It is becoming more and more popular to release unaged whiskies, known as new make in Scotland. These cannot be called whiskies, for they have not undergone the minimum of three years ageing in oak casks. Many of these are really great spirits in their own right,... though totally different from the finished product, for it is deemed that around 60% of the character of a whisky comes from the cask is was aged in. It is also interesting to try a malt spirit and learn about the effects of maturation, you can often find the character of a distillery, somewhere in the spirit. Islay is home to a number of great distilleries with a wide spectrum of styles. Peat is a characteristic most associated with the Island. Bruichladdich famously released X4. This is a quadruple pot-distilled spirit from the Bruichladdich distillery!
Malt Spirit and New Make Whisky In Other Regions
Other Islay Styles
Other Whisky Styles