Scotch Whiskies by Region
Highland, Lowland, Speyside and Isla Whiskies
Scotland is home to several distinct whisky regions, with taste and styles of their own.
Scotland, when it comes to whisky, is a divided nation. Scotch lovers have sectioned off the country into four main whisky producing regions.
The division comes from the different taste each region imparts on the whisky. Before we get too far, these characteristics are generalized and do not mean every whisky distilled in a certain area will have these flavors, but most of them do to varying degrees.
The four main regions are the Lowland, Highland, Speyside and Islay.
Drawing the Lines
The Lowland takes up about a third of the southern part of Scotland. The whisky from this area is lighter tasting and finishes dry. The lowland’s water source does not contain a lot of peat so it has less of the earthy flavor peat instills. The whisky produced in this region is often used for blending with more full-bodied whiskies. The single malts created here were popular in England. Only a few distilleries still exist in the Lowland.
The Highland covers most of the remaining two thirds of Scotland and generally produces more full-bodied whiskies with deeper notes of peat and smoke. It is a smooth whisky that goes down warm with a slow finish. A well known whisky from this area is The Dalmore.
Carved out of an area in the Highland is a rather small area called the Speyside. This area could be considered the downtown of The Scotch whisky world with dozens of distilleries producing some of the world’s best know whiskies like single malts The Glenlivet and The Glenfiddich and blends like Chivas Regal and Johnnie Walker.
Speyside whiskies are thought to be the countries most complex, with a mix of aromas from smoke to leather and apples to honey.
The final area, is the Islay. This is an island off the west coast of Scotland whose whiskies have been “discovered” recently by enthusiasts. This Scotch is very peaty and tastes of the sea. The saltwater invades the peat and dissolves into the spring water used to make the spirit. Some of the area’s distilleries lie at the sea’s shore being bathed in the sea mist.
Islay’s most popular brand is Bowmore
Smaller regions
The Campbeltown region is located on a large island just off the mainland of Scotland. It was once highly populated by distilleries but many have closed. The whisky is peaty and has a salty hint like most seaside whiskies, but with more spice and oily flavor than its cousins.
Island Scotch is not really a region but rather a type. There are several distilleries on several islands along the west coast of Scotland. Each has its own distinct taste, but with deeper peat and briny flavors than the mainland whiskies.
