Glen Talloch PURE MALT Special Reserve 20ml miniature. 1990s
Glen Talloch PURE MALT Special Reserve 20ml miniature. 1990s.
Condition: Collector-Very rare!-Please note as this is a vintage/rare/limited edition bottle, conditions of bottle/label and liquid level can vary - Some years can vary as estimations only (example: estimated 1970s/80s).
Fill level: In the neck.
Whisky still produced: Not this one.
Category: Single malt.
Distillery: Still producing.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Bottling series: Special Reserve Miniature.
Bottling Year: 1990s
Stated Age: Not stated.
Cask type: Not stated.
Strength: 40.0 % Vol.
Size: 20 ml.
Colouring: Unknown.
Chill-filtered: Unknown.
Bottle code: L128
Country Origin: Scotland.
Market: Worldwide.
Distillery History: a
PICTURE THIS:
Pouring rain, ocean winds freely smashing against the steep cliffs, the lost and lonely bark of a collie driving its flock of sheep together and every imaginable shade of green visible on the hills for as far as the eye can see. As soon as you enter the pub, the rich and spicy scent of haggis enters your nostrils. You take off your wool cap, blow some warmth onto your wet hands, kick off your rubber boots and hang your wax coat on the last available peg. You forgot to bring an umbrella again; you’ll probably never learn. As if people knew you were coming, your favourite stool at the bar is still empty. You join the crowd and the hustle and bustle of the pub embrace you. There is a fire burning in the hearth in one corner. Then a hand appears. Unbidden. It offers you a delicious glass of Glen Talloch. You are home. More than ever.
In this barren Scottish land that produces such wonderful wheat and where the water is purer than you ever thought possible, the locals have mastered the noble art of making whisky for centuries. This is a craft that must intrigue you. The knowledge and expertise it requires are passed down from one generation to the next. These people have been braving the pouring rain for centuries. Their famous whisky was originally invented as a way to make some use of rain-soaked barley. However, the work doesn’t end there. In fact, it takes years of work before you can open a beautiful bottle of Glen Talloch in your own home. Let us take you on a tour of the six steps it takes to turn water, barley and yeast into an excellent, flavourful Scotch whisky. Have a seat and pour yourself a glass.
STEP 1:
GET THE BEST MALT IMAGINABLE.
We begin by “malting” the barley. Barley contains starch, which must be turned into sugars. During the malting process, the starch is converted into maltose, which is then converted into alcohol during fermentation. This is quite a lengthy process, but we knew that already. You simply cannot rush the production of a delicious Glen Talloch. The barley is steeped in warm water for a few days, during which it swells and finally begins to germinate. Next, it is spread out by hand on a large surface known as the malting floor. The germinating barley is turned over a few times to achieve the best possible result. This process of germination takes just under one week. By that time, the green malt has absorbed the natural sugars, which means we can move on to step two.
STEP 2:
DRYING IN THE KILN.
Once the germination has gone on long enough, it is time to halt the process. This is usually done in a special type of oven that bears the magical name of “kiln.” While we’re talking about magic: this kiln is fired in a traditional manner using peat, which is the main reason why whiskies often have that characteristic “smoky” flavour. The type of peat and the specific technique that are used (which often differ from one distillery to the next) largely determine how the whisky will ultimately smell and taste. Well then; now that we have turned barley into malt, it is high time to move on to step three.
STEP 3:
ADD A BIT OF WATER.
The first thing to do is clean the malt with a sieve. Next, the malt is grounded into a flour known as grist. Now for the magic touch: we’re adding water. That is the reason why so many distilleries are located near the purest freshwater springs or alongside streams. After all, the water you use will have a significant impact on the final product. For example, the type of soil determines what minerals are found in the water. When we’re done, we’ll be able to taste the difference. This is an important task! The water is heated and mixed with the grist in a so-called mash tun. Then it is time for a few hours of mashing, which is a fancy way of saying: stir, stir and stir some more. During this process, the sugars dissolve and are extracted from our mash tun. The maltose dissolves in the flour and we are left with a liquid that is cooled and then mixed with yeast. The resulting liquid is known as wort.
STEP 4:
TIME TO FERMENT.
The wort is cooled and then transferred to large tanks called washbacks. These washbacks used to be made from wood, but these days it is increasingly common to use stainless steel models. After pumping the wort into the washbacks, we add yeast. Then it is time for the fermentation process to begin. The yeast helps turn the sugars in the wort into alcohol. As with the water and the other ingredients, your choice of yeast will affect the final taste and flavour of your whisky. Choosing the right yeast is the responsibility of the Master Distiller, the highest authority in the distillery. The fermentation process usually continues for a day or two, resulting in a liquid known as wash. Wash has a relatively low alcohol content, similar to beer or wine. We still have quite a way to go.
STEP 5:
NOW THE FUN BEGINS: DISTILLATION.
Now that we have our wash, it is finally time to move on to the distillation process. This is done in large copper kettles known as stills; those well-known and characteristic semi-circular copper boilers. The shape of the stills directly affects the flavour and the body of the whisky produced in them. Whereas taller stills will generally produce a whisky with a more delicate, lighter flavour, broader stills are used to create a fuller, richer whisky. The wash is pumped into the first still and heated. The liquid vaporises and condenses in the neck of the still. This produces a liquid known as low wines. However, this is little more than an intermediate stage that still requires a lot of refinement. The low wines is then pumped into the second, smaller still (officially called a spirit still). The alcohol produced from the first batch usually has quite a sharp flavour and contains far too much alcohol by volume. For later batches, the reverse is true. The trick is to find the perfect middle batch. Once we have that, we can settle in for a long wait.
STEP6:
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. THEN WAIT SOME MORE.
This “whisky” (although it doesn’t really deserve to be called that at this point) is cooled and poured into oak barrels. These barrels are stored in large storage rooms known as warehouses. Now begins the lengthy process known as maturation. Believe us when we tell you that it will take years. During maturation, the wooden barrels affect the flavour and the aroma of the whisky stored inside them. Since wood is a naturally porous material, it is not 100% airtight. This means that “outside influences” also affect a whisky’s ultimate flavour profile. For example, many distilleries are built near the sea to allow the salty sea air and the brisk temperatures to subtly affect the whisky as it matures. To be officially classified as a Scotch whisky, it must mature for a period of at least three years. At Glen Talloch, we like to give our whisky a bit more flavour, so we wait another eighteen months.
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