Scotch Whisky is intimidating; it doesn’t need to be.

When I joined the North Point Team four years ago from outside the industry, I was met with an unexpected challenge: just how steep the learning curve is for Scotch Whisky. 

Throughout my education, I’ve found myself coming up against walls and blockers in the form of phrases and terminology that seemed nonsensical, tasting notes that didn’t sound the least bit appetising, and a vibe I just couldn’t seem to grasp: something about Scotch Whisky was out of reach, almost an iykyk (if you know, you know) mentality. 

It struck me that Scotch Whisky seems quite inaccessible, exclusive, almost sitting high on a pedestal and out of reach.

So, I wanted to take down some of those barriers and share just how simple it all really is, hopefully, making it more accessible to anyone feeling put off by the complexity of it all. 

The main thing to keep in mind when starting your own Scotch Whisky journey is that at its core, Scotch Whisky really is super simple.

So what is Scotch Whisky, exactly?

Whisky, simply put, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of malted barley (and sometimes other malted or non-malted grains) and the distillation and cask maturation of the liquid that fermentation produces. Scotch Whisky is all of that, but made exclusively in Scotland. 

That’s it. That’s the whole thing. And that’s really not intimidating at all. 

Okay, so then what do all of the categories mean?

Most whiskies will be categorised as “Single Malt,” or “Single Grain,” or “Blended,” or a variation of those. So what do they mean?  

When you see/hear “Single,” think “one Distillery.” One Distillery made that. 

Single Malt: Whisky made using 100% malted barley and produced at a single distillery.

Single Grain: Whisky produced at a single distillery, but uses other grains (sometimes malted, sometimes not) in addition to malted barley.

Side note 1: Yes, barley is also a grain. There is no sense to this differentiation. I have asked. 

Side note 2: Malting is just the beginning of the germination process that’s been halted by drying out the sprouted grains, often using a kiln. This just makes it easier to get sugar out of the grains during the mash/fermentation, which is vital to creating alcohol. 

Generally, when you see/hear “Blended” think “multiple Distilleries.” More than one Distillery made that.* 

Blended Malt: A blend of two or more Single malt whiskies from different distilleries.

Blended Grain: A blend of two or more Single grain whiskies from different distilleries.

Blended Scotch: A mix of one or more Single malts with one or more Single grains 

*Side Note: Blended Scotch could be from one distillery if that distillery produces both Single Malt Whisky and Single Grain Whisky and blends those together.

Some may argue there is a bit more to each, but at their essence, those are the differences. 

Easy peasy. Not intimidating.

What do I need to know about Casks?

Bare minimum to know: Scotch Whisky must be matured in oak barrels/casks for a minimum of 3 years. 

What was previously stored in these barrels/casks can be anything from nothing to bourbon to sherry to rum to wine, etc. There are some limits on the previously stored liquid: nothing made from stone fruits, no gin, no cider, and nothing that’s been sweetened after fermentation or distillation; and no barrel/cask can be larger than 700L. 

Some quick-fire notes on the most commonly used casks and why they’re used:

Sherry = adding sweet fruit and spice flavours

Port = adding sweet fruitiness and sometimes nutty flavours 

Wine = adding fruit flavours

Bourbon = adding cereal sweetness

Rum = adding sweet and/or tropical flavours

Rye Whiskey = adding spicy sweetness

Scotch Whisky = doubling down on existing flavours

Peated Whisky = adding a hint of smokiness 

The concept at a base level: fruit adds fruit, grains add grains, sweet adds sweet, and smoke adds smoke. 

Super simple. 

Cool. Now why am I always hearing about Regions?

Honestly, it’s just history. Initially, these regions formed based on local resources, geography, traditions and laws, creating distinct regions known for certain flavours or techniques, but as time has gone on, distilleries have been playing around with mashbills and offering whiskies with profiles outside of their region’s reputation. So today, flavour-wise, Regions aren’t quite tell-tale, though they maintain their reputations regardless.

There are only 5 regions, so it’s not too difficult to learn. Here are some quick-fire notes:

Speyside

Known for: zero-to-lightly peated; fruity and floral notes.

