• Home
  • Champagne
  • Wine
    • Argentina
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Canada
    • Chile
    • Cyprus
    • England
    • France
    • Georgia
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Italy
    • Lebanon
    • Madeira
    • Mexico
    • New Zealand
    • Portugal
    • South Africa
    • Spain
    • Tasmania
    • USA
    • Wine
  • Spirits
    • Aperitifs
    • Armagnac
    • Bitters
    • Brandy
    • Cachaca
    • Calvados
    • Cognac
    • Eaux De Vie
    • Gin
    • Grappa
    • Liqueurs
    • Mezcal
    • Pisco
    • Rum
    • Schnapps
    • Sirops and Cordials
    • Tequila
    • Vodka
    • Whisky
    • Spirits
  • Gifts
    • Champagne
    • Wine
    • Spirits
    • Gifts
  • Tasting
  • My Account
SWS
  • Tel : +44(0)20 7636 8490
  • MON - WED : 8:00 - 18:00
  • THURS - FRI : 8:00 - 19:00
  • 1 item - £125.00
  • Home
  • Champagne
  • Wine
    • Argentina
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Canada
    • Chile
    • Cyprus
    • England
    • France
    • Georgia
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Italy
    • Lebanon
    • Madeira
    • Mexico
    • New Zealand
    • Portugal
    • South Africa
    • Spain
    • Tasmania
    • USA
  • Spirits
    • Aperitifs
    • Armagnac
    • Bitters
    • Brandy
    • Cachaca
    • Calvados
    • Cognac
    • Eaux De Vie
    • Gin
    • Grappa
    • Liqueurs
    • Mezcal
    • Pisco
    • Rum
    • Schnapps
    • Sirops and Cordials
    • Tequila
    • Vodka
    • Whisky
  • Gifts
    • Champagne
    • Wine
    • Spirits
  • Tasting
  • Login / Register
Home / Spirits / Whisky / Page 7

Spirits Categories

  • Aperitifs
  • Armagnac
  • Bitters
  • Brandy
  • Cachaca
  • Calvados
  • Eaux De Vie
  • Gin
  • Grappa
  • Liqueurs
  • Mezcal
  • Pisco
  • Rum
  • Schnapps
  • Sirops and Cordials
  • Tequila
  • Vodka
  • Whisky

Gift Categories

  • Champagne
  • Spirits
  • Wine

Price

Price: —

Country

Region

Style

Whisky

Read More

Essentially, there are two main types of whisky – malt whisky and grain whisky.

Malt whisky is distilled from malted barley in a pot still. This is a batch process, which yields relatively small quantities. This type of whisky tends to be labelled with the name of the distillery and a statement about the age of the spirit. Malting is a time-consuming process that transforms complex sugars in the barley into simple sugars that dissolve in water. This sugar-water (worts) is used to feed the yeasts that produce alcohol in a mixture called a wash. The wash is fed into the still and eventually becomes whisky.

Grain whisky is distilled in a column still and can be made from a number of grains (malted and un-malted), sometimes including some barley. Column stills are commonly used for large-scale commercial production and they are responsible for producing the vast majority of whisky that is sold worldwide.

Whisky is subject to certain regulations. In the UK a whisky must have been aged for a minimum of three years. In addition to an ageing requirement, whisky is labelled under different categories:

  • A Single Malt Whisky is a malt whisky from a single distillery.
  • A Single Grain Whisky is a whisky from a single grain distillery.
  • A combination of malt whiskies from different distilleries is a known as Blended Malt.
  • A blend of both types of whisky (no matter the proportions) is a Blended Whisky.

Sometimes a whisky carries a statement about the age of the whisky in the bottle. This statement denotes the age of the youngest whisky used in that release. Whiskies of different ages and from different barrels are used to try and keep a well-known product (such as “Highland Park 12 Year Old”) consistent from one year to the next.

Occasionally, the contents of a single barrel are released as a “single cask” bottling and smaller batches can be made from specific casks. Ideally, the colour of whisky is extracted from the wood in which it’s aged. In practice, the colour is often adjusted with caramel and one can usually assume this is the case unless stated otherwise on the label. Chemicals formed during the manufacture of caramel additives also have important flavour characteristics – some are identical to chemicals released when oak is toasted. In addition to colouring, most whisky is filtered to remove natural compounds that make the spirit look oily when water is added and cloudy when it’s cold.

The casks used for ageing whisky tend to be old Bourbon barrels. This is because Bourbon (a type of American whisky made from grain and distilled in a variety of ways) must be matured in new oak barrels. Once the Bourbon distillers have used these barrels once they are sold on to distillers of other spirits who use them to add character and complexity their own spirits. Whisky distillers also use barrels that have previously contained fortified and other wines, in order to add character to their spirit.

