Frommer's Scotland 8th Edition - To Parent Directory

A TASTE OF SCOTLAND 447ImpressionsDespite the beauty of the land and the indomitable spirit of its people,take whisky away from Scotland and you take away the heart.—Laura Latham, In Britain (1997)whiskies. Many connoisseurs prefer single malts, whose tastes depend on theirpoints of origin: Highlands, Lowlands, Islay, or Campbeltown on Kintyre.These are usually seen as sipping whiskies, not to be mixed with water (well,maybe soda) and not to be served with ice. Many have come to be used as afterdinnerdrinks, served in a snifter like cognac.The blended Scotches came into being both because the single malts were fora long time too harsh for delicate palates and because they were expensive andtime-consuming to produce. A shortcut was developed: The clear and almosttasteless alcohol produced in the traditional way could be mixed with suchingredients as American corn, Finnish barley, Glasgow city tap water, andcaramel coloring with a certain percentage of malt whiskies that flavored theentire bottle. Whichever you prefer, both the single malts and the blends mustbe made within the borders of Scotland and then aged for at least 3 years beforethey can legally be called Scotch whisky.Two after-dinner drinks are Scotch-based liqueurs—Drambuie and Glayva.The recipe for Drambuie, better known to Americans than Glayva, is supposedto have been given to its first producers, the Mackinnons of Strath on the Isle ofSkye, by an impecunious guest, Bonnie Prince Charlie. The name of the drinkis derived from the Gaelic an dram buidheach, meaning “a dram that satisfies.”The making of Scottish beer—the ales drunk by the common folk in earlierdays—almost died out when palates became more adapted to Scotch whisky andwhen a malt tax was levied in the 18th century, followed in the 19th century bybeer duty. The brewing industry has made a comeback in the last quarter of acentury, and Scottish beer, or Scotch ale, is being produced. Real ale is beermade from malted barley, hop flowers, yeast, and water, with a fining process(use of an extract from the swim bladders of certain fish) to complete the brewing.Ales are fermented in casks in a series of steps. Scottish ale, either dark orlight, is malty and full of flavor.