Subtle spirit of malt

I GENERALLY stick to the old advice about not mixing the grape and the grain, but the malt is another matter. Malt whisky has the subtlest flavour of any spirit, and a small glass taken at bedtime is more soothing than brandy. In fact a small glass taken at any time is soothing, pleasant and relaxing, as the waiter, William, in Shaw's You Never Can Tell might have said.

Those who believe that landscape influ- ences flavour, that the spirit of place, like a genie in reverse, can enter the spirit in the bottle, have a perfect witness in malt whisky. I am not talking so much about the picture postcard qualities of Highland and Island scenery, so beloved of the advertis- ers of whisky, as about the elements of landscapes, earth, water and air.

All these are important in the making of whisky, but perhaps most important of all is the water. Water, after all, composes more than 90 per cent of the beer-like wash from which whisky is distilled, and proxim- ity to a reliable supply of water has always been the prime factor in the siting of a distillery. Such supplies are not scarce in the Highlands; they generally consist of burns or rivers, which provide the soft water considered most suitable for extract- ing the full flavour of the malted barley. One of the best malt whiskies, Glenmoran- gie, however, is actually made from hard water, bubbling up from a spring in a clearing of glum Forestry Commission pines. It may not look very romantic, but the distillery staff watch over it with an almost religious devotion: it is their liveli- hood's life-blood.

After water, earth — or earth and fire. The other ingredient of whisky is malted barley, dried over peat fires. The amount and kind of peat used is reflected in the flavour. The very distinctive medicinal smell and flavour of certain Islay malts has everything to do with the island peat — some claim it contains seaweed.

Other malts have a more subtle smoki- ness. Least tangible of the elements is air, but I am sure that different atmosphere affect the taste of the spirit, as it rests in the cask evaporating at the rate of two per cent per annum (`That's why you get the nice fresh air up in the Highlands.' says Glen- morangie's manager, Ian MacGregor.) A further very important factor in deter- mining the taste of malt whisky is the choice of casks in which to mature it. Sherry butts, especially those used for oloroso, the strongest-flavoured sherry, have traditionally been used for the finest malts. With some malts, in fact, the old sherry cask smell dominates the peat and malt aromas on the nose: one, Scapa, I found to have the rancio flavour or certain Jerez brandies. Nowadays, however, the supply of used sherry butts is nothing like a plentiful as it was, and a number of distilleries have turned to used bourbon casks, which do not influence the flavour so strongly.

So to some notes on a range of malt whiskies provided by Oddbins, who have by far the widest choice available in the High Street.

Speyside: Glenallachie: very distinctive smoky peaty nose, like a crofter's cottage; quite delicate on the palate.

Glenfiddich: very light colour; almost sharp aroma; light on the palate, pleasant enough but lacks depth.

The Balvenie: darker colour; subtly peaty; very smooth and attractive on the palates; long flavour.

The Glenlivet: subtle aroma; disappointing on the palate, tastes quite like a blended whisky.

Knockando: lightish colour; quite oaky nose; light style, delicate and subtle, very attractive.

The Macallan: oaky aroma, more sherry casks than peat; very smooth texture and long, warm flavour.

Islands: Laphroaig: pungent, medicinal almost tarry aroma (like Famel syrup); medicinal but lightish on the palate. Very distinctive.

Bowmore: more subtle, gentle nose, not medicinal. Delicate and subtle flavour. Most attractive.

Lagavulin: pungent and medicinal like Laphroaig; a little thin on the palate.

Port Ellen 1969: lovely complex peaty aroma, slightly medicinal but not as strong as Laphroaig. Very good; a shame the distillery closed down in 1983. Bunnahabhain: dark colour; oaky, sherry cask aroma; rich and smooth, somewhat in the Macallan style.

Highland: Glanmorangie: lightly smoky aroma. A lightish, delicate malt, very well made and one of my favourites.

Harry Eyres