Top 10 Whisky Myths

Every whisky tastes the same: WRONG

There are hundreds of elements affecting tastes of whiskies such as origin, production techniques, grain type, climate, cask etc. Especially when it comes to single malts, different expressions of the same brand may taste completely different. Even two adjacent distilleries may produce whiskies that have completely different characters.

Whisky ages in a bottle, and old bottles are valuable: WRONG

Unlike wine, whisky does not age in a bottle. If you have a bottle with ‘’12 Years Old’’ sign, even if you keep it for 50 years it will still remain as a 12-year old whisky. It has a very low chance of being valuable unless it is a limited edition.

Light colored whiskies are smooth: WRONG

When first produced, whisky is a colorless drink just like vodka, gin etc. and it takes its color from the oak cask in which it is kept. There is no relation between color, alcohol level (ABV) and being smooth on the palate. Some whiskies have strong nose and palate even if they look light in color.

Whisky is only made in Scotland: WRONG

Whisky is produced in lots of countries, as many as 20 or so. Nowadays Scotland, America, India, Ireland, Canada and Japan are the countries producing whisky the most. Also there are lots of great whiskies offering wide variety of tastes produced in different distilleries all around the world from France to Austria, Australia to Taiwan. In fact, some whiskies from Japan and Taiwan were awarded as ‘’the best whisky of the world’’ last year. Whisky had also been produced in Turkey up until 2000’s.

Whisky should never be consumed with ice: WRONG

Although whiskies are usually preferred to be drunk neat and without water, ice goes rather well with bourbons or some whisky cocktails, especially in summer. Use large ice cubes since they don’t melt fast and distort the taste of whisky.

Whisky is an expensive and luxurious drink: WRONG

Actually, whisky costs more or less the same as the other spirits. And because of the high-rate taxes, bottle prices in Turkey may cost more than those sold abroad. The fact that a glass of whisky is overcharged in bars and restaurants is one of the most important reasons behind this common perception. (When you charge 50 TL for a glass of whisky whose bottle price is 200 TL on the market, it is inevitable to misperceive whisky as something expensive and luxurious.)

Whisky is only made of barley: WRONG

Although most whiskies are made of barley malt; other grains like wheat, corn (maize) and rye are used as well. In fact, a whiskey should contain at least 51% corn in order to be called ‘’bourbon’’.

Whisky goes bad if it is stored for long years: WRONG

Whisky doesn’t go bad that easily due to the high alcohol content; however, its taste might be distorted if it is exposed to extreme hot, stored in a horizontal position or contacts with the cork, and most importantly if air leaks through its cap.

Whisky shouldn’t be drunk in goblets: WRONG

Although a typical whisky glass, tumbler, is preferred for everyday use, the Glencairn glass as a custom-shaped goblet and the Copita as a tulip-shaped, narrow mouth and stalked glass goblet are used in tasting events.

Only nuts and crackers should accompany whisky: WRONG

Although whisky is not a regularly paired with meals like wine, it pairs quite well with lots of dishes. Smoky whiskies can be consumed with smoked cheeses and smoked salmon whereas whiskies having a sweeter character can be consumed with chocolate and desserts. In Japan, watered whisky with ice is consumed with main course as well.