Origins of scotch whisky Flashcards
What is the gaelic name for scotch/ the water of life
uisge beatha
who discovered that the discovery of distilling whisky was accidental and when
the Novelist Neil Gunn in the 1930s
when was tax first imposed on whisky and by what group
Puritan parliament in 1644
how has the term whisky been shaped in the past in terms of pronunciation
originally uisge beatha was later abbreviated into uiskie in the 17th century which became wiskie by 1715. The modern spelling appears as late as 1736
What are some theorised/ believed origins of distillation
-distilling came to Scotland from across the Irish sea and was done by the Scots as they are called
-The ancient Irish where taught how to distil by saint Patrick two centuries before their arrival in Scotland
-distilling was brought to Europe from the middle east in 950AD
Who revived or revitalised distilling after the dark ages in Europe and when
Arnaldus de Villa Nova in the 13th century
Who is described as the father of distilling and what did they do
Arnaldus de Villa Nova due to studying the distillation of nitric, hydrochloric and sulfuric acids. He was the first to distil wine and name it alcohol and describe it as potable
What is the origin of the word alcohol
It comes from the Arabic word al’khol, a fine powder derived from khol or antimony which was used as eye shadow by the Egyptians
who where the original European primary dabblers in distilling and why
Monks for medicinal purposes
Where was the first recorded Scotland distilled spirit found
in an Exchequer roll of 1494 where there is a written order from the king to friar John Corr to make aquavitae VIII bolls of malt
Who is the king who ordered the first distilled spirit known in Scotland
King James IV the best loved of all the ill-fated house of Stuart
What discovery was crucial to progressing the distilled spirit to a more potable drink that could be used for purposes other than those purely medicinal
the invention of ways to condense the spirit produced when mildly alcoholic wash was boiled and the advantages to secondary distillation were discovered.
When was the benefit of cooling the condenser in a tub of water discovered
In the 15th century
When was it discovered that coiling the condenser tube in the tub of water traditionally used would increase the condensers effectiveness
In the middle of the 16th century
What is this coiling of the condenser tube more commonly called
worms or worm tub
In the mid 16th century the condenser tubes were coiled into ‘worms’ what other change was made to the whisky stills during that period and why
The head of stills was elongated into a pear like shape to increase the reflux of condensate going back into the still allowing for a better separation of the spirit and the water whilst also reducing the carrying over of noxious impurities
What where the advantages to the newly elongated pear shaped stills in the mid 16th century
It increased the reflux of condensate which improved the separation between the water and the spirit. It also reduced the carrying over of noxious impurities
In 1560 what happened to Scotland’s Monasteries and how does it compare to those in England around the same time
they were dissolved over time, the difference is that in England it was more ruthless and done in a shorter period.
how did knowledge on distillation move from monks to common folk
As monasteries were dissolved monks settled in with common folk and shared their knowledge on distillation. From here on wherever suitable cereals were grown some was used for distilling in the farming year
When was the first recorded mention of aqua vitae in Scotland
1494
In 1575 what was used to make whisky and what sort of things were added to it
it was made predominantly from any cereal crops at hand such as oat, wheat and barley but it also had additives such as sugar herbs and spices which where compounded with the whisky in much the same manner as gin now
from the early 17th century spent barley husks and spent grains were used to produce what
Animal feed, particularly for cattle in the winter
In the highlands in particular how much of their crops were grown as ‘drinks crop’ and why
1/4 to 1/3rd were grown to produce whisky and this was due to the barley husks and spent grains being usable as cattle feed in the winter which was heavily relied on
what led to the smuggling era around 1757
A ban on distilling in Britain until 1760 which forced a lot of small whisky distilleries out of business leading to home distillers illegally selling whisky.
Due to extreme government and taxing distilleries mostly operated illegally what was the estimated number of illicit and/or illegal distilleries around 1777
400
In 1777 what was the estimated number of licensed distilleries
8
in 1777 the steins introduced a new rough grain spirit and sent 2,000 gallons of it to London for what? and how successful/ unsuccessful was it
it was sent for rectifying and compounding into Gin. this rough spirit was primarily used for mixing effectively to make a drink alcoholic. It was hugely successful
within 5 years of the steins rough spirit export of 2,000 gallons what had their export grown to?
