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Whisky A Very Peculiar History
Each week I will try and post quotes or a bit of history from the book "Whisky A Very Peculiar History" that I bought at the gift shop of the oldest distillery in Scotland.

PERFUME AND PAINT
Distillation has a very ancient history. It was probably invented in the Middle East and used for making perfumes. Pottery jars with rims designed to catch drops of cooled vapor have survived from around 3500 BC. Much later, around 400 BC, Ancient Greek scientists distilled metallic salts, hoping to create longer lasting pigments for artists. By around 1150, in Muslim Spain and multicultural Sicily, experimenters had perfected techniques for distilling alcohol make to preserve medicine.

Good idea. Subd to this thread. Look forward to leaning more.

I said I would do one a week but if the comments end I will add a new one:

WHISKY OR WHISKEY
Both spellings are correct, although 'whisky' is normally used by distillers in Scotland, Canada, Japan, Australia, India, Brazil, Wales, and elsewhere in Europe (except Ireland)

Scottish whisky is often also called 'Scotch' but never in Scotland! There, it is called whisky, or, more hospitably, 'a dram'. Although a dram was originally a very small liquid measure used by pharmacists (one eighth of a fluid ounce or about 3.7 ml - but definitions vary), today it refers to any quantity of whisky offered by a host to a quest, from a thimbleful to an overflowing tumbler.

And remember-in Scotland and Ireland, whisky is always 'taken' not drunk. As in: 'You'll take a wee dram, Hamish?'

The spelling 'whiskey' is said to have been invented by distillers in 19th century Ireland, to distinguish their high quality, traditionally made whisky from cheap, bland, 'industrial' whisky mass produced in the lowlands of Scotland. Today, 'whiskey' is commonly used by distillers in Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States. However, a few American companies, mostly those founded by Scottish emigrants, prefer Scottish-style 'whisky'.

Bushman, I'm enjoying reading these posts. Please keep them coming.

Nice. Thanks for the history. Keep them coming.

I just got back from Scottland..... Took many a wee dram

Ole boys found their way to Appalachia. Only thing changed in the process was the grain.

Bushman, this is GREAT, please keep up the posts. Really enjoyable reading.

The Ole Bohunk

Great stuff, Bushman! Thank you for your effort. Please don't stop, I already need my next fix!
Just Sayin'

Gotta say Bushman I'm looking forward to the next excerpt kinda has the shepherd of the hills feel if anyone's familiar, with that body of work. Keep it coming please.

I really look forward to these posts
Keep them coming

Windy City

Great read! Thank you, bushman! I'm subbing this for sure!

Thank you, Bushman.

Bushman wrote:THIRSTY WORK BEING HOLY
Wooden casks weren't (and still aren't) completely airtight, so a certain amount of whisky evaporated as it was left in them to mature. Because alcohol vapor is lighter than, air it rose upwards, towards the heavens - so it was nicknamed 'the angels share'.

Fun reads, thanks Bushman.

About this alcohol vapor being lighter than air thing.... It aint. Which got me thinkin, they got it wrong about the angels share thing. Since vapors sink, that makes it..... the Devils Share

A cleaver distillery in California has a bottle of whiskey called the Devils Share, thought that was a great name for the people in the know!

Jim Beam has Devils cut http://www.jimbeam.com/devils-cut/about-devils-cut" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I had one the other day. Not too bad.

To go off topic for a second, but what they extract from the barrels, wouldn't there be a lot of "crap" coming out? Which is why they blend it with other aged so it's not horrible? Newbie question, but curious.

6.66% clever touch

moose milk I'm not sure if you're talking about water extraction from barrels or not, but a while ago I had about 20 sticks of oak that I pulled out of quart jars I threw them in a stainless pot and covered them with distilled water and in a couple days the water was delicious very delicious I intended to let it go a few more days and then jar it for cutting water but I forgot and it all evaporated. DOH!!

Sorry been in the Mountains of Italy without wifi for the past two days:
BETTER BURN THAT BARREL!
As more and more settlers reached the USA, the market for whiskey grew larger. Now it was no longer drunk straight from the still by the distillers family, farmhands, and friends. It needed to be packaged for long distance transport to city shops and country inns, and carefully stored to mature.
There were millions of trees in America, and American oak was excellent for making barrels to store whiskey in. Sometime around 1800 (no one knows exactly when) it became the custom to flame the insides of the barrels before filling them with freshly distilled whiskey. At first this was probably just a way of making sure that they were free from mice and insects, or if the barrel had been used before, for example to store salted meats it was a way of cleaning them thoroughly.
Drinkers soon noticed that the charred particles inside the barrels added color and flavor to the whiskey - so much so that it was labeled 'red liquor'. The charred wood also absorbed sharp, sour, pungent impurities. As a result the whiskey tasted much better.

No worries, this one was well worth that wait.

Go Mo, I bet that was a good party, started a trend that hasn't stopped. Keep giving it to us Bushman, loving this thread. Thank you.