Fun Fact: highest density of distilleries in one region; you are most likely to try a whisky from this region, statistically speaking.

Lowlands

Known for: being the heart of grain whisky.

Fun Fact: nearly all Lowland distilleries that have opened in the past couple decades are making malt whisky.

Highlands

Known for: no one specific thing; huge range of flavour profiles; probably too vast to be one region.

Fun Fact: the Highlands border is highly debated.

Islay

Known for: So. Much. Peat; think bonfire smoke

Fun Fact: one of the most famous Islay distilleries does not use peat, so…

Campbeltown

Known for: flavour profiles falling somewhere between the Highlands and Islay

Fun Fact: this region used to have over 30 distilleries, but today has exactly 3.

So, the above is a great example of why Scotch Whisky can be intimidating because there are seemingly more exceptions to the rules than rules, but now you know what people mean when they use regions to describe flavour (and how it's not always accurate).

So, then, what about Age and Price?

Here’s the thing: bigger numbers do not always equal better Scotch Whisky, whether age or price. In fact, plenty of young, affordable whiskies are fantastic. It’s more about the thought and care that goes into the making of the whisky than the age or price point. 

It’s also all about your preferences and palate. 

This is the part where you just need to start trying different whiskies and see for yourself. 

Okay, but some of those tasting notes…

The thing about tasting notes is that you can never be wrong. You will taste differently to every other person; there may be some overlap, but what you taste is what YOU taste.

Now, leather and tobacco sound like great scents to me, but do I want to ingest those things? Not really. I’m more inclined to try a Scotch Whisky with tasting notes that are food-based, like croissants, pineapple, peach, cherry… 

However, something to keep in mind: Scotch Whiskies with unappetising tasting notes also have the food-based ones. Tasting notes are Stand Out Flavours, not the entire flavour. The best way I can describe it is this: I don’t enjoy onions on their own, but when used as an ingredient, the final product is lovely. The flavour is there, but it mingles with the others and creates a whole new thing. 

So, feel free to laugh at these types of tasting notes (I certainly will), but be open to trying the whiskies with notes of neoprene, tar, freshly mown grass, charcoal, diesel, pork, rotting fruit, or (I promise I’m not making these up!) pencil shavings, because they just might be your new favourite. 

Now that you’ve got the basics, how do you drink the damn thing?

There’s a general vibe that there is a certain way to drink Scotch Whisky and any other way will ruin it, but no one agrees on what that way is. 

So just drink it however you want. 

It’s really that simple. 

Sip it neat (just whisky)

Sip it with water (a little or a lot)

Sip it over ice (“on the rocks”)

Add it to a mixed drink (whisky and ginger ale is pretty tasty, or even just with soda water)

Use it in a cocktail (whisky sour’s always a shout, so is an Old Fashioned)

Essentially, like what you like and, quite frankly, don’t yuck someone’s yum. 

Like any hobby, you can eventually get into the finer, nitty gritty, super-nuanced sides to it, but you’ve got to start somewhere and at its core, Scotch Whisky is actually quite simple. 

There’s no reason Scotch Whisky can’t be accessible to everyone – all genders, all levels of education, all socio-economic classes, all palates… everyone. 

So, if you’re even the least bit interested, don’t be intimidated to give it a go. 

Next Steps

I’d highly encourage you to add Distillery Tours to your Scotch Whisky journey. Seeing how it’s made, being able to ask the questions you undoubtedly have, trying samples of Scotch Whisky you might not have had access to before… these will all help you feel more confident along the way. 

And now for the not-so-subtle-segue: our Scotch Whisky-focused tour, The Founders’ Tour, runs on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday all year long; you’ll see behind the scenes of our Scotch Whisky production, guided by one of our Co-Founders, Alex and Struan, or by our Head Distiller, Greg, who will happily answer literally any questions you may have about Scotch Whisky – without a hint of judgement.

I highly recommend this tour to anyone, but especially to those beginning their Scotch Whisky journey; the guys are incredibly open and transparent about our production methods, capacity, and goals – not to mention they love to pour a dram… 

So, head over to the Book A Tour page and we’ll see you soon. Good luck on your journey, wherever you may be on the way!