184,000 Gallons
When was private distilling banned and why and what affect did it have?
It was banned in 1781 following pressure from large distillers however it was mostly ignored
What introduced the line between the highlands and the lowlands and impacted the quality of the two whisky regions
William pits wash act of 1784, this led to highlands being favoured with lower tax and smaller stills whereas the lowlands used thicker washes with wider shallow based, taller stills
What led to the impairment of lowland whisky quality in 1784
The usage of large shallow based and tall stills which could be used in minutes allowing for rapid distillation however the reduction in fractionation and the thicker washes led it to being less flavourful
What helped the increased quality in highland spirits around 1784
They were favoured with lower tax and allowed to use smaller stills with weak washes to produce more flavourful whiskies
In 1819 the number of highland distilleries increased from 12 to 57 and in the lowlands from 24 to 68. What caused this rise
The small stills act of 1816 which abolished the highland line and allowed the use of stills of not less than 40 gallons throughout Scotland. It also allowed the usage of weaker washes and reduced duty by about a third.
A commission of enquiry into revenue was set up under the chairmanship of lord Wallace in order to potentially reduce duty costs as a way of outcompeting smugglers. What was the result of this?
The excise act of 1823 was produced which reduced duty costs by half and put the license tax at £10 per annum. It sanctioned the usage of thin washes, introduced duty free warehousing for export spirits and opened the export trade to all.
What essential thing produced the foundation for modern day whisky
The excise act of 1823 as it gave distillers freedom to choose how to distil with their own methods etc as they were no longer restricted or overly controlled by the law
between 1823 and 1825 how many licensed distilleries opened
204
At the start of 1823 how many licensed distilleries where there in comparison to 1825
125 which rose to 329 by 1825
convictions for whisky smuggling in 1823 fell from 14,000 to what
85
How many convictions had there been for whisky smuggling in 1823
14,000
between 1830s and 1850s the number of licensed distilleries fell from 230 to 169 what was the cause of this
widespread distress following the bad harvest as well as the potato blight.
in 1853 the first true brand scotch whisky was put on the market by who?
Andrew usher
What was the name of the first true brand released scotch
Ushers old vatted Glenlivet
In 1853 which distillery released the first true brand scotch whisky and what regions is it located in
The Glenlivet distillery in Speyside
In 1860 what act made it possible to produce blended whisky on a larger scale
The Gladstones spirits act of 1860
The act of blending malts with cheaper grain malts was pioneered by who in 1860?
Andrew Usher Jnr, Charles Mackinlay and WP Lowrie
What were the three great virtues of blended whisky in 1860
It had a broader appeal than some other whiskies which were heavily peated or fiery due to grain. It could also be made to a formula so its flavour remained consistent and it was cheap to produce.
What innovative means of transport was devised around the 1840s that allowed easier means of transport and accelerated growth for whisky
The railway
Which railway had the largest impact on whiskies growth and transport
The Edinburgh to Glasgow railway in 1842
Right towards the end of 1970 what percentage of scotch was made for blending
99%
During the 1860s to 1880s what pest in france was responsible for devastating vineyards
Phyllorexa vastarix
how did the louse pest in France between the 1860s and 1880s help push whisky more
Middleclass British people were unable to have their most commonly enjoyed drink, brandy and soda which became replaced by blended whisky and soda thus helping whisky grow
What was a driver of whisky branding becoming more prominent and developing quickly around 1872
Pubs had been able to easily access and buy cheap whisky spirits and mix it with other things to make it more drinkable, sometimes however it was harmful things like sulphuric acid, acetic ether, varnish, turpentine and naphtha. This led to an investigation that was published in the mail in 1872 who analysed whisky across the city.
It was after the published results of chemical testing that branding then grew.
What were some of the bigger changes in marketing and branding done in the following two decades after 1872s published chemical anaylsis of the cities whisky
Greatly increased use of bottles, these bottles had driven corks with metal capsules and lastly more descriptive started being written on the bottle such as “fine old” “wholesome” and “pure” etc
What led to distillers, blenders and merchants names becoming more conspicuous from 1872
The increased branding and marketing done due to public testimonials and testing on whisky done throghout glascow.
