You’ve probably heard the phrase “Single Malt Scotch”. But what exactly is malt?
You’ve probably also heard the (incorrect) statement that all Scotch is smoky. Some is, some isn’t. But why? Where does that smoky flavor come from?
All Scotch must contain at least some malted barley. Single Malt or Blended Malt Scotch can contain no other grains, while Single Grain, Blended Grain, or simply Blended Scotch can contain other grains as well, but still must contain some malted barley.
Bourbon must contain at least 51% corn. The remainder can be any other cereal grain. Some portion of this is almost always malted barley.
The Reinheitsgebot, a law passed in Bavaria in 1516, sometimes refered to as the “German Beer Purity Law”, limited the ingredients in beer to barley, hops, and water. Yeast was not mentioned, because it hadn’t been discovered yet. The barley used in making beer is almost always malted.
Why barley? What is so special about that particular grain? Yeast can only ferment sugars, not starches. There is an enzyme in the grain that breaks these long, complex starch molecules down into simple sugars which the yeast can process.
Barley contains more of this enzyme than any other grain. While some grains struggle just to convert their own starches, barley has enough enzyme to convert it’s own starches, and those of any other grains in the “mash” (mixture of grain and water to be fermented). Adding malted barley to a mash of other grains, such as corn, can help ensure that the maximum amount of starch is converted to sugar, as well as speed the process, both of which increase the profit of the distillery.
So what is “malted” barley, and how is it different from just plain barley? “Malting” consists of wetting grain so that the seeds think it’s time to start growing. The seeds begin converting starch to sugar to feed the growing plant. If the seed begins to sprout, it will start to consume those sugars, so the grain is then dried before it can sprout, when the sugar content is at its peak.
It is during the drying that the smoky flavor is added.
Long ago, when it came time to dry the grain being malted, it was done over a fire. In Scotland, that fire was usually built from an abundant and naturally occurring fuel source, peat. Peat is created when vegetation decomposes in the presence of moisture. When burned, peat produces a large amount of pungent smoke that would penetrate and flavor the grains, resulting in that distinctive taste for which Scotch is known.
Today, with the existence of electric fans and blowers, it is possible, even easier, to dry malted grain without using a fire and imparting the flavor of smoke to the grain. Many Scotch producers opt for this method, resulting in a sweeter, more mildly flavored product. Some still swear by the traditional method, creating that legendary taste of “peated” whisky.
Indeed, smoky whisky is so popular that other whisky producers around the world have begun smoking their grains (either with peat, or over a wood fire), to produce a whisky with a smoky flavor. If smoke is your preference, don’t be afraid to branch out beyond your favorite peated Scotch and try some of these.