Although Scotland is the most famous region for whisky distillation, there are whiskies from around the world. Our own selection includes whiskies from India, England, Wales, Japan, Ireland, Sweden and New Zealand.

A special mention of peat: A key part of malting grains is drying grains. Before other forms of fuel became more common, malting barley in Scotland was dried in kilns fed with solid peat. The smoke from this fuel rose and left particulate matter in the grain that would make it through to the distillate, giving it a characteristic flavour. These days grain of different peating levels is available to purchase (very few distilleries malt any grain on site) and used to make spirit in places as far flung as Goa and Yoichi in Japan.

Hide Description
View Basket “Chivas Royal Salute 21 Year Old” has been added to your basket.

Showing 151–171 of 171 results

  • Suntory Hibiki Japanese Harmony

    Suntory Hibiki Japanese Harmony
    Size: 70cl
    From: Japan
    £62.50
    Add to basket
  • Suntory Toki

    Size: 70cl
    From: Japan
    £32.99
    Add to basket
  • Suntory Yamazaki 12yr old

    Suntory Yamazaki 12yr old
    Size: 70cl
    From: Japan
    £120.00
    Add to basket
  • Suntory Yamazaki 18yr old

    Suntory Yamazaki 18yr old
    Size: 70cl
    From: Japan
    £599.00
    Read more
  • Suntory Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve

    Suntory Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve
    Size: 70cl
    From: Japan
    £56.50
    Add to basket
  • Talisker 10yr old

    Talisker 10yr old
    Size: 70cl
    From: Scotland
    £42.00
    Add to basket
  • Talisker 18yr old

    Talisker 18yr old
    Size: 70cl
    From: Scotland
    £85.00
    Add to basket
  • Talisker Bodega Series 40yr old 1978 Vintage

    Size: 70cl
    From: Scotland
    £2,750.00
    Add to basket
  • Teeling Single Grain

    Teeling Single Grain
    Size: 70cl
    From: Ireland
    £42.50
    Add to basket
  • Teeling Single Malt

    Teeling Single Malt
    Size: 70cl
    From: Ireland
    £51.95
    Add to basket
  • Teeling Small Batch Whisky

    Teeling Small Batch Whisky
    Size: 70cl
    From: Ireland
    £45.00
    Add to basket
  • The Glenrothes 12 yr old

    The Glenrothes 12 yr old
    Size: 70cl
    From: Scotland
    £41.00
    Add to basket
  • Whistlepig 12yr Old World Marriage

    Whistlepig 12yr Old World Marriage
    Size: 75cl
    From: USA
    £150.00
    Add to basket
  • WhistlePig 15yr old Rye Vermont Estate Oak

    Size: 70cl
    From: USA
    £225.00
    Add to basket
  • WhistlePig Farmstock Crop No.001

    Size: 70cl
    From: USA
    £95.00
    Add to basket
  • WhistlePig Farmstock Rye Crop No.002

    WhistlePig Farmstock Rye Crop No.002
    Size: 70cl
    From: USA
    £75.00
    Add to basket
  • Whistlepig Straight Rye 10yr old

    Whistlepig Straight Rye 10yr old
    Size: 70cl
    From: USA
    £75.00
    Add to basket
  • Wild Turkey 101

    Wild Turkey 101
    Size: 70cl
    From: USA
    £32.99
    Add to basket
  • Woodford Double Oaked

    Woodford Double Oaked
    Size: 70cl
    From: USA
    £51.00
    Add to basket
  • Woodford Reserve

    Woodford Reserve
    Size: 70cl
    From: USA
    £35.00
    Add to basket
  • Woodford Straight Rye

    Woodford Straight Rye
    Size: 70cl
    From: USA
    £45.95
    Add to basket
  • ←
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7

Keep up to date. Subscribe using your email address for news and product updates.

Contact us

The Soho Wine Supply Ltd

18 Percy Street

LONDON

WIT IDX

TEL : +44 (0)20 7636 8490

FAX : +44 (0)20 7636 8899

Orders@sohowine.co.uk

Get Social

  • facebook-logo
  • twitter-logo
  • instagram-logo

Customer Services

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Customer Information

  • Delivery & Shipping
  • Return Policy
  • Trade
  • My Account
  • Return Policy
  • Delivery & Shipping

Legal Information

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Condition

We accept

  • We Accept Visa
  • We Accept Mastercard
  • We Accept Maestro
  • We Accept Solo
  • We Accept Switch
  • We Accept Delta
  • We Accept Paypal

2018 All rights reserved. The Soho Wines & Spirits | Company Number 392737

Site Design & Development by WFDLwfd-logo

This website uses cookies to ensure that you get the best experience on our website. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our cookie policy. Read more Ok