What is Whisky?

A distilled spirit produced from grain, the classic drink consists of Barley, rye, wheat and corn - used to produce different styles, and most are aged in oak barrels. ‘Whisky’ the spelling, is used in Scotland, Canada, India, Australia, Japan and Europe, whilst Ireland and America go for an additional vowel byusing ‘whiskey'.

True Words of Genius

"Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whisky is barely enough" - Mark Twain. An awesome quote. It puts things into perspective beautifully.

A good place to start would be the Whiskycafe L&B on Korte Leidsedwarsstraat, Amsterdam. With over 1000 different kinds of whisky to choose from - Scotch, Malt and usqueba from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, America and even Japan, you know you ve walked into a truly global whisky experience in the heart of Amsterdam.

Globe Trotting: Japan

Whisky production in Japan was first initiated in 1870, but commercial production only began once the country's first distillery opened in 1924 which was known as Yamazaki. In style, Whisky from the far east takes after Scotch rather than Irish styles.

Yamazaki 12 Year Old (70cl, 43%)

This 12 year old from Yamazaki first came onto the market in 1984 and was the first seriously marketed Japanese single malt whisky.

The nose is of good body with plenty of nut oils and zest, a pleasant floral character with a little tropical fruit and a rooty note. The palate is smooth and soft with good sweetness and winter spice. A lovely citrus note develops with more tropical fruit notes and a little rum. The finish is medium with fruit and zest.