Whisky

Whisky  Delivery Nairobi

All you need to know about whiskies and where to buy whiskies online in Kenya

Whisky (also known as whiskey in the US and Ireland) is a type of alcoholic drink produced using the process of distillation. In US and Ireland it is referred to as whiskey while in other whisky producing and consuming countries it is known as whisky. At Dial a Drink Kenya, we prefer `whisky`.

The oldest licensed producer of whisky is The Old Bushmill`s Distillery. It was the licensed distillery in the year 1608 when it sought legal permission to distill Irish Whisky.

Buy Bushmill’s whisky in Nairobi by clicking here.

When the distilling process was first being used, whisky was not allowed to age, the drink had a very different taste as compared to today’s version. After many trial and error methods, it became a smoother drink.

After drastic laws were passed in England in the year 1725, production of whisky reduced and most distilleries were shut down. Underhand operations were used in the production and sale of whisky to avoid the excessive taxation and regulations by the government. Some Scottish distillers resorted to only distilling whisky at night and this led to the drink being christened `Moonshine`.

During the American Revolution, whisky was used as a currency! Farmer`s would convert corn to whisky for easier transport to the market. The conversion also favored their profits. In 1971, additional excise tax was imposed on it and this led to the whisky rebellion. Read more about the whisky Rebellion here.

In India, whisky consumption started in the 19th century, Edward Dyer built the first distillery although it was later was moved to Solan due to availability of adequate spring water.

In France, the popularity of whisky grew after a pest destroyed large acres of the grape fields that were known to make French brandies.

In the US, from 1920 to 1933 alcohol consumption and sale was prohibited except for whisky as prescribed by a doctor! During this time, whisky was sold in pharmacies in fact a pharmacy chain grew from just 20 outlets to more than 400 outlets, Oh hail the founder of this liquid mystery! How we wish Dial a Drink Kenya was there already at that time!

India by itself is said to consume an equal amount of whisky as the rest of the world. Drinks referred as whisky there are more of rum, according to the standards set by `the rest of the world`, this is largely due to the composition of drinks as they only contain 10 to 12 percent of traditional malt whisky, most of it is molasses-based.

Whisky is stored in metal containers known as stills. The containers are normally made of copper to help in the removal of Sulphur based compounds which make the taste deteriorate.

Another thing worth noting is that the age of a whisky is not based on how long it has been in a bottle, but rather how much time it has been stored in the cask i.e. the period between its distilling and when it is bottled into the final consumers packaging. It is when the whisky is in a cask that its chemical composition and taste changes.

Most whiskies available at Dial a drink Kenya have an alcohol by volume of 40% or slightly higher or lower. This is the statutory percentage for alcohol sold in Kenya although the rate varies according to brand and whisky type.

Whisky is the most popular of Scotland`s exports and contributes more than 25% of its drink revenues. The main whisky producing areas in Scotland are Speyside and the Isle of Islay, where eight distilleries are located. Here, the distilleries are not only a major source of employment but are also tourist attraction sites.

Types of whiskies you can buy online at dial a drink Kenya-Nairobi`s favourite whisky shop

1.     Irish whisky

These kind of whiskies are distilled thrice according to common practice although some distilleries may distill it twice. The law requires that this kind of whisky be produced in Ireland and must be aged in wooden casks for at least three years.

Before the 19th century, Irish whiskies were the most popular in the world although a long decline caused a shortage and hence drastic in reduction of popularity and the number of distilleri