In the1860s to 1870s/1880s what were most of the distilleries doing
Many were rebuilt and modernised and production doubled within the decade
Where was the first built distillery to take advantage of the strathspey railway
Cragganmore in speyside
How many distilleries were opened between 1870 and 1880
11
What problem did the continuous still bring
Its high productivity meant that there was an over capacity and thus market instability
In 1877 what large coroporation formed from some of the principle grain whisky producers
DCL Distillers company limited
Why did the DCL form
to achieve self regulation and prevent trade wars
What were some of the more notable distillers that amalgamated to form the DCL
Port Dundas, Carsebridge, Cameron bridge, Glenochil, Cambus and kirkliston distilleries.
What between 1884 and 1888 caused several amalgamations and and take overs that overall strengthened the ties between distillers and blenders
A brief general depression
In 1885 how much had spirits generated in capital for the exchequer
£14 million
What in the 1890s during the growth of whisky distilllers and whisky investment caused Speyside to become the preffered location for opening distilleries
The glenlivet was the representitive of the region at the time and it was sweet and delicate which was easier for blenders to use, compared to rougher islay whiskies for instance. Whiskies in speyside at that time where mostly commonly refered to as Glenlivet whiskies
In the 1890s what was the sign of a good quality blend that made ‘glenlivet whiskies’ perfect for blending
Smoothness
Around the 1890s what type of cask began to be used for its increasingly recognised benefits in achieving sweet smoothness
Ex sherry casks
What led to the development of pagoda roofs
The demand for lightly peated malts which allowed for allowed more ventilation
What was the primarily used universal fuel for drying malt up to at least the 1890s
Peat
how many distillieries in the highlands did not use soley peat as a way to dry there malt
4, two used oak and peat and 2 others used only oak.
In the 1880s what percentage of the whiskies made in scotland were pot stilled malt whisky
37%
In the 1880s what percentage of the whiskies made in scotland where patent still grain spirit
63%
in the 1890s some distillers were growing nervous of whiskies growth and sought to limit the definition of scotch whisky to the product of a pot still. What happened next
A select comitee was set up under the chairmanship or sir lionel playfair whidh found against them allowing blended whiskies to be called scotch.
When did the whisky bubble burst persay
Around the 1890s to 1900s
Which of the most flamboyant blending companies where the first to collapse between the 1890s and 1900s
pattison, elder and company of lieth
What caused a large collapse or shattering of confidence in the whisky industry
The absurd heights of stocks and the fraudulent behaviour of the pattison brothers who spent a lot of the companies money on things outside the company.
in 1899 the number of operating distilleries dropped from 161 to what in 1908
132 so at least 29 distilleries were closed down.
What debate and campaig was opposed by blenders from 1903 to 1905
That the term whisky only be used in referring to whiskies made from malt only.
in February 1908 an investigation into scotch was set up which reported what on scotch whisky in 1908? (in reference to what can be called scotch)
That the term ‘scotch whisky’ embraced malt, grain and blended whisky no matter how little the malt was in the blend
What was the big issue that whisky was posed with in 1909
Lloyd george, liberal chancellor of the exchequor presented his peoples budget which increased duty on spirits by a third.
What happened to the peoples budget made by lloyd george in 1909
it was thrown out of the house of lords, however when the prime minister Herbert Asquith won the election he passed the budget.
In august 1914 when the first world war broke out what national scandal led to a worsening of the situation for whisky
When victory wasn’t secured by Christmas soldiers were low on shells so the government sought an scapegoat and said that munitions workers were producing insufficient arms due to drinking to much strong liquor. this was supported only by the notion that with the rise in living wages the consumption of whisky had also gone up.
What did lloyd george propose in the house of lords in response to the governments statement in 1914 during the first world war
that duty be doubled. even though faced with rebellion he established the central control board which more or less took over control of the whisky trade.
In 1916 how much was pot still production cut by
30%, and banning it altogether the following year.
How did the ABV of whisky change in 1916
They should be 40% abv and 26% abv in munition areas which embraced all the large centres of population.
