Whisky Misconceptions

I've been getting to know more people lately who are into or getting into whisky. The more I talk to people, the more I realize that there are a lot of misconceptions regarding whisky. With the marketing flannel being done by the big corporations, it's impossible to avoid it. The sad truth is, whatever features the big corps are marketing, it'll most likely be crap and just fancy to make you bite.

The older the better?
This is probably the most wide spread misconception. It's probably because our older relatives have been preaching this to us ever since we were old enough to drink. The sad thing is, no. It' will not always be the case. Saying the older the whisky the better is similar to saying a product which is more expensive is better than its cheaper counterparts.

Please people, give the younger stuff a chance. Try them. Especially the younger stuff that aren't from Chivas, Johnnie Walker and Macallan. They will blow your minds. There are whiskys coming out right now which are NAS (no age statements). They don't have any age statements because there are whiskys there which are younger than 10 years old. That doesn't mean they're not good though. They are given different names because people who associate age with quality. So rather than a company selling a whisky like, let's say Laphroaig 7, they call it Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Some NAS whiskys have been wining awards. Need some more convincing? Take the Johnnie Walker Blue Label. It's NAS but it's successful. It's probably one of the most famous whiskys of all time. Blue Label isn't the best but it's a good example that a whisky doesn't need to have an age statement to be successful.

The darker the better?
Absolutely false. A lot of scotch are dark because they have added caramel coloring to them. The coloring is called e150. It's said to only change the color of a whisky giving it a darker color which will make it more attractive. The easiest way to tell if a whisky has added coloring is if it doesn't say that it has natural coloring. The truth is these days, you can tell little about a whisky just by looking at it's color. For example:

The Johnnie Walker Black Label doesn't mention addition of caramel coloring or e150 but that doesn't mean they didn't add any. Adding artificial coloring? That sounds like dishonesty.

Then look at this Bruichladdich The Laddie 10. Look at the bottom of the bottle. There are words saying "unchillfiltered and colouring free". This means that there isn't any artificial coloring added to the whisky. Here a better look.

Single malts are better than blends?
Not always. Well, yes, if you compare a single malt with a blend from the big corps who are only after making money. But compare a single malt to great blends and you will be surprised. The best example I can give is Compass Box. They sell pure malts and blends. Compass Box's goal is to make good whisky and not just to make money. If you want to try them, go to Black Sheep in BGC. They're the only bar I know of that carries Compass Box.