4 minute read
Aerstone
DECODING SINGLE MALTS WITH AERSTONE LAND VERSUS SEA
A SENSE OF PLACE
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In the Lowlands of Scotland, there is a William Grant & Sons’ whisky distillery called Aerstone producing single malts made in an easy drinking style with a smooth approachable palate, perfect for those new to the whisky tasting experience or as established malt drinkers. Aerstone offers two whiskies representing their distinct place of maturation – the land and the sea – that allow drinkers to clearly understand the taste profiles of single malt.
The place of maturation determines much of the flavour and character of the whisky. While a whisky is maturing in oak casks sitting in warehouses for years it is taking on the flavours of its environment. The combination of elements, temperature, air, humidity, minerals and vegetation are varied depending on the proximity to the sea. Climatic conditions at sea or land, impart unique tastes on the liquid as it breathes and ages in wood.
The Aerstone Single Malt is matured in two distinct terroirs to produce two distinctively different whiskies that exhibit a taste and flavour that evokes place. The Aerstone Sea Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky is matured in warehouses on the Ayrshire Coast and delivers a smooth whisky with a hint of sea salt. The Aerstone Land Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky is matured inland and is rich and smoky with characters of earth and peat. These two exceptional single malts are carefully matured over ten years and give the taster an appreciation of the importance of terroir in the maturation process of a single malt Scotch whisky. The Aerstone range of single malts pay homage to the place where these whiskies are born and made.
TASTING NOTES
The nose is light and floral with a subtle, nutty character. Hints of delicate oak, malted biscuits and creamy vanilla background. The taste is lightly toasted almonds, sweet cotton candy and a gentle vanilla oak, balanced with a touch of tannin. The finish is lingering oak with delicate sweetness.
The nose is rich and punchy peat with layers of coal tar and damp bonfire smoke, punctuated with vibrant, zesty citrus notes. The taste is an initial rush of peat and wood smoke followed by a gentle sweetness. There are hints of spice and ripe fruits enveloped in smoke. The finish is long lasting smokiness.
HOW TO BEST ENJOY AERSTONE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
To appreciate aroma, palate and heat on the throat, whisky connoisseurs either enjoy their whisky on ice, with a splash of water or neat. Some will say the water is necessary to release the nose and accentuate the flavours, much like swirling a glass of wine. Others will say it dilutes the whisky while others go for a large ice cube because they like it chilled down. Some prefer to drink their single malt with a mixer such as soda or ginger ale. Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, says he is not opposed to a little mixer with his single malt on a warm summer’s day. It’s all down to personal taste.
WHAT IS WHISKY? Whisky is a spirit made from just three ingredients – barley, yeast and water. Single malt Scotch is a unique type of whisky that is protected under law.
SPELLING To ‘e’ or not to ‘e’. The ‘e’ in whiskey usually refers to whiskies produced in Ireland and the US. The rest of the world tends to use the spelling without the ‘e’ including Scotch whisky.
SCOTCH Scotch is a term used for whisky produced in Scotland. To be labeled Scotch, the whisky needs to have matured for a minimum of three years in oak casks and is distilled at least twice.
SINGLE MALT Single Malt is a whisky that made in the one distillery from a mash that used only one type of grain.
PEAT Peat is a highly organic material composed of partially decayed vegetation and found in marshy or damp regions. Peat is formed over thousands of years. Scotland has a lot of peatland. The peat flavour in whisky is imparted by drying the damp malt over a peat-heated fire to bring the smoke into the barley grain during production.
AGE What does it mean when a whisky is a five-year-old compared to a ten-year-old 15-year-old or 18-year-old? The age reference refers to the time the whisky has spent maturing in cask, the time between distillation and bottling.
MALTING The process by which barley is wet and spread on the floor of a malting house allowing for a chemical change that takes place when the starch in the grain turns to sugar and produces alcohol.
UNDERSTANDING WHISKY-ESE