What were some of the major changed borught about in 1918
Exports were forbidden and duty was doubled. Prices also became fixed so tax could not be passed onto the consumer
Following changes made in the first world war in 1918 what had the whisky consumption in the home market dropped to
Ten million gallons
When was the ban on distilling lifted
1919
After 1919 what had overal whisky production fallen to
13 million gallons
What quintessential event started in the 1920s and what is this period called
The world economy slipped into recession which would last the rest of the decade and was referred to as PROHIBITION
When was the ban on alcohol during prohibition lifted
1933
What where the DCL concerned about during prohibition and what did they do because of it
They were worried that low quality, cheap scotch would swamp their well known quality brands, So they formed the ‘scheduled area organisation’ a covert body which could control prices and quality, regulate credit and vet customers avoiding were possible dealing with bootleggers
Where were the agents of the scheduled area organisation based to illegally run whisky into the US
They were set in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean
How was whisky transported into the US at the start of the prohibition
The whisky was imported legally to the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada where agents would then illegally run it into the US
Why was the demand for scotch in the US so high during prohibition
The locals produced ‘moonshine’ whisky which was of poor quality
What was the cause of a reduction in around 16 Campbeltown distilleries in the 1920s during prohibition
they stood aside from the scheduled area organisation and shipped their product to the Caribbean although due to such high demand and resources becoming stretched they became more focussed on quantity over quality.
until 1913 how were all bottles of whisky sealed
with a driven cork like wine bottles
who created the replaceable stopper cork
William Manera Bergius the managing director of william teacher and sons.
Which was the whisky company that first introduced the replaceable stopper cork
William teacher and sons
who invented the screw cap and how did it affect the sales of their whisky
White horse distiller, it doubled the sales of their brands within 6 months
Between 1927 and 1930 how much did malt whisky production increase by
It increased from 25.5 million litres to 39.5 million litres so an increase of 3.1 million gallons.
In 1930 how much did DCL cut production by
25%
by 1932 what had overal whisky production dwindled to
under 10 million litres less than half the previous years total
what were the only malt distilleries to stay open in 1932
Glenlivet and Glen grant
Who lifted prohibition in 1933
president Roosevelt
What was the difficulty for imported scotch between 1933 and 1935
Even though prohibition was lifted congress imposed a high import duty that ended in 1935
By 1935 what had whisky production risen to and what did it further rise to by 1938
114 million litres (25 million gallons) and by 1938 it rose to 136 million litres (30 million gallons).
What occurrence in 1939 brought back an increase in duty. Hint this was a tremendously big worldwide event
World war 2
What caused the closure of all the grain distilleries in 1941
the cordon was imposed by german U boats
Between 1941 and 1943 what happened to the malt distilleries
72 were in operation in 1942 which became 44 in 1942 and by 1943 they had all closed.
What had happened to the price of whisky in in 1943 as a result of increased duty
The prices doubled from what they had been pre-war
How much was duty raised by in 1948
31%
By what year had whisky production been able to continue at the same rate as pre-war levels
1950
what happened to many long closed distilleries around 1950
They were recommissioned and opened again
In 1957 the first new distillery was opened since 1900 which was it
Glen keith followed the next year by Towmore
What did DCl start doing after 1950
They increased the number of stills in their malt whisky distilleries by half
Between 1960 and 1976 what happened to the whisky world as it were
It once again began to grow as lots of distilleries were reopened and many began to expand with some of the larger distilleries doubling in size. It was a period of growth unparralled since the victorian era.
What happened to the production of malt spirit between 1945 and 195
It doubled and the amount held under bond quadrupled to well in excess of a billion glallons
In 1975/1976 what caused a large slump in the fortuen of whisky
the oil crisis and end of the Vietnam war
How was scotchs perception changing and how was it in terms of fashion
It was moving out of fashion and was becoming more percieved as a dads drink or uncool when compared to vodkas and light rums. it was also challenged by the increase in wine as the consumption of wine rose by 40%
at the time of wine consumption rising by 40% between 1979 and 1992 what did the consumption of whisky decrease by
21%
How did the UK duty change on spirits and wine between 1979 and 1985
Duty on wine was lowered by 20% whilst the duty on spirits rose by nearly a third.
by the 1980 what was the cause of distilleries beginning to close
production had far outstripped demand
in 1983 and 1985 How many of their distilleries did DCl close
21 of its 45 distilleries, 14 of which never went back into production
Which company pulled a hostile takeover of arhtur bells and sons
Guinness
What other company did Guinness takeover a year after taking over arthur bell and sons
DCL (Distillers company limited) in 1986
in 1963 William grant and sons, owners of Glenfiddich distillery started promoting their whisky as ‘pure’ which led to what in the 1970s
Other distilleries began to follow suit and began bottling and repackaging a lot of their things as well as ‘freshening up’ some whiskies such as laphroaig. these companies then also began to try draw more public attention such as by using the press
in 1978 sales of single malt whisky accounted for less than what percentage of the the world market for scotch
less than 1%
Around 1980 what did whisky distilleries expect the rise in exports of single malts to be and what was it actually
They expected a rise of between 8-10%. over the next five years.
