Single Malt Whisky Defined by Region

[kiwi Bruce]

For anyone new to Single Malts, it may come as a surprise that there is a regional diversity to them, that we "malt heads" in the hobby try to capture. All single malts follow a few basic rules that define them as an independent spirit style, but there are regional differences that set a style standard that defines them individually. There are always excretions to any "rule" however the general concept of what a region offers, as a taste distinction, can be defined, and I'll attempt to do that here. The taste comments come from the tasters of "Whisky Magazine" you can freely disagree, I think trying to "capture" all of the quantities of a whisky in a few words, is similar to trying to catch a bull in a butterfly net...but I've got to start somewhere. Understand these are a very "loose" definitions and the 80/20 rule applies...80% may fall into a regional description 20% cross over into the others.
Single Malts from Scotland, fall into the six regions where they are produced, these are... Lowland, Campbeltown, Highland, The Islands, Speyside, and Islay.

Lowland Single Malts...Grass, honeysuckle, cream, toffee, toast.
As a style a Lowlander appeals to drinkers who don't like a heavy, peat smoked, malty and oaky whisky. They are light in color and taste. My take :- Very Pale malts, (if you cut the pale malts that are available to us, back with white or corn sugar by say 20%, you want hurt your attempt to make this style. Ale yeasts with low/no ester profile. They are cut early with a fair amount of late heads and very little tails, and a short time on low toasted oak.

Campbeltown...Brine, smoke, dried fruit, vanilla, toffee, wet dog.
Between lowland and Highland styles, this was at one time the most popular style but as fallen away dramatically since WW2, a lot of the distilleries have closed. My take :-You can see from the description, cuts that go deep into the tails, good % smoked malt, yeast with a moderate ester profile and aged on charred oak.

Highland...fruit cake, malt, oak, heather, dried fruit, peat smoke.
Lots of malt character and peat smoke with late tails and careful hearts cuts. My take :- You can use darker malts and/or a little toasted malt with a good deep taste and a high % of peat smoke to duplicate this style. Good yeast with a lot of ester character - Scotch ale type, and heavily charred oak.

The Islands...smoke, brine, oil, black pepper.
Not as heavy or as "deep" as the Highlands but with a strong ocean influence. My take :- yeast with a moderate ester, peat smoke not over powering but there, cuts that take the late heads and early tails and aged on moderately toasted oak.

Speyside...apple, vanilla, oak, nutmeg, dried fruit, malt, cinnamon, sherry.
Although Speyside is in the Highland Area it is a totally different region. The most famous brands in the world are found here. There is a massive range of whisky and tastes in the Speysides. My take :- From low ester yeast to high, low kilned malt to high, dark to pale, heavily oaked to sherry wood finished...Speyside has it all.

Islay...Seaweed, Brine, carbolic/medicine like, heavy peat reek, smoked fish.
(Pronounced eye-lay) Although Islay is an Island off the coast of Scotland, it's a distinct region of it's own. I've heard it's whisky's described as "a taste depth charge" and I agree. People either love it or hate it. My take :- I would add to the description by saying "Spicey" like clove and licorice. On a scale of 1 to 10 on being able to reproduce this at the hobby level, I have to say it's a 15 plus...I've never come close. I would love to be able to make something that closely resembled this style...but again, never come close.

So there they are, how the tasters from "Whisky Magazine" define the six Scotch regions by taste, and my a very "loose" and brief description of where to start, at the hobby level, to get there.

Hope you enjoy...Kiwi