MAC WHISKY HOME
We give you the best collection of Macallan and Hibiki whisky with great variety.
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MACALLAN WHISKY COLLECTION
New collection of whisky, wine, spirits and champagne
mac whisky home
Don’t miss checking out our newest and best selling whisky, wine, spirits and champagne.
Whiskey is a spirit distilled from barley and aged in wooden casks. For it to be called whiskey in Ireland, the spirit has to be in the casks for at least three years and bottled at a strength of no less than 40% ABV.
It’s believed that the origins of whiskey lie with monks who discovered the Moors in Spain using clay pot stills known as alembics to extract and distill flower essences for perfumes. The monks realised that they could distill a beer made of grain in these stills and create high-alcohol strength uisce beatha or “water of life”. In time, the Irish word uisce became anglicised to “whiskey”.
When it comes to tasting, we recommend copita glasses (often called sherry glasses) or Glencairn whiskey glasses. Their shape and design help concentrate the flavours of the whiskey and also prevent the spirit from evaporating too quickly.
To ‘nose’ the whiskey, raise the glass to just few centimetres below your nose. With your mouth slightly open, inhale and see if you can identify certain aromas. Is there vanilla? Can you detect oak?
Take a small sip and let it coat your tongue. Think about the flavours. Is it floral, spicy? Whiskey is a very complex substance containing an enormous range of tastes and aromas. Over time your palate will develop and you’ll become more capable of identifying these.
People someone wonder if whiskey continues to mature once it’s in the bottle. The answer is no. The moment the whiskey leaves the barrel, it’s as good as it gets. Which is pretty good.
And, provided it’s kept out of direct sunlight, the whiskey will last indefinitely in the bottle. (Once you open it, however, you’re on your own…)
Some people view the age statement on the bottle as a guide to its value. But it’s not the only one. Creating a premium whiskey involves more than just time. Distillate styles, cask management and blending all play a major part. So our Whiskey Masters are free to exercise their artistry without the constraint of age considerations.
