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WHISKY STRENGTH Single malt whisky goes into the oak cask to age at around 63% ABV (alcohol by volume) and when ready for bottling it is typically diluted with water to 40 or 43% ABV. Over the course of time in the cask, the spirit loses strength, around 1/2% per year. A cask-strength whisky is bottled usually at 55% - 58% ABV, a formidable strength that requires the addition of water to truly appreciate the dram. At the turn of the century, Scotch whisky was bottled at strengths from 46% - 50% ABV, and this was considered ideal by both the consumer and the distiller. There is more flavor and character at this strength, and that is the reason we have bottled The MacTarnahan at 46%, slightly higher than other malt whiskies. MATURATION - THE LONG SLEEP According to Islay folk, time takes out the fire but leaves in the warmth. Freshly distilled whisky is fearsome stuff: a clear, pungent, sharp-tasting brew with unpleasant odors. So this colorless new spirit is laid down in oak casks to mature and in due course, if the whisky gods are kind, it sheds its fiery character and becomes mellow, round and pleasantly aromatic. In addition to benevolent whisky gods, there are a number of more practical factors that determine a well-matured single malt. Oak is porous, and the oxidative effect of air and oxygen on the spirit within has profound results: the composition of the compounds change; esters, acids and aldehydes increase. Oak wood itself contains over 100 volatile components, including more than 50 flavor compounds. It contributes color, tannins, sugars and interacts with the spirit’s components to make the whisky mellower, fruitier and aromatic. The rate of maturation and quality of the whisky are affected by the alcoholic strength, the history, nature and size of the cask, and the maturation environment. Of major importance is the history of the cask. Whisky is usually aged in a variety of oaks, made up of American bourbon, European sherry and plain oak casks. For centuries, most malt whisky went straight from the still to the consumer. This was raw, fighting whisky; appropriate fuel for the ubiquitous clan battles of the period and good insulation against cold Highland winters. A few enlightened souls appreciated the benefit of wood-aged whisky, but it was not until the middle of the 19th century that oak maturation became common practice. Depending on the sherry type, sherry casks can impart a deep amber-brown color, sweetness and a fruity richness to the whisky, in addition to honey, almond and walnut aromas and flavors. American bourbon casks give less color to the malt, from light yellow to golden yellow, and less sweetness. Distillers like the clean, woody freshness that these casks give to a whisky; they say the voice of the spirit is allowed to speak, or sing, as the case may be. Bourbon casks are usually charred, which helps release wood sugars, caramelized flavors and vanillin, an aromatic aldehyde with the odor of vanilla. It is important to remember that a cask can be filled with whisky three or four times, gradually losing its contribution of character with each fill. They are used until they lose their “virtue.” THE OPTIMUM AGE The length of maturation depends on the style of whisky, the size of cask, the type of warehouse and climatic conditions at the distillery location. By law, the whisky has to age for a minimum of three years, but this is too brief a period for real character to develop. The optimum time for most single malts is from 10-16 years in wood. Every malt ages differently: the lighter ones may reach their peak at a younger age; more robust whiskies may take longer to mellow. Whisky is aged in casks of four different sizes: 40 gallon barrels; 54 gallon hogsheads; 108 gallon butts; and 90-120 gallon puncheons. The larger the cask; the longer the maturation is the general rule. Charring the cask can also shorten the maturation time. The distiller of The MacTarnahan feels that 15 years is the optimum age for this malt whisky to express itself fully. And The MacTarnahan is one of the few single malts that ages its spirit in predominantly sherry casks. (They cost ten times more than a bourbon cask.) Two thirds of each bottling come from these Spanish casks, with the remainder aged in American white oak bourbon casks. Distillers in Scotland believe that as much as 70% of the character of a single malt comes from the cask, and that the quality and management of the cask is the biggest factor in the ultimate flavor of the single malt. THE REGIONAL INFLUENCE There is one final factor necessary in rounding out the character of a single malt: the regional Scottish environment. The oak casks are traditionally aged in stone-built, earthen-floored warehouses. Dark, damp and cool are the ideal conditions. The casks are stored two or three high with wooden runners between each layer, and here they sleep, mellowing in remote, lovely landscapes and gently absorbing the spirit of place. The warehouses that age The MacTarnahan are located high on the windswept moors of the Highlands, in the shadow of the Grampian mountains. Just a few hundred yards below, a salmon river flows fast by the distillery, through forested hills and verdant valley scenery. The climate here has four distinctive seasons: winters are cold and the hills are swept with blizzards and blanketed with snow from November through May; Autumn is crisp and beautiful, and the brief summers are warm and quite dry. But the climate has a magical effect on the whisky, one that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. The unheated warehouse temperatures influence the components of a whisky: lower temperatures make for a smoother, more pleasant whisky. And the relative humidity means a loss in the whisky’s strength and volume - 20 million gallons evaporate over Scotland every year. The locals call this intoxicating gift the angels’ share. Given the end result, the angels are not begrudged their dram. And even the Scottish winters can be tolerated under the right conditions, as discovered by the poet, Hugh Haliburton: Noo let the winds o’ winter blaw Now, blow Owre Scotland’s hills and plains Over It maitters nocht to us ava - Matters, not, at all We’ve simmer in oor veins! Summer, our TOP CLASS At the beginning of our journey, we said that we wanted a malt whisky that was ‘Top Class.’ It was the Scotch whisky blenders who coined the descriptor, ‘Top Class’ when referring to a particularly fine single malt distillery. There are more than 80 single malt distilleries currently producing whisky in Scotland, most of them available as a bottled single malt. (Around 30 additional distilleries are closed, either demolished or “silent.” Their malt whiskies can be found in limited bottlings.) In the past few years, an increasing number of distilleries have introduced a range of bottlings, usually in a variety of ages, and more recently with different alcohol strengths, vintages and wood “finishes.” In addition to these distillery bottlings, independent merchant bottlers offer a liquid treasure trove of often rare, limited malt whiskies under their own company labels. In every bottle of malt whisky rests the spirit of place. Each one is unique and often has its own band of faithful admirers. Yet, whenever a group of whisky drinkers gather and passionately discuss their spiritual pastime, it seems that certain distilleries dominate the discussion, rising to the top by merit and character more than the wiles of marketing departments. This is what the Scotch blenders discovered close to 100 years ago. And bear in mind that it has been the international success of blended Scotches—the likes of Famous Grouse, Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal—that has kept the diverse family of single malts in existence for more than 100 years. A blended Scotch can include a dozen to forty individual single malts and several grain whiskies, married together to create a unified, whole spirit. Typically, a blend will include several “core” malts in the recipe, whiskies that marry well with the others, and add character and sophistication to the blend, depending on the blend’s style and quality. Most of these core or component malts are outstanding whiskies in their own right, sought after by the blending companies who pay a premium price for their unique character. Top class, first class, top dogs and crack drams are some of the descriptors used for these great producing distilleries. (A dram is a measure of whisky in Scotland, the quantity often determined by the sobriety or generosity of the dram-giver.) When I asked one worthy whisky maker why some distilleries have a heritage of creating great whisky, he replied: “Och, it’s all in the genes.” We knew, then, that The MacTarnahan had to be a top class dram, a whisky with appropriate genes. But we also wanted to do business with a company that was based in Scotland, not London or Paris or Tokyo. We wanted to forge a relationship with the people who created the whisky, the people who live and breath and love their Highland creation. There are 23 distilleries that are regarded as ‘Top Class’ by the whisky industry, but not all of these are owned by Scottish companies. We narrowed our search to five single malts, gathered samples of each as we explored the glens and whisky villages of Scotland, and brought our precious cargo back to Portland for a tasting at the brewery. There were 14 fortunate souls at the ‘blind’ tasting, ranging from whisky connoisseurs to a handful who had never tasted a malt whisky outside of Glenlivet and Glenfiddich. We lined up our top class whiskies and included a few other well-regarded malts for good measure (Macallan 18 , Oban 14 and Highland Park 12). Nobody at the tasting knew the names of the single malts. Yet nine of the tasters picked the same whisky as their favorite dram in the group. And of the five who did not select it as number one, this whisky was their second favorite. We had discovered The MacTarnahan! One final issue remained: the name of the distillery that created The MacTarnahan. One of the burdens of being the best in anything is that everybody wants a piece of the action. Top class distilleries have no problem selling their whisky to Scotch blenders, and most bottle their whisky under their own distillery label, having established long-term international relationships with importers and distributors. The owner of The MacTarnahan asked us to submit to a vow of secrecy in order to safeguard these relationships, mentioning something about being beheaded by a Highland Claymore if we—The Four Keepers of The MacTarnahan—revealed the source of the treasure. We took him at his word, but asked that The MacTarnahan exported to the United States be a unique whisky in terms of age, strength and character. This final negotiation took place at the distillery, over several drams of The MacTarnahan. As we shook hands, the last snowfall of Spring settled softly on the heather moor that surrounds the source itself. “You’ll have to come back for some golf and fishing,” said the owner. And we did, a month later when the snow had disappeared and the first shoots of heather gave their purple backdrop to the craft of whisky making. We discovered that The MacTarnahan is not just a whisky to be enjoyed before and after dinner, pleasurable though these activities are. The MacTarnahan improves the game of golf, enhances the art of fly-fishing, and is the perfect companion on a hike through the glen or with a handmade cigar. We continued these recreational pursuits back in Oregon, finding The MacTarnahan to be the most versatile of spirits and ideally suited to the Northwest. We tried it “hauf and hauf” with our whole family of ales and lagers and found it to be the friendliest of all companions, a welcome, warming addition to the MacTarnahan clan.
The ProcessGrain content, Malting, Grinding, Mashing, Filtering, Fermenting, Distilling, Ageing.
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