Scotchy Scotch Scotch: Down Into My Belly


Various Scotch whiskies (Photo by Chris Huh via Wikimedia Commons)
Various Scotch whiskies (Photo by Chris Huh via Wikimedia Commons)

On this date in 1495, the first first official record of the production of Scotch whisky was made.

Here are some things you may not have known about Scotch.

That first record was a tax document for a monk named John Cor who was the distiller at Lindores Abbey in Fife, Scotland.

The record indicated that he received enough malt to distill 1,500 bottles, meaning that Scotch had been in production for some time preceding that.

Scotch evolved from a drink the Scots called “Water of Life.” About 150 years after Friar Cor’s tax record was written, the crown began taxing all distillers.

This led to an increase of illegal distilling. By 1780, there were eight legal distilleries and more than 400 illegal ones.

The manner of production of scotch is specified by law.

It must be made in Scotland. The distillery must also use a mash that is fermented only by yeast. Scotch must be aged in oak barrels and can have no added ingredients besides water and caramel coloring. It must also be distilled between 80 and 190 proof. It is rarely, if ever, sold at such a high alcohol content however, generally being sold between 80 and 92 proof.

Single malt Scotch is produced from malt in one distillery. Single grain Scotches contain malted barley, and other grains, but are also made in one distillery. Blended Scotch use whiskies from two or more distilleries, these account for about 90 percent of the whisky produced in Scotland.

In 1988, a law was passed prohibiting the manufacture of any whiskies besides Scotch in Scotland.

One thing Scotch whisky has in common with American Bourbon is the barrel they are aged in. Barrels are only used once in Bourbon production. After that most of them are sold to Scotch producers who use them to age their whisky.

The production of Scotch contributes more than 4 billion pounds to the British economy, the majority of it sold in the United States.

Our question: What is the best selling brand of Scotch whisky?

Today is Neighbors’ Day and World Milk Day.

It’s unofficially National Running Day, National Tailors’ Day and National Wear a Dress Day.

It’s the birthday of Marilyn Monroe, who was born in 1926; Andy Griffith, who was also born in 1926; and Morgan Freeman, who is 79 today.

This week in 1973, the top song in the U.S. was “Frankenstein” by the Edgar Winter Group.

The No. 1 movie was “Paper Moon,” while the novel “Once is Not Enough” by Jacqueline Susann topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

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Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_whisky

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisky

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cor

https://www.bruichladdich.com/article/why-bourbon-barrels

http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2015/06/top-10-best-selling-scotch-whisky-brands/11/

https://www.checkiday.com/06/01/2016

http://www.biography.com/people/groups/born-on-june-01

http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1973/hot-100

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_1973_box_office_number-one_films_in_the_United_States

http://www.hawes.com/1973/1973-05-27.pdf


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