140 T.P. Lyonsdistillers emerged to become legal <strong>and</strong> registereddistillers <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotch</strong> whisky.In 1826, Robert Stein <strong>of</strong> the Kilbagie distilleryin Clackmannanshire, Scotl<strong>and</strong>, patented acontinuously operating still for whiskyproduction. However, this invention wassuperseded in 1830 with the introduction byAeneas C<strong>of</strong>fey <strong>of</strong> an improved version <strong>of</strong> thistype <strong>of</strong> still. The appearance <strong>of</strong> continuous stillssparked <strong>of</strong>f a period <strong>of</strong> turmoil in the <strong>Scotch</strong>whisky industry, it being claimed that the productfrom the continuous distillation <strong>of</strong> a mash thatcontained unmalted grain (described as neutralor ‘silent spirit’) could not be called whisky, sinceit had not been distilled in the traditional pot still.The battle was waged for about three quarters<strong>of</strong> a century; <strong>and</strong> in 1908 a Royal Commissiondecided that malt whisky <strong>and</strong> grain neutral spirit,when blended, could be labeled whisky.The major factors which have affected thedevelopment <strong>of</strong> the whisky distilling industry inScotl<strong>and</strong> in this century have been economic.The industry has had to endure the privations <strong>of</strong>two world wars, the economic depression inGreat Britain during the 1920s <strong>and</strong> prohibitionin the United States from 1920 to 1933, whichgreatly affected export <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotch</strong> to NorthAmerica. Since 1945, however, the industry inScotl<strong>and</strong> has consolidated <strong>and</strong> exp<strong>and</strong>ed. The20th century has also witnessed a considerableimprovement in the quality <strong>of</strong> whisky distilled <strong>and</strong>blended in Scotl<strong>and</strong> as a result <strong>of</strong> the acceptance<strong>of</strong> blending malt <strong>whiskies</strong> with grain whisky <strong>and</strong>the amalgamation <strong>of</strong> several smaller distilleriesinto combines.<strong>Scotch</strong> malt <strong>whiskies</strong> can be divided into‘highl<strong>and</strong>’, ‘lowl<strong>and</strong>’, ‘Islay’ <strong>and</strong> ‘Campbeltown<strong>whiskies</strong>’ (Simpson et al., 1974). The ‘highl<strong>and</strong>line’, which separates the areas in Scotl<strong>and</strong> inwhich the first two types <strong>of</strong> spirit are distilled, is astraight line which runs from Dundee in the eastto Greenock in the west (Figure 1). It thenextends southwards, below the Isle <strong>of</strong> Arran. Anywhisky produced north <strong>of</strong> this line, includingthose from Campbeltown <strong>and</strong> Islay, is entitled tobe called a highl<strong>and</strong> malt whisky, while <strong>whiskies</strong>distilled in areas south <strong>of</strong> the line are designatedas lowl<strong>and</strong> <strong>whiskies</strong>. Of the 104 malt whiskyFigure 1. Highl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> lowl<strong>and</strong> whisky-producing regions <strong>of</strong> Scotl<strong>and</strong>.
