
Welcome to Understanding Scotch Whisky. This video contains the outline of the course, what to expect and a bit about who we are at the Alcohol Education Alliance.
Trace distillation from ancient alembics to aqua vitae, show how water of life gave whisky its name, and explain major shifts like the wash act and licensing leading to blending.
From a 10% abv wash to at least 40% abv, batch pot stills and continuous column stills use copper and reflux to shape heads, hearts, tails and enable scotch blending.
Explore how oak aging shapes scotch whisky, using charred bourbon, hogheads, and sherry casks to impart aroma, flavor, and color, while Scotland's cool, damp conditions affect extraction and abv.
Scotch Whisky Aroma & Flavor Wheel
Taste a range of Scotch whiskies from a varied kit, learning to identify aromas, flavors, age, and style (single malt, blended, grain) across regions, with blind samples for certification.
Taste session two guides Auchentoshan american oak, a lowland triple-distilled malt with vanilla and coconut, plus Ahrens ten, Glenmorangie ten, Lagavulin eight from Islay, highlighting oak and peat notes.
Taste Aberlour 12, Tamdhu 12, Mortlach 16, and Springbank 10, exploring sherry and bourbon casks, peat, fruitcake notes, and a refined finish.
Have you been curious but intimidated by Scotch Whisky? Do those words conjure up images of old geezers in stodgy private drawing rooms in Scottish castles? Is Scotch what your Grandpa drank but not your dad? Are you sure all Scotch is loaded with stinky peat smells? Well, Scotch is much more than this!
From the team at the Alcohol Education Alliance, join us in a lecture based discussion followed by a tasting of one of the world's favorite spirits, Scotch Whisky. We'll dive a little bit into the history of Scotch, also learn about fermentation and distillation methods, continue on to explore labeling requirements and relative style, and then we'll taste a number of styles together for those who have purchased the optional tasting kit.
By the end, you'll understand how the still shape, number of distillations, choice of raw materials, use of peat and choice of Bourbon or Sherry barrels all impact the final flavors in the bottle. Just by smelling a glass you'll be able to discern this and more. If you'd like a lovely certificate of completion, just do the quizzes at the end of the course. The course is comprised of 10 different videos and can be completed at your own pace. Understanding is the first step in enjoyment!