The actual growth was almost twice that
Between 1980 and 1985 the sales of single malt whiskies grew massively but what about that of blended malts
the market for blended malts decreased as did the blended malts being produced
from 1980 to 1990 sales of single malts rose from 2.5million litres of pure alcohol to what
10.6 million litres of pure alcohol
What did whiskies market share rise from 0.8% to between 1980 and 1990
3.8%
What are the reasons for the rising success of single malts that were summarised by Alan gray in his scotch whisky industy review 1992
-Greater consumer awareness due to increased promotion
-increased diversity of brands and expressions creating increased interest and variety in the category
-attractive packaging and repackaging
-increase in whisky tourism and welcoming distilleries
-The higher selling prices of single malts compared to blended scotch which was attractive to brand owners and retailers
What could be seen as a measure of the interest of whisky in the 1980s and 1990s
The number of books published
When did the first whisky devoted magazine appear
December 1968 Whisky time was released in Italy the leading market for malt whisky at this time
Who were the pioneers of opening up the distillery to visitors to gain more publicity and draw more attention to whisky
William grant and sons in 1969
In 1980 the first book on whisky tourism was published what was the book focussed on
it was a guide book to visiting distilleries in Scotland
when was the scotch whisky heritage centre funded and created and by who
1987 by the leading whisky companies
who were the pioneers of single cask bottlings and when
The scotch malt society in the early 1980s
in the 1990s due to having plenty of older whiskies how did many distillers try to increase their ranges
they began ‘wood finishing’ which involved putting whisky into previously wine containing casks typically sherry and port
when was Diageo formed and which companies formed it
Guinness merged with Grand metropolitan in may 1997
as a result of Guinness’s mergence with Grand metropolitan what ‘major brand’ were they obliged to ‘dispose’ of.
John Dewars and sons which they sold to Bacardi along with 5 distilleries
what was The companies [Diageo] focus meant to be on in accordance to chairman Tony Greener
Scotch and Scotland
Companies with aged stock began to hold onto their casks which put pressure on what group in the 1990s/2000s
Independent bottlers who then sought to stay in the trade by acquiring or opening distilleries
In the early 21st century demand for certain whiskies was high in some markets and lower in others which led to two main ways of trying to deal with it what were they
-The prices were increased
-Stocks were moved from markets of less to demand to those of higher demand (This was not popular with consumers)
what did Diageo do that outraged its competitors and others within the industry as a result of supply not meeting demand in Spain
They created ‘Cardhu pure malt’ which was a mixture of malts from Cardhu and Glendullan distilleries
What were some of the fears that were voiced surrounding the release of the ‘Cardhu pure malt’
That consumers were being conned and it would Tarnish the reputation of scotch Single malts
As a result of the Cardhu pure malt what action was taken in 2009
The scotch whisky association set up a committee to tighten up definitions in 2009 and the Cardhu pure malt was removed from the market
What was another means of increasing the range of whiskies around 2009 that displeased lots of consumers
mixing old and young whiskies and then removing the age statement
What does NAS mean in terms of whisky and when was it first introduced
No age statement and it was introduced around 2009
How else has whisky grown since the early 21st century in terms of value
it has grown as something that can be invested in and in 2019 and 2020 was ranked as the best performing alternate investment
How has the demand for rare and old vintage whiskies changed since the early 21st century
The demand for them has increased dramatically with increased collectors and investors, this has also led to an increase in auctions most of which are done in London with some being done in other areas like Hong Kong and New York. It is now the case that many of these older bottlings prices are defined by the consumers and less so the distillers.
How many new distilleries have been commissioned between 2004 and 2019
30
Over the past ten years how much has scotch whisky production capacity increased by
60.25%
