b'S C O T C S P I R I T I S N SH-T H ER E G OScotland, why so special? Scotland itself is not one unbroken piece of land, but consists of a mainland, and the numerous island W H I S K E Y , W H I S K Y & B O U R B O Narchipelagos to the north and west of that mainland, accessible by boat. With rolling hills, expansive lakes, miles of coasts and a human population of only 5.2 million, its wondrous, serene beauty is a sight to be enjoyed. The weather is pleasantly cool- which is a great environment for ageing whiskies. It just so happens that Scotland has those elementsthough you can indeed produce great whisky in other places such as Japan and North America.IslandsThe Islands are sometimes lumped together with the Highlands, but theres just enough variation that it deserves a brief mention here. The Islands are fairly diverse geographically, with some on the northern tip of Scotland (Orkney) and some on the central portionsISLANDS(Jura, Skye). Island whiskies tend to be peatier and slightly saltier than their Highland counterparts, but not quite as extreme as their Islay cousins.Peaty & Powerful.SpeysideBy far the most important region for whisky production, the region is (imaginatively) named after the river Spey.SPEYSIDEHome to about 60 distilleries despite the small physical size of the region, its the most important region for whisky production by sheer volumeGentle, Fruity.HIGHLANDSIslayAh, Islay. Some of the most distinctive tastes in Scottish Whisky come from this region, which is rich in peat bogs and sea spray.Despite its small size, it has some of the most famous distilleries in Scotland- a fame brought about by the (non-too-coincidental) peaty character of most of its whiskies. The Islay whiskies are not for everyone. Variously described as medicinal, coughISLAYsyrup, barbecue, chao-da, these drams are something of an acquired taste. LOWLANDSHighly peated, very smokey, salty aromasCAMBELTOWNCambeltownOnce home to 30 distilleries, the mighty have fallen far indeed. Now home to only two operational distilleries, Campbeltown is lonely these days. The whiskies produced here, Springbank and Glen Scotia, are very similar to Islay malts and have a peaty, briny character.Salty, Smokey & fruity aswell LowlandsThe region of Scotland closest to England, whiskies Highlands from the Lowlands are light, dry and fruity. These pecularities come from the triple distillation technique The largest whisky-producing region of Scotland, if not one with the most distilleries;thats commonly used. With whiskies being distilled only about 30-ish in total. The trouble with the region being so large is that theresthrice before being left to age in casks, most of the a lot of variations in the tastes.The western Highland distilleries have a fair amountfats and other flavourful chemicals are removed from of peaty taste to them, and tend to be sweet and dry, while the North Highlandthe spirit, leaving mostly alcohol and water. With whiskies tend to be light, spicy and dry.The rest of the whiskies in the Highlands aremuch of the strong flavours removed, the whiskies are generally fruity, but not quite to the same degree as the Speysides. They still have ainoffensive and mellow making them well suited for dry finish people new to scotchVaries from smooth and floral to powerful & peaty Fresh, LIght & Floral.Often not as peated144 INN EXPRESS - DRINKS PORTFOLIO 2019|20 - WHISKEY, WHISKY & BOURBON'