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 distilleries from over thirty to three and lately sixteen.However,out of the current sixteen distilleries only five are in operation currently.The others don’t yet have adequately aged products for commercial purposes.

Buy Irish whiskies in Nairobi at dial a drink Kenya including Jameson, Tullamore dew, Bushmills and more.

2.      Scotch whiskies

Generally distilled twice, some are distilled thrice and others up to twenty times, these whiskies are of course from Scotland and are oak-cask aged for a minimum of three years as the law sets.

There are two basic types of Scotch are malt and grain, they are combined to result into blends. The five basic Scotch malt whiskies are named according to the areas from which they are distilled Campbel town, Islay, Lowland, Highland and of course Speyside.

3.      Malt Whisky

Malt whisky is mainly composed of malted barley while grain whisky refers to whisky containing any types of grains.The various combinations of malts and grains results in the following types of whiskies;

4.      Single malt whisky

This is a whisky made by a single distillery and uses only one specific malted grain in the mash.These whiskies normally have a clear age statement and may bear the name of the distillery. At our whisky shop based in Nairobi there is a wide range of Single malt whiskies ready to be delivered within           Nairobi and its environs, including Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glengrant, Jura, Lagavulin, Glenmorangie and more.

Blended Malt whisky-It’s a whisky containing various types of whiskies from several distilleries.

Blended whisky-a mixture of different types of whiskies.

Cask strength-Bottled straight from the cask undiluted or slightly diluted. Also called barrel proof.

Single cask-bottle only from individually specific cask, taste may vary significantly depending on the cask. Also known as Single barrel.

Whiskies with age statements are known as guaranteed age whisky while those whose age is not stated are assumed to be at least three years old.

The two basic types of Scotch are malt and grain,they are combined to result into blends.The five basic Scotch malt whiskies are named according to the areas from which they are distilled Campbeltown,Islay,Lowland,Highland and ofcourse Speyside.

Malt whisky is mainly composed of malted barley while grain whisky refers to whisky containing any types of grains. Scotch whiskies derive their smoky finish from the treating process of the malt using peat smoke.

5.      American whisky

This is whisky  distilled using a fermented mash of grains. The US law requires that it should possess have the taste, smell and other general properties attributed to whiskey.

US laws require that American Whiskies be made from mash and must also adhere to the following;

Bourbon whisky-has at least 51% corn.

At Nairobi`s favorite whisky shop, the bourbons whisky range include

Jim Beam

Makers Mark

Jim Beam Triple aged,

Wild turkey and more.

Other types of American whiskies are:

Corn Whisky-contains at least 80% of corn

Malt Whisky-has a minimal of 51% malted barley

Rye whisky-has at least 51% rye

Rye malt whisky-contains malted rye in 51% of its composition

Wheat whisky-contains at least 51% of wheat

The following are additional conditions that the above American Whiskeys must meet.

1.      Should be distilled to at most 80% ABV and put in the barrel at most 125 proof.

2.      No colour or flavor agent may be added to the final product, except for water.

3.      Storage must be in charred-oak barrels (the only exception provided is for un-aged corn whiskey).

 Other types of whiskey as recognized by US law are Blended, Light and Spirit whiskey.

Also important to note is Tennessee whiskey which may be categorized as bourbon in other regulations due to the huge similarity in the distillation process. The only difference between these two types of whiskies is that Tennessee are filtered through charcoal.

At  Dial A Drink Kenya our variety of Tennessee whiskies include Jack Daniels Sour Mash, Tennesee honey, Single barrel, Gentleman Jack etc.

Buy Tenessee whiskies online in Kenya from Nairobi`s favorite online liquor store, dial a drink Kenya and have them delivered to your doorstep at no extra charges.

Call 0723688108 and order whisky within Nairobi.