Some Whiskey History

!±8± Some Whiskey History

There are many questions regarding the origins of Whiskey. Historically, the opinions are drastically different according to the native country of the person you ask. More so, it appears that more spectators tend to agree on the hypothesis of an Irish origin. Although, there is no actual date as to when whiskey was first produced, eventually the origin of whiskey migrated from Ireland to Scotland where the first definite record of whiskey making as a transaction in the Royal Courts.

In 1757, Peter Roe purchased a small distiller for a business called George Roe and Company on Thomas Street. This distilling was powered by the largest windmill in Europe. To date, the Windmills Tower still stands and is known as the St. Patrick's Tower. The Thomas Street Distillery became well- known for providing fine whiskey, Roe Whiskey, yet it was considered "curse of the people" for many years.

Subsequently, the late 19th and early 20th centuries defined a challenging era for the whiskey industry in Ireland. Of course, the Roe Distillery was affected. The Irish whiskey industry would fall victim to the competitive whiskey industry of Scotland with their blended whiskeys. There was also a prohibition in the United States as well as social and economic instabilities in Ireland. The combination of these prominent issues caused many distillers to crumble. Roe Distillers and its partners no longer produced whiskey by 1926. By the mid 1940's, Geo. Roe and Company Distillers cease to exist. However, the Roe family established a distillery in New Ross, Co. which is currently known as Waterford Brewery. Ideally, it was the 16th and 17th centuries that made the history of whiskey productive.

Whiskey became very popular and was a part of daily life in Scotland around the 16th century. It was the 17th century that the production of whiskey attracted the Scottish parliament. The parliament introduced a taxation system on the end products. Due to the hardship that this system forced in the distillers, it began the mysterious period of illicit distilling and smuggling of whiskey. In the United States, this is commonly known as moonshining.

After about 150 years of smuggling, the Duke of Gordon proposed to the House of Cords that the government could perhaps execute a substantial profit if whiskey was produced legally. It was then that the new law was implemented. It demanded that Distillers must pay a £10 license fee as an obligated payment per gallon of whiskey. Indeed, this new law instantly diminished smuggling of whiskey.

Whiskey, which means "water of life," is liquor distilled from a mash of grains that are fermented, generally rye, oats, barley, corn or wheat. Inferior whiskeys are distilled with beets, potatoes, and other roots. The most impressive whiskeys nationwide are Scotch, Irish, Canadian and American. Made in pot stills, the Scotch Highland Whiskey as well as the Lowlands (patent stills) differ in the amount of barley used, the quality of the water and the amount of peat employed in the curing of the malt. They also differ in the way the distilling is done and the type of casks in which they are matured.

The Irish whiskey similar to Scotch, however there is no peat used for curing. More over, the Irish whiskey has a full, sweet taste as opposed to a dry, somewhat smoky flavor of Scotch. The Bourbon, American whiskey had a higher flavor and deeper color than either Irish or Scotch and requires two to three years longer to mature. According to law, the Canadian whiskey must be made from cereal grains only. It has a characteristic lightness of body. Subsequently, nearly all whiskey is stored seven or eight years before marketing. United States bonded whiskey is required to remain a minimum of four years in bond before the item can be labeled a bourbon.

Legal distillation of whiskey is fairly recent. Most distilleries produced whiskey exclusively for blenders. Because Scotch whiskey is very characteristic, and the taste varied from one distiller to another, whiskey was actually confined to Scotland for many years. Coincidently, blended whiskey was the solution for international market.