Show me the way to the next whisky bar!!
Academy of Spherical Arts (38 Hannah,at Liberty,416-532-2782)
How many varieties: 125 plus
Noteworthy: 25-year-old Port Ellen Islay single malt
How much: $45/ounce
The Paddock (178 Bathurst,at Queen, 416-504-9997)
How many varieties: 25
Noteworthy: 25-year-old The Macallan Speyside single malt
How much: $30/ounce
Feather’s (962 Kingston Road,at Victoria Park,416-694-0443)
How many varieties: 350 plus
Noteworthy: 31-year-old Auchentoshan Lowlands single malt
How much: $29.25/ounce
Allen’s (143 Danforth, at Broadview,416-463-3086)
How many varieties: 200 plus
Noteworthy: 35-year-old Bruichladdich Islay single malt
How much: $34/ounce
Rating: NNNNN
As Robbie Burns Day beckons this January 25, what better time to knock back several wee drams of single malt whisky?
That’s whisky without an “e.” Whiskey’s Irish. While whisky is made worldwide — rye in Canada, bourbon in the States — only the stuff made in Scotland is Scotch. Single malts are the raw stuff, distilled from yeast-fermented barley and the purest natural water. Popular brands like Johnny Walker and Chivas Regal are blended whiskies made from several single malts.
Just as French wines are characterized by where they’re grown, single malts are distinguished by their region of origin: Campbeltown, Islay, Highland, Lowland, Speyside and Orkney, and these areas are further subdivided by hardcore devotees. Each has something unique — its fermentation process, distilling and aging all create subtle deviations in the results, as do salty air, type of water and whether or not heather peat is used to dry the barley.
If you can use the words “reek of peat” in a sentence without laughing, you’re ready to step up to the bar.
Try not to order a single malt on the rocks. Malts should be sipped straight. If you must dilute it, add a little room-temperature spring water.
Since sizing up Scotch is all about the nose as opposed to taste, drink Scotch from a glass with a round bowl and a narrow top to trap aromas. Hold it up to the light and assess its colour. Swirl the whisky around the glass and note if it clings to the inside (a sign of maturity). Next, inhale deeply and nose the malt. Finally, taste it, rolling the whisky over the tongue and savouring the finish.
Check out Robbie Burns single malt tastings at Mackenzie House (82 Bond, 416-392-6915, Friday, January 24, 7 pm, $40) and C’est What (67 Front East, 416-867-9499, Wednesday, January 22, 7 pm, $21.37), the last guaranteed haggis-free.
Slainte!
Here’s a beginner’s guide to well-priced, regional Scotch
The Glenlivet ($38.95, 750 ml)
Region: Speyside
Age: 12 years
Proof: 40 per cent
Taste: Medium-bodied, slightly toffey’d and with a slow, long finish
Noteworthy: Pale gold in colour, one of the most famous whiskies in the world
Glenmorangie ($44.95, 750 ml)
Region: Highlands
Age: 10 years
Proof: 40 per cent
Taste: Citrusy, somewhat smoky, with an almost floral finish
Noteworthy: Glenmorangie means “glen of tranquility”
Laphroaig ($44.95, 750 ml)
Region: Islay
Age: 10 years
Proof: 40 per cent
Taste: Very smoky, slightly salty and almost medicinal
Noteworthy: Pronounced “lafroyg,” definitely an acquired taste
Auchentoshan ($49.50, 750 ml)
Region: Lowlands
Age: 10 years
Proof: 40 per cent
Taste: Slightly fruity bordering on sweet
Noteworthy: The only triple-distilled Lowlands malt
Highland Park ($49.95, 750 ml)
Region: Orkney Islands
Age: 12 years
Proof: 43 per cent
Taste: Heathery, peaty and nutty
Noteworthy: The perfect after-dinner drink
Talisker ($59.95, 750 ml)
Region: Isle of Skye
Age: 10 years
Proof: 45.8 per cent
Taste: Seaweedy and said to taste like Band-Aids
Noteworthy: The only distillery on the island
Springbank ($84.90, 750 ml)
Region: Campbeltown
Age: 10 years
Proof: 46 per cent
Taste: Rich, caramel-like, with a sugary aftertaste
Noteworthy: One of the few whiskies that’s still hand-malted and bottled on site
