Traditionally, if you are a whisky fan either Scotch whisky or Irish Whiskey will be at the top of your list but in recent years we are seeing more countries entering into the world of whisky and producing some wonderful products.
It goes without saying that it would take an extraordinary set of circumstances for a country to rival either of the Scotch or Irish whiskies with distilleries having long and impressive histories of producing the best blends. Distilleries like Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Auchentoshan in Scotland and The Cooley, Bushmills and Clontarf distilleries in Ireland will continue to produce favourites but what else is on the market?
Globally Whisky is a huge market, for Scotch whisky alone exports exceed £4.2bn with exports to just China upwards of £71.5 million and countries around the world are now looking to take a slice of that.
Japan has long been producing great whisky and the Yamazaki distillery was founded in 1923. Their obsession with Scotch whisky and the techniques used to create the blends has resulted in their ability to produce whisky that is reminiscent of a fine single malt scotch.
Taiwan is considerably newer to the game with the Kavalan distillery opening in just 2006 and has to deal with temperatures and conditions very different to their Scottish and Irish counterparts. Despite having these hurdles their exuberance is shown with them producing over 6 million litres of whisky annually. It also challenges the idea that whisky has to be aged for long periods of time with great results being produced in just 5 years.
India suffers from similar issues as Taiwan but also manages to overcome them. The Amrut distillery was actually built in a region where the Scottish weather was best replicated over 3,000 feet above sea level in an attempt to copy the results. It too is proving to be popular and going towards dispelling the myth of the aging process.
In Europe the Netherlands, Wales and England are all making steps into the market with countries like Iceland also looking to start making moves in the future.
Zuidam distillery in the Netherlands has been producing small batches of around 20,000 litres per year since 1998.
In Wales the Penderyn distillery has produced whisky since the millennium and has a few particularly nice options that will get whisky fans interested over the next few years.
England’s English Whisky Company is a distinctly patriotic offering that wants to take advantage of the many whisky drinkers in England. Having a homemade product could work in favour of this company that is the first English distillery in over a hundred years.
With all these options invading the market and plenty more on the horizon, seasoned connoisseurs are going to have their work cut out to keep abreast of them all. It will be interesting for collectors as well trying to determine which will be the next big bottle that could be worth thousands of pounds in years to come. One thing is for sure and that is that the future of whisky production looks to be very interesting no matter where it is produced.
Guest featured article from someone who is interested in whiskies from all over the world and has a dedicated Twitter and Tumblr account for their passion.
