Scotch Whisky History

Question 1

What is the Latin phrase for “water of life?”

Answer 1

Aqua Vitae

Question 2

What is the Gaelic phrase for whisky?

Answer 2

Uisge Beatha

Question 3

Distillation came to Europe from where? When?

Answer 3

It is thought that distillation came to Europe from the Middle East around 950AD

Question 4

What are the origins of the word Whisky?

Answer 4

UIse Beatha (early 6th century)
UIske (17th century)
Whiskie (1715)
Whisky (1736)

Question 5

Who is considered the “father of distilling?”

Answer 5

Arnaldus de Villa Nova was a Moorish scholar, born in Spain and educated in Sicily. He taught alchemy, medicine and astronomy at Avignon and Montpellier.

Question 6

What are the origins of the term alcohol?

Answer 6

Comes from the Arabic al’kohl - a fine powder used by the ancient Egyptians as eye shadow.

Question 7

What is the first record of distilled spirit in Scotland?

Answer 7

1494 Exchequer Roll, “To Friar John Cor, by order of the King, to make aquavitae, VIII bolls of malt.”

Question 8

Why did early distillers in Northern and Western Europe turn to fermented cereals as their raw material for distilled spirits?

Answer 8

Grapes did not grow in Northern climates as they did in Southern Europe.

Question 9

When was the first recorded mention of aqua vitae in Scotland?

Answer 9

1494 - Eight bolls of malt for Friar John Cor

Question 10

When wer the Guild of Surgeon-Barbers of Edinburgh granted a monopoly for making acqua vitae?

Answer 10

1505

Question 11

When was the first Act of Scottish Parliment passed imposing a duty on spirits to raise money for the Army of the Covenant?

Answer 11

1644

Question 12

What is the first reference to commercial distillery?

Answer 12

Ferintosch in 1689

Question 13

What act of parliament created the Highland Line? When was it passed?

Answer 13

The Wash Act of 1784

Question 14

What were the three main components of the Wash Act of 1784?

Answer 14

1) Created the Highland Line
2) Lowered duties above the line
3) allowed for smaller stills

Question 15

In what year did Johnnie Walker’s trustees open a shop in Kilmarnock?

Answer 15

1820

Question 16

What were the main components of the Excise Act of 1823?

Answer 16

1) Halved duty
2) Permitted small stills (40 gallons) above the Highland Line
3) Allowed thin washes
4) Encouraged smugglers to go legal

Question 17

Who was the first person to take out a patent for a continuous still? In what year?

Answer 17

Robert Stein in 1826

Question 18

Who perfected the patent still for grain whiskey? In what year?

Answer 18

Aeneas Coffey - 1831

Question 19

What was the first blended whiskey? Who created it? In what year?

Answer 19

Usher’s Old Vatted Glenlivet was created by Andrew Usher in 1853.

Question 20

When was Distillers Company Limited founded?

Answer 20

1877

Question 21

Who was granted exclusive rights to use the name “The Glenlivet?” In what year?

Answer 21

George and JG Smith in 1880

Question 22

When was the “What is Whisky” case?

Answer 22

1906

Question 23

What did the Royal Commission on Whisky decide in 1908

Answer 23

Grain and malt (thus blended) can be described as whiskey.

Question 24

What two significant breakthroughs to distilling occurred in the 15th century?

Answer 24

1) Cooling the condenser in a tub of water rather than in the air
2) Elongating the still head into a pear shape to encourage more reflux

Question 25

What was the first distillery mentioned in an official document?

Answer 25

Ferintosh was established on the Black Isle by Duncan Forbes of Culloden in 1670

Question 26

What was the special dispensation that was granted to Ferintosh by the King? How long did it last?

Answer 26

After Duncan Forbes’ distillery was sacked by Jacobites in 1689, Ferintosh was granted the privilege of distilling duty free on his estate. This privilege lasted for 95 years.

Question 27

When was the Act of Union?

Answer 27

1707 - united the parliaments of England and Scotland

Question 28

From where to where does the Highland Line run?

Answer 28

The Highland Line runs diagonally from the Firth of Clyde to the Firth of Tay.

Question 30

What abolished the Highland Line?

Answer 30

The Small Stills Act of 1816 abolished the Highland Line and permitted smaller stills throughout Scotland.

Question 31

What crisis in France was one of the major contributors to the rise of Scotch Whisky in export markets? And why?

Answer 31

From the mid-1860’s French vineyards were destroyed by a tiny louse called “Phylloxera Vistatrix” which dried the supply of Cognac and allowed Scotch Whisky to fill that void in many markets around the world.

Question 32

What major occurrence led to the rise of the Speyside region?

Answer 32

The building of the Strathspey Railway

Question 33

Who was the first person in the Glenlivet area to take out a license under the Excise Act of 1823?

Answer 33

George Smith in 1826

Question 34

What took place from 1920 to 1933 in the US, and how did it actually help the rise of Scotch Whisky?

Answer 34

During Prohibition in the US from 1920 to 1933, Scotch Whisky was smuggled into the US through the Caribbean to such a large extent that after prohibition was repealed, Scotch Whisky had overtaken Irish Whiskey in popularity in the US.

Question 35

What is the origin of the phrase “the Real McCoy?”

Answer 35

Captain Bill McCoy was a well known bootlegger during prohibition smuggling whisky through the Caribbean on his ship the Cutty Sark. HIs name became synonymous with good whisky… “The Real McCoy.”

Question 36

What was the first commercial release of a single malt whisky? And by whom?

Answer 36

1963 - Glenfiddich

Question 37

What was the first distillery to open it’s doors to the public - thus creating “Whisky tourism?” In what year?

Answer 37

Glenfiddich in 1969

Question 38

Which brands were part of DCL’s “The Ascot Malt Cellar” in 1982

Answer 38

Rosebank
Linkwood
Talisker
Lagavulin
Strahconnan
Glenleven

Question 39

Which brands were part of United Distillers “Classic Malts” Range in 1988?

Answer 39

The Classic Malts featured six whiskies with regional diversity:
Craggenmore (Speyside)
Dalwhinnie (Highlands)
Glenkinchie (lowlands)
Lagavulin (Islay)
Oban (Western Highlands)
Talisker (Isle of Skye)

Question 40

What two companies merged in 1997 to form Diageo?

Answer 40

Guinness and Grand Metropolitan