In last week’s edition, we explored the first three Scotch whisky regions – The Highlands, Speyside and the Islands – and the huge variety of whiskies that those regions produce. This week, we’re heading down to the south of Scotland to explore the three remaining regions: Islay, The Lowlands and Campbeltown.

There’s a huge variety of whiskies in these regions, as well as some of the most famous distilleries in the world of Scotch. So, without further ado, let’s dive in with a whisky region known for its strong flavors: Islay.

Islay:

Number of Distilleries: 8

The Scottish island of Islay (pronounced ‘eye-luh’) – located to the West of the Scottish mainland – is the country’s smallest whisky producing region. But, despite its small size, whisky is synonymous with Islay. It’s widely believed that Islay is one of the first places whisky was distilled, and the production of uisge beatha (Gaelic for “Whisky”) by monks in the region dates back to the 14^th century. Testament to Islay’s whisky heritage, the majority of the island’s population are involved in its production, through agriculture, distribution or distillation.

Islay is home to eight distilleries, three of which – Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin – are world famous. And, the characteristics of the island have a massive impact on Islay whiskies. The most strongly flavoured of all Scotches, Islays are big on strong, peaty notes. This distinctive flavour is informed by the island itself. Islay is heavily composed of peat – so much so that most of the island’s water is brown as a result – which accounts for the abundant smokiness.

Then there are the heavy winter gales, that blow sea salt spray far inland, resulting in briny notes atop the peaty, smokiness. Given this, it’s not surprising that many drinkers detect hints of seaweed, brine and even kippers in a given bottle.

While “massively peaty” is the term best employed to describe the majority of Islay drams, it’s not true for every tipple produced on the island. Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain are notable for being much lighter on peat than the rest of their Islay brethren, offering a much milder drinking experience as a result.

With their intense, smoky flavors, Islays might not be to everyone’s taste, especially if you’re new to drinking Scotch. But, their distinctiveness makes them well worth persevering with, and they’re incredibly rewarding to a more experienced palette.

Lowlands:

Number of Distilleries: 4

In terms of the area it covers, The Lowlands is the second biggest whisky region in Scotland. At one time, it was one of Scotland’s most densely populated areas in terms of distilleries, with 215 distilleries recorded during the late 18^th century. Today however, only four exist in the region. Many suspect that the Lowlands’ decline was down to successive parliamentary acts that favored English gin production, which effectively curbed the biggest market for Lowland producers at the time.

Lying South of an imaginary line that runs from Greenock on the West coast of Scotland to Dundee in the East, and perching just above England, most of the malts produced in the Lowlands end up as blends.

The reason? Lowlands whiskies are by far the lightest and gentlest tipples produced in Scotland, tripled distilled and with no peatiness whatsoever. Lowland whiskies are typically characterized by notes of grass, honeysuckle, cream, toast and cinnamon.

Given their lighter, floral, “feminine” tones, Lowland malts are sometimes nicknamed the “Lowland Ladies.” For this reason, writers such as Charles Maclean have also championed them as a perfect aperitif, and you will find the likes of Auchentoshan, Bladnoch and Glenkinchie frequently recommended as excellent introductory malts for whisky novices.

If you’re looking for a light and easy first Scotch, you could do a lot worse than picking a bottle from the Lowlands region.

Photo by Asa Rodger

Campbeltown:

Number of Distilleries: 3

Lastly, we come to Campbeltown. Lying towards the end of the Mull of Kintyre peninsula on the West Coast of Scotland, there used to be over 30 distilleries in the Campbeltown region. These days, however, that number is reduced to just three: Glen Scotia, Glengyle and Springbank.

An area that Whisky historian Alfred Barnett referred to as “Whisky City” in 1885, the number of Campbeltown’s distilleries had actually started dwindling during the 1850s (there were just 21 when Barnard visited). The reason? Improved transportation links to rival distilleries in the North had a major impact on business in the region. The onset of the First World War, as well as American Prohibition in the 1920s, led to the further closure of distilleries in this once thriving whisky region.

Yet, in spite of its small number of distilleries, Campbeltown remains a revered whisky making location. Its tipples are full of flavor: robust and complex with just a hint of sea salt and a mild peatiness.

There’s plenty of variety across the three spirits as well. Springbank is the smokiest of the three. Glen Scotia is lighter and grassier. Kilkerran, produced by the Glengyle distillery, is sweet, fruity and spiced.

Don’t be fooled by the small number of distilleries. Campbeltown spirits offer a wide range of flavors; salt, smoke, fruit, vanilla, toffee and everything in between. In short, the tipples from all three of Campbeltown’s distilleries are definitely worth exploring.

So that’s it for this edition of Scotch 101. By now, you’re fully up to speed on the differences between blends, single-malt and single-cask whiskies, and well versed on the flavors that the different scotch regions have to offer.

But, we’re not done yet! While you’re now in a strong position to purchase your first bottle of scotch, you still need to know how to drink the thing. And that is a fine art in itself.

Make sure to tune in next time, when we’ll be talking about the importance of finding the right glass for your dram, the debate on whether adding ice or water to your whisky is a good idea, and how to drink your whisky to get the most out of its unique flavors.

In last week’s edition of Scotch 101, we covered the key distinctions between Blended, Single Malt, Single Cask and Cask Strength whiskies. Now that you’re clued up, you’re probably salivating at the chance of sampling a fine dram of your first single malt.

