Slangevar to these whiskies

Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whisky is barely enough
Mark Twain

Indians have always loved their whisky. Indeed, we are the largest consumers of whisky in the world: we drink 70 million cases in a year — 40% more than Americans. What often passes for whisky in India, however, has little resemblance to whiskies around the world. Whisky by definition elsewhere is distilled from fermented grain - mostly barley, but wheat and rye are also used. Indian whisky, on the other hand, is made from molasses — the by-product when sugar is extracted from cane — and would therefore be considered a rum outside India.

But now, with more disposable income and international travel, we’re developing a taste for fine whiskies from around the world, and the mother of them all is of course Scotch whisky.

Easy availability, more variety
Not so long ago, the typical Scotch drinker was a greying connoisseur. A bottle of good Scotch was rare, and it was usually put away in a cupboard to be opened only for special guests.

All that is changing quickly. Let alone the blended Scotches, even the rarer single malts have a growing clientele in India, going by their import which more than doubled last year, according to the Scotch Whisky Association. “India was very late in taking to fine spirits. But now we see them at almost every wedding and party,” says Bhaichand Patel, author of Happy Hours.

As a younger crowd takes to it for both social drinking as well as to relax at home, fine whisky is also becoming more accessible. Brands like Glenlivet and Glenmorangie, Singleton of Glen Ord, Cutty Sark and Talisker, which used to be available only in duty-free shops at India’s international airports, are now easily available at local stores too. Dewar’s, the best-selling Scotch in the US, is expected to be on the shelves here soon.

But, just like with wine, availability of fine whiskies is one thing, developing a discerning taste for them is another.

Blended or single malt?
It may be cool to be seen drinking a single malt, for instance, but in reality it can be quite harsh on the palate of a novice whisky drinker. “Single malt is an acquired taste. Indeed, some single malt whiskies are so smoky that most people don’t like them at all. Blended Scotch, on the other hand, is more subtle. If one is starting to drink whisky, a blended Scotch feels much smoother and more rounded,” says Patel. Moreover, because single malts have such strong flavours, you can’t really add a mixer. While soda and ice can go well with blended Scotch, they would ruin a single malt to which you can only add a little water if you can’t have it neat.

That’s not to say blended Scotches are inferior. In fact, the best blended Scotch whisky that uses malts as old as the ones sold as single malts will often be more expensive. “It’s a more complex process to find the right mix of 40-odd malts and create a perfect blend, kind of like creating a precise recipe for a complex dish,” says Stephen Marshall, global brand ambassador of Dewar’s Whisky.

In double-aged blended whiskies, for example, the malts are first aged in casks for 12 years, blended, and then put back into casks to age for another three to six months.

One reason for the popularity of single malt Scotch in India is that whisky drinkers are becoming more discerning about what they drink. Single malts also pair well with lightly spiced chicken, cottage cheese and coastal food. Of course, you still have to ensure that the food is not so spicy that it overpowers the more subtle flavours of Scotch. Cheers — or Slangevar, as they say in Scotland.

Know your spirits
Scotch whisky
Whisky made in Scotland. It is distinct from other whiskies because of the water used in making it. By definition, Scotch is a whisky that has been matured in oaken casks in Scotland for at least 3 years.

Single malt Scotch
Whisky made from a single Scottish distillery with water, malted barley and yeast.

Single grain Scotch
It is the product of a single distillery but different from a malt whisky in three ways: Grain whisky is made from other grains as well as barley.

Blended Scotch
Almost 95% of the world’s whisky is blended Scotch. This is a combination of one or more single malt Scotch whiskies with one or more single grain Scotch whiskies.

Blended malt Scotch
A blend of two or more single malt Scotch whiskies, aged for 3 years or more from different distilleries.

Bourbon
American whiskey (spelled whiskey) that is made from malted barley and corn. The best-known bourbon is Jack Daniels. Jim Beam is another.

Irish whiskey
(Also spelled whiskey to differentiate it from Scotch.) Once considered superior to Scotch, Irish whisky is distilled from Irish grain. While Scotland has over 100 distilleries, Ireland has only three. The most famous Irish whisky is Jameson.

Indian whiskies
While whisky, by definition, is made of grain (mostly barley, but wheat and rye are also used), Indian whiskies are mostly made from molasses. There are, however, a few distilleries in India which make whisky from grain and blend in Scotch whiskies: Royal Stag is one such example.