<strong>Production</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotch</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Irish</strong> <strong>whiskies</strong>: <strong>their</strong> <strong>history</strong> <strong>and</strong> evolution 141distilleries in Scotl<strong>and</strong>, 95 are highl<strong>and</strong> malt whiskydistilleries. Of these, no fewer than 49 are situatedin an area measuring 50 miles east to west <strong>and</strong>20 miles southwards from the Moray Firth. Thisarea <strong>of</strong> Speyside has been called the ‘Kingdom<strong>of</strong> Malt Whisky’ (Cameron Taylor, 1970).Classification <strong>of</strong> the four <strong>whiskies</strong> distilled on theisl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> Jura, Orkney <strong>and</strong> Skye is disputed.Some authorities list them along with the Islay<strong>whiskies</strong> as ‘isl<strong>and</strong>’ <strong>whiskies</strong>, others as highl<strong>and</strong><strong>whiskies</strong>, which is geographically correct. Thereare also eight grain whisky distilleries in Scotl<strong>and</strong>.Whiskey distilling in Irel<strong>and</strong> was, as has beennoted, first recorded in the 12th century. By 1556,it had become sufficiently widespread to warrantlegislation to control it. A statute proclaimed thatyear stated that a license was required tomanufacture the spirit, but that peers, gentlemenowning property worth £10 or more <strong>and</strong>borough freemen were exempt (McGuire,1973). Taxation <strong>of</strong> whisky distilling graduallybecame more excessive <strong>and</strong> collection <strong>of</strong> taxesbecame increasingly efficient. However, in 1779there was an important change in the distillerylaws. An attempt was made to limit the extent <strong>of</strong>evasion <strong>of</strong> spirit duty by prescribing a minimumrevenue to be exacted from the owner <strong>of</strong> eachstill. The effect <strong>of</strong> this legislation was dramatic. In1779, there was said to be 1,152 registered stillsin Irel<strong>and</strong>. By 1790, this number had fallen to 216<strong>and</strong> this inevitably fostered widespread illicitdistilling (McGuire, 1973). This legislation lasteduntil 1823 when it was replaced by laws that taxed<strong>Irish</strong> whiskey on the volume <strong>of</strong> production,legislation that is essentially still in force today.Development <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Irish</strong> whiskey distillingindustry in the present century has inevitably beeninfluenced by economic circumstances <strong>and</strong> bythe political division <strong>of</strong> Irel<strong>and</strong> into the Republic<strong>and</strong> Northern Irel<strong>and</strong> that occurred in 1922.Barnard (1887) described visits to 28 distilleriesin Irel<strong>and</strong>, but closures <strong>and</strong> amalgamationsfollowed such that when McGuire (1973)prepared his account, there were only twowhiskey-distilling companies in Irel<strong>and</strong>, one withdistilleries in Dublin <strong>and</strong> Cork in the Republic <strong>and</strong>the other with plants in Bushmills <strong>and</strong> Colerainein Northern Irel<strong>and</strong>. These two companies havesince amalgamated <strong>and</strong> have concentrated <strong>their</strong>distillery operations in Cork <strong>and</strong> Bushmills. Therehas also been a move towards production <strong>of</strong> alighter <strong>Scotch</strong>-type whisky in Irel<strong>and</strong> to replacethe heavier traditional <strong>Irish</strong> whiskey.Outline <strong>of</strong> whisky productionprocessesWhiskies differ basically in the nature <strong>and</strong>proportion <strong>of</strong> the cereals used as raw materials<strong>and</strong> on the type <strong>of</strong> still used in the distillationprocess. These differences in the productionprocess are illustrated in the flow diagram inFigure 2 for production <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotch</strong> malt whisky(production <strong>of</strong> <strong>Irish</strong> whiskey is very similar).Detailed accounts <strong>of</strong> each <strong>of</strong> the unit processesin whisky production are given in subsequentsections <strong>of</strong> this chapter.A characteristic <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotch</strong> malt whisky is thatthe only cereal used in its manufacture is maltedbarley (Table 1). After milling, the meal is mashedin a mash tun (Figure 2) similar to that used inbreweries for beer production. During mashingor conversion, enzymes in the malt catalyze thehydrolysis <strong>of</strong> starch into fermentable sugars. Inthe manufacture <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotch</strong> grain whisky <strong>and</strong> <strong>Irish</strong>whiskey, other cereals are used along withmalted barley to provide additional starch in themash tun (Table 1). Owing to the highgelatinization temperature <strong>of</strong> <strong>their</strong> starches,unmalted cereals must be precooked beforethey are incorporated into the mash.The wort, or clear mash, leaving the mashtun is cooled <strong>and</strong> fed into a vessel where it ismixed with yeast. In Scotl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Irel<strong>and</strong> thesefermentation vessels have a relatively smallcapacity <strong>and</strong> are known as ‘washbacks’ (Figure2).Fermentation is conducted with strains <strong>of</strong> theyeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that are usuallyspecially propagated for the purpose, although<strong>Scotch</strong> malt whisky distillers may use somesurplus brewers yeast (Table 1). The process isallowed to proceed to a point at which the