Who was it that thought to age Scotch?!
Who was it that thought to age Scotch?
When Scotch (or wine for the matter) was being made, who was person who thought to themselves,"Why don't I just let this stuff sit here in the cask for 12-60 years?" Now thats patience. How does one come up with this idea?
Answers:
I doubt anybody just thought to age. Probably noticed that last years was smoother than the new stuff. The real question is who thought to char the inside of the barrel?
i know! I swear to God i will thank him profusely , but first I will be preparing my thanks for the next 60 years so it comes out all mellow and just right!
he first written record of whisky comes from 1405 in Ireland, it is also mentioned in Scotland in 1496. However it is thought that whisky had already been around for at least several hundred years prior. When or where whisky was first distilled is unknown and the localised, undocumented nature of beverage production during the period makes identification of the drink's origin difficult. Additionally, it is possible that different groups discovered processes of distillation completely independently of one another.
Some scholars believe distilled spirits were first produced between the 8th century AD and 9th century AD in the Middle East with the art of distillation being brought to Ireland and Britain by Christian monks. A popular legend is that St. Patrick introduced distillation to Ireland and Britain, however it is likely he lived around the 5th century AD. It is also possible that the distillation process was discovered in Ireland and possibly Britain (either independently or in precursor to Arabian distillation) by farmers as a way of making use of excess grain after harvest.