moselle, Pimms No. 1, Cold Duck and Babycham. Hopefully we are shortly to witness the demise of wine coolers. But there are some constants in the drinker’s life, Scotch whisky for one. Scotch is one of the oldest of spirits, first stilled in the Scottish Highlands in the early fifteenth century, not that long after the Arabs first distilled alcohol in the Middle Ages.

Today the term ‘Scotch’ covers almost as diverse a range of concoctions as wine. Although it originated as pure malt whisky, Scotch is now made in various ways, from the cheaper generic Scotches blended by the large proprietary brands such as Grants, the Black Douglas, Bells and Cutty Sark, to the elite pure single malts found under the vivid and evocative names of Glenlivet, Auchentoshan, Laphroaig and Talisker.

If the budget doesn’t quite stretch to a single malt, the superb old blends of Chivas Regal, Dimple Haig, Johnnie Walker Black label and Islay Mist are mature, complex scotches often bottled with a high content of malt whisky and blended to a consistently high level of quality.

No two Scotches are the same and there’s more than a fair degree of rivalry between its distillers. Melbourne scotch drinker Ian Loftus tells a story he heard of the distiller’s funeral many years ago. Motor cars weren’t common then, so when Lord Glenfiddich saw Mr Dewar walking towards the church he offered him a lift in his big black Rolls-Royce.

Seeing they made up some time, Mr Dewar asked Lord Glenfiddich if he wanted to stop off on the way for a dram. “Certainly!” came the reply, so they stopped at the local pub. Lord Glenfiddich insisted on buying first and purchased two Dewars from the barman.

Mr Dewar then wanted to return the favour with a couple of glasses of Glenfiddich, but Lord Glenfiddich replied “No thank you, Mr Dewar. I don’t wish to go to a funeral smelling of whisky”.

Equally popular with royalty, peerage and working classes, Scotch is a beverage celebrated for centuries. Drunk with water and without, it has frequently been mentioned by Dickins and other writers and has been imitated, but not bettered, the world over; although at half-past-three in a good Japanese restaurant you could be forgiven for thinking they’ve come terribly close.

Although there are over 2,000 different blends of Scotch on sale around the world today, all originate from just 130 different whiskies, the product of the 130 licensed distilleries in Scotland.

To its many enthusiasts, the mystique and aura which envelop Scotland’s premium single malts is at least the equal to the romance of Burgundy or Bordeaux. It is also perfectly true that the quality of the spirit owes as much to tradition and lore as it does to science. So particular is the relationship between the shape of the still and its spirit that a distiller who once decided to upgrade his plant was forced to reproduce even the exact patches of his old worn-out stills to recapture their special qualities of essence and flavour.

The story of Scotch is richly endowed with legend and lore, some less able to stand scrutiny than others. I particularly like this allegedly true story told by Cedric Dickens. It concerns the founder of a little company producing Antiquary, a grand dark old liqueur whisky. His wife decided he was drinking too much and suggested that a change in lifestyle was in order. To avert a more moderate and less interesting fate, our venerable founder decided to alter the recipe of Antiquary to a very light colour, without telling his wife. While consuming at least as much as before, they lived happily together for many more years. She merely believed he was watering it down!

Scotch is certainly the most popular spirit in Australia today, although it could be fair to suggest that its owes its pre-eminent position to Coca-Cola. Most Scotch meets its Maker once blended with this ubiquitous mixer, whose main advantage over others is that its flavour is so strong and its taste so sweet that it is perfectly capable of making even the strongest, harshest and most aggressive spirit acceptable to even the most timid of palates.

Fortunately the demand for premium Scotch remains high. In a close parallel to the wine and beer markets, Scotch seems to be polarising between the premium malt brands and the cheaper blends. People are becoming more inquisitive, selective and choosy with their top Scotch and are also developing stronger brand loyalties with cheaper blends.

It is extremely satisfying to pick your way through the lighter, smokier, peatier Islay malts of Bowmore, Bruichladdich and Laphroaig, to Talisker from the Island Of Skye, before climbing into the more rugged, but ultimately gentle territory of the Highland malts, represented by Glen Farclas, the Glenlivet, Macallan, Oban, Knockando and Tamdhu.

Most experienced Scotch drinkers consider 15-25 years as optimum for a premium malt, for unlike cognac, it won’t keep on developing forever. To me the Glen Farclas 15 year-old epitomises the Highland malt.

Of course the discriminating Scotch drinkers take their choice rather seriously. “I like whisky with body so I drink Johnnie Walker Black Label and Chivas, or if I drink a single malt it’s usually Glenmorangie”, says the well-known globetrotting English cricket broadcaster, Henry Blofeld. “Sometimes Famous Grouse seems to work – a bit like a cheaper Australian chardonnay.

“I take Scotch with soda the last thing before bed. But in India and Pakistan you need it all the time, frequently without water. I clean my teeth with Scotch there. When I’m entertaining I use Black Label Johnnie Walker. Anything else I serve from a decanter”, he warns potential dinner guests.

“I always have Scotch in a flask while duck flighting and grouse smalling in the early hours of morning or evening”, he continues. “In fact I always have a flask of it in the briefcase. You never know when you’ll need it.”

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