But, oh eager whisky connoisseur, we’re not at that stage yet. Chances are, if you’ve been to your local off-license or liquor store lately, you’ll have noticed that there are a lot of different Single Malts on the market. And, that the majority of those Single Malts are labeled by region.

Single Malt whiskies are not dissimilar to fine wines in that they’re grouped by region. There are six Scottish whisky-distilling regions; the Highlands, Speyside, the Islands, Islay, Campbeltown and the Lowlands. Key to understanding the flavor distinctions between various Single Malts is knowing those regions, and the kind of whiskies that they produce.

So that’s what the next two editions of this series are about. Over the course of them, we’ll run down the whisky regions, what you can expect from them, as well as recommending some good bottles to try out.

At this point, we should offer up a disclaimer. While we compared whisky regions to wine regions earlier, whisky regions are not as clear-cut. That’s because, with whisky, the flavor is also determined by equipment and methods used to produce each bottle. Understanding regions is still important to understanding what kind of drink you’re getting, but this is more of a broad guideline than a set-in-stone rule.

Right, with that out of the way, let’s dive into our first three regions: the Highlands, Speyside and the Islands.

Highlands:

Number of Distilleries: over 25

Ranging from north of Glasgow all the way to Thurso, the Highlands is the largest of the Whisky producing regions in Scotland. Unsurprisingly, the Highlands also produces the greatest variety in terms of Whisky flavors, and it’s hard to attribute a particular style to the whiskies of this region.

If we were pressed to put a label on them, (though, as per our previous disclaimer, take this with several grains of salt), Highland whiskies are full-bodied, with deeper notes of peat and smoke, than say, their Lowland counterparts. The Highland region is characterized by wild seas and dense moorland, which, as Flaviar notes, “[create] a breeding ground for powerful peaty drams, whilst still leaving room for floral, silky elegance.”

Photo by George Hiles

Whiskies from the Northern Highlands can take on a more extreme character, which is heathery and spicy. If that sounds like something that suits your palette, then a bottle of Glenmorangie might not be a bad place to start. Dalmore, meanwhile, is a big flavored, sweet and malty, as well as a tad dry.

The further South you go, and the closer to the Lowlands you get, the lighter and fruitier Highland whiskies tend to become. Tullibardine has a sweetness and subtle nuttiness to it, while Edradour is big on smooth, fruity flavors, sometimes with gentle notes of peat.

Speyside:

Number of distilleries: 84

Stretching from Inverness in the west to the watershed of the river Deveron in the east, Speyside is the most concentrated area for distilleries in Scotland. A whopping 60% of the country’s malt whisky distilleries are found here, making it the most densely populated Whisky producing region in the world.

Speyside is a valley of rivers and glens. Due to the location, as well as the low mineral content in the water, Speyside whiskies are very low in peat, if not totally unpeated, meaning that they don’t have the intense smokiness of Highland or Islay varieties.

Photo by Philip Swinburn

Given the sheer range of Speyside distilleries, there are plenty of flavor variations between whiskies from this region. One consistent characteristic, though, is their nutty, fruity sweetness. Other than that, Speysides tend to be broken down into two categories. On one side, you’ve got heavier malts, rich in flavor from the sherry casks that they are distilled in, of which The Macallan is exemplar. On the other, you’ve got the lighter, grassier, so-called “lunchtime” whiskies such as Glenlivet. And of course, we’d be remiss not to mention Glenfiddich, the world’s best-selling Single Malt, known for its creaminess and smooth, mellow finish.

Subtle and smooth, a Speyside is a good choice if you’re unsure what you want from your first bottle. As The Whisky Shop notes, they tend to be “a great ‘entry level whisky’ for those beginning to discover their tastes when it comes to drinking single malts.”

The Islands:

Number of Distilleries: 7

Amongst whisky connoisseurs, debate still rages as to whether the islands count as a distinct whisky region in their own right, or as a sub region of the Highlands. We’ve opted for the former, but don’t be surprised if people try to tell you otherwise.

As the name suggests, these whiskies come from Scotland’s small islands, such as Arran, Jura and Mull in the West and Orkney in the North. Island whiskies are an eclectic mix. Proximity to the sea has a big impact on flavors, which range from light citrusy notes to full-blown peaty smokiness.

Photo by Danka & Peter

Highland Park, from Orkney, is a malty and smoky, sweet tasting whisky, while Talisker, the largest whisky distillery of the islands, produces a spirit that is powerful, peaty, with citrus sweetness and a sea-water saltiness. Jura, meanwhile, is light and fresh, with nuttiness and hints of spice and sea-salt. Arran provides a rush of vanilla sweetness, with distinctive citrus notes cutting a cinnamon spicy-ness.

Defying generic categorization, Island whiskies are worth exploring for the sheer variety of flavors on offer. Full of maritime notes, and ranging from sweet and herbal to smoking and peaty, if you’re looking for a drink that isn’t subtle, and Island malt might be for you.

That’s it for this edition of Scotch 101, but we’ve still got plenty more ground to cover. Next time, we’ll be covering Islay, Campbeltown and the Lowlands and getting to grips with such legendary names as Auchentoshan, Bowmore, Laphroaig and Glen Scotia.