Partying Like Gentlemen: Types of Whiskeys You Need to Know About

Nightlife worldwide has evolved drastically over the years. Nightclubs have replaced the classy old gatherings of people meeting every fortnight. However, no matter how much these clubbing culture lads boast of their party trends, best-in-class dinners with scotch whiskeys are always the perfect party idea for men. The excitement of beer and vodka can't replace the class of a perfectly made whiskey at Ironton Distillery in Denver, Colorado.

Enjoying the night with well-suited ladies and gentlemen enjoying slow dancing on classic salsa beats on a candle-lit night, and the bar lit up with the best whiskeys would turn any boy into a man. Remember to research the best whiskey types and distilleries if you plan to throw one such party. Your choice of whiskey alone defines what you are up to.

To give you a fair idea, we have prepared a list of some of the most excellent whiskey types to go with:

Malt Whiskey

In the good old days, farmers in Scotland prepared malt whiskeys using barleys from their own farms. They had to pick the most excellent barley granules precisely, which involved a lot of physical work to manufacture one of the finest whiskeys in the world. However, the Industrial Revolution replaced the physical effort with modern machinery, but the taste was good. It eased the process.

Malt whiskey from Scotland is still one of the most loved drinks worldwide. It is also sold at a high price, as it matures for three years and one day. After processing the barley in distilleries (in pot stills), the whiskey is kept untouched for three years before being sold.

Grain Whiskey

This kind of whiskey doesn't require a particular malt, like barley. Farmers produce it using wheat, corn, and other grains. At times, they use a mixture of multiple grains, which adds to the variety of the whiskey. In the past, they used corn to manufacture it, using column stills for distillation. Nowadays, they mostly use wheat, which is distilled with modern equipment.

The advantage of producing grain whiskey over malt whiskey is that the grain whiskey takes less time to mature.

Blended Whiskey

Now, this is where art and alcohol meet, or let's say, 'blend.' Blending whiskeys for the perfect taste is only some people's cup of tea. You need years of experience in this field to gain expertise to the extent that you can make the best-blended whiskey. For those who don't know what blended whiskey is, it is a mixture of two or more whiskeys of various categories (usually grain), which adds to the flavour and variety.

Connoisseurs determine the taste of the whiskeys by checking the ratio of different whiskeys. The amount of malt whiskey added to the blend substantially impacts the flavour of the whiskey thus made. An expert in the field has the perfect idea of what to blend in what amount.

Bourbon Whiskey

Another premium-quality whiskey from the US, the bourbon whiskey, has a solid fan base worldwide. One of the types of bourbon whiskey manufactured in Tennessee is in extraordinary demand; as they say, it's one of the purest breeds of bourbon. Other than that, the credit for increasing bourbon production goes to Kentucky, as it is the heart of bourbon whiskey. 

It really tastes great.

A few factors set bourbon apart. For example, 51% of its content comes from corn, and the maturity time for an ideal bourbon whiskey is around 4 years. The government even has specific laws for this. Although pot stills have replaced column stills in many parts of the world, Americans still use column stills for distillation.

Rye Whiskey

Rye, a member of the wheat tribe usually grown in the Americas, is one of the most beautiful grains for making whiskey. The US used to be the largest manufacturer of Rye whiskey. However, nowadays, rye whiskey is mainly produced in and around Canada and some US states. It takes up to two years to mature and has one of the most exquisite tastes. It also comes at a high price.

The ingredients mainly consist of Rye, which the farmers ferment and distil in column stills and then leave untouched for about two years. However, the taste after two years is worth waiting for. Rye whiskey is available in single malt and significantly contributes to typical Canadian blends.

While Rye whiskey is available on a reasonable scale alone, blended whiskeys with a rye contribution are sold widely all over Canada. Rye is also an excellent choice for connoisseurs.

Fun Fact: Using Music for Whiskey Ageing

While it might sound new to some people, it is a widely popular method for ageing whiskey. In the older times, when the demand for whiskey was lower than that of today, farmers used to lay back, storing whiskey for 3-4 years. You would already know that the older the whiskey gets, the tastier it tastes. So, music was a catalyst for the process of ageing.

It's not an orthodox belief but a scientific fact that whiskey ages faster when exposed to music. Music makes the whiskey molecules move to and fro, creating friction. When exposed to friction, the molecules age faster than still ones. This process is becoming popular due to the high demand for whiskey worldwide. EDMs and Sonic beats are primarily present in whiskey, causing it to age quickly.

Now you have quite the idea of the various types of whiskeys there worldwide. So, if you throw a classic vintage party with your gang of gentlemen, remember to reread it.