Types of Whisky In Kenya
Whisky is a distilled alcoholic beverage that is made from grains mostly barley but it can also be made from other grains like corn(maize), wheat, rice, and rye. The grains could be malted or un-malted. Whisky is among the popular drinks in Kenya after beers and wines. The process of producing whiskey consist of malting the grains, mashing the grains into grist and then adding hot water to release sugars, fermentation of the wort by adding yeast that converts the sugary syrup into alcohol, distillation over copper pot still in the case of malted whisky or two continuous columns in case of grain whisky and then maturation in wood barrels. The barrels are made from white oak and they could be charred or not. Before we continue, I would like to make a clarification on whiskey and whisky. Why one has an “e” and the other one doesn’t. The difference between the two is just an indication of the country where it is produced. Whiskey means the brand is produced in either United States or Ireland while whisky means the brand is produced from other whisky-producing countries like Scotland, India, Canada and Japan. In this article, we will be taking a deeper look at the types of whisky in Kenya and why whisky delivery Nairobi is among the popular liquor delivery services in Nairobi.
Whiskeys are mainly categorized depending on the country from which they are produced and the process of production utilized. There are two schools of whisky; one that concentrates more on the age of whisky and the other one that concentrates more on the blending of whiskies to increase flavours and also to improve on taste. Those that concentrate on the age, they label their bottles with the number of years the whisky is aged while those that concentrate on blending the whisky for flavours they don’t indicate the age of the whisky. The older the whisky, the complex is the taste and flavours. This means the older the whisky, the more expensive it is. To justify the high price tags is the huge evaporation that takes place during ageing and the expertise required to carry out the whole production process. There is a controversy that the older the whisky the darker it is. The colour of the whisky has no relation with age in any way; it is just an indication of wood barrel used to age the whisky or addition of caramel that makes the whisky darker and more appealing. The following are the types of whiskey that you will find on our shelves.
Types Of Whisky In Kenya
Irish Whiskey
Irish whiskeys are among the most popular whiskeys in Kenya. To have the title Irish whiskey, the dark spirit must be produced in Ireland and with grains grown in Ireland. The process of making Irish whiskey is more or less like the one for making scotch whisky only that malted grains are dried in a kiln without any contact with smoke while those ones of scotch whisky are dried over peat fires giving scotch whisky some peat taste.
The process of making Irish whiskey starts with crushing the grains, you then add hot water to release the sugars. You cool down the hot liquid and add yeast to ferment the sugars into beer like liquid. This liquid is triple distilled to make vodka clear like liquid which is aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 3 years to make what is now called Irish whiskey. The triple distillation gives Irish whiskey a smooth taste in comparison to other types of whiskey. The wood barrels used in Irish whiskeys determine the taste, flavours, colour and the smell of the whisky. Some Irish whiskeys are aged for a maximum of 20 years. Good examples of Irish whiskeys are as follows;
• Jameson Irish whiskey
• Jameson Cooper’s Croze
• Jameson Distiller’s Safe
• Jameson Blender’s Dog
• Jameson Crested
• Jameson Black Barrel
• Jameson Caskmates
• Jameson Select Reserve
• Powers Gold Label
• Tullamore Dew
• Bushmills Original
• Teeling Whiskey Single Malt
• Teeling Whiskey Small Batch
Blended Scotch Whisky
Scotch whiskies are whisky produced in Scotland. For a whisky to be called blended scotch whisky it must be made by mixing scotch malt whisky with scotch grain whisky. There is always a heated argument between Ireland and Scotland each of them claiming they were the first one to produce whisky. People really love scotch whisky to a point they have branded them some funny names like, “water of life”, “nectar of Gods”, “an indulgence of the senses”… The main difference between the production of scotch whisky and that one of Irish whiskey is well seen in the case of malt whisky where the malted grains are dried over peat fires giving scotch whisky a smoky flavour and taste. Jameson whiskey is the only popular whiskey in Ireland, however, in Scotland there are so many popular whisky brands.
There are six whisky production regions in Scotland with each of them producing a great whisky. These regions are Lowlands, Highlands, Islay, Speyside, Campbeltown and The Islands. The flavours and taste of scotch whisky are attributed to the region where is produced.
The process of making scotch whisky is as follows; malting, drying, mashing, fermentation, distillation and then maturation. Barley is the common grain used in scotch whisky though wheat or rye are used sometimes.
Malting – This is the process where the grains are soaked in water for 2 or 3 days to fool them to start germination. The process is important for malted whisky but in the case of grain whisky, it can be skipped.
Drying – The grains are dried in peat fire to stop the germination process. The peat fire gives scotch whisky a smoky taste and flavours.
Mashing – The grains are then grounded into a powder called grist. Hot water is added and the mixtures are starred. This converts starch into sugars causing bubbling and frothing. The process takes around 4 hours.
Fermentation – The mixture is let to cool down after frothing stops. Yeast is then added to start the fermentation process that converts the sugars into alcohol.
Distillation – This is process aimed at purifying the alcohol leaving the unwanted products like methanol behind. This process is different for grain whisky and malt whisky. For malt whisky, they use a copper pot still. Distillation is done twice in this process. First, the wash is heated to boiling point and alcohol evaporates and it is cooled down in a condenser. This results in a liquid called a low wine that is about 20 % alcohol percentage. The low spirit is distilled again in spirits till for the second distillation and the resulting spirit is divided into three parts; first part (head), Middle part (heart) and the last part (tail). Only the tail goes on to maturation while the head and the tail are recirculated for distillation. The resulting low spirit is around 70 % alcohol percentage. On the other hand of grain whisky, it uses fractional distillation where components are separated by heating to different temperatures causing them to evaporate when their boiling point is reached. The