The sundowner—that magical moment when one puts up one’s feet after a long day’s work with a glass of golden ambrosia by one’s side—sums up contentment and plenitude.
Whether in convivial company or in happy solitude, the pouring of a ‘peg’ of whisky, a tradition left behind by the British in India, is a moment of reflection and contemplation, a ritual celebrated by aficionados.
Popularly referred to as ‘water of life’ in Gaelic, whisky has a long and adventurous story to tell. The earliest record of distilling in Scotland is in 1494 with an entry in the Exchequer Rolls that states, “Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aqua vitae.” This measure was enough malt to produce 1,500 bottles of whisky, and clearly indicates that distilling had become a well-established practice in Scotland in the 15th century.
Whisky soon became an intrinsic part of Scottish life and was frequently used for medicinal purposes during the long, cold, harsh Scottish winters, and began to feature more in everyday social life. Gradually, with the rise of whisky production, four groups of single malts with their own distinctive identities based on their geographical locations and characteristics emerged in Scotland—the Highland, Lowland, Islay and Campbeltown.
The banks of the Spey river on the eastern side of the Highlands are home to 50 distilleries with many of these offering guided tours and the chance, of course, to sample their produce.
The malts of Speyside are noted for their elegance and complexity, while the malts from the beautiful Isle of Islay are described in terms of their peaty characteristics. The contemporary whisky drinker is not such a purist. The dram is now also the choice spirit of a younger, hipper generation moving away from white spirits to whiskies noted for distinctive flavours and aromas.
The cocktail industry has fuelled this demand with a growing trend geared towards innovative whisky-based cocktails. Highly skilled bartenders are now pairing the best of whiskies with ingredients that are of higher or at least equivalent value, an international trend that has caught on in India with new combinations, including expensive spices such as saffron. With this change in demographic, there is a surge in innovative malt blends and whiskies. Having said that, the value of premium traditional whisky remains the same, with enough traditionalists being simultaneously inducted into the young club of whisky drinkers.
Experimental whisky is gaining acceptance with brands innovating with age old variants. If a whisky is the equivalent of history in a glass, these young imbibers want to be more aware, conscious of the drinking notes relevant to their drink. The next time you take a sip of your ‘water of life’, remember what Mark Twain said: “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough.”
The writer is Brand Ambassador, Glenfiddich India