I had always categorized Scotland into four distinct regions. Depending on who you ask, that number can change depending on how technical of a report you are receiving. In the graphic displayed above, things are very technical. I wanted to show you that version so that you are best informed, but for the sake of future reviews we are going to to stick with the four major regions. The four major regions of Scotland are the Highlands (yellow, blue, and orange), the Lowlands (green), Speyside (magenta), and the Islay (cyan). There is another region called Campbeltown (south of Islay) that was recently recognized as well, and some do not recognize the islands as a region, allowing the isle of Skye (blue) and others (except for Islay) to fall under the regional category of the Highlands. As I stated however, we are going to focus on the four regions outlined above.
The whisky produced in these regions can vary greatly. It has not always been legal for all of the distilleries to operate, the terrain and transportation methods available added to the difficulty of obtaining ingredients and production material. Because of this, the distillers would use what they were able to obtain locally - the basic ingredients, the water, and the method used to heat the stills. All of these factors, as well as the local environment, are detectable in the whisky.
So, what are the differences then?
Lowland: Claiming only a few distilleries, the Lowland area scotch reflects its terrain. There is little to no peat in this area, so peat is not used in the drying of the malt. The distilleries here are located inland which keeps the salty 'sea air' flavor out of the whisky, and most Lowland scotch is triple distilled. The end result is that scotch from this region tends to be lighter and softer in their character, with subtle aromas and malty flavor.
Highland: The Highland region spans a great deal of landscape, but the common denominator seems to be that whisky produced in this region is full-bodied. It is not uncommon to find smoky whisky from this region, nor sweet, fruity, and mouth-filling.
Speyside: Since this region contains the largest number of distilleries (about half of the total in Scotland), there are many options of whisky to choose from with a Speyside birthplace. What Speyside does NOT have is the peat of Islay or the Highlands, the salty air of coastal malts, or the dryness of the Lowlands. This means that the whisky produced here is often sweet and subtle. Some of the world's best-selling scotch whisky comes from this region.
Islay: You'll know an Islay when you smell it. The whisky from this region is peaty and smoky. The salty sea air penetrates the barrels and affects the taste of the whisky within. The smoky flavor and aroma is attributed to the peat used in the drying process.
File this knowledge away because there is going to be a test - well, just kidding, but this will help you to understand what you can expect when you purchase whisky from each region before you even open the bottle.
Cheers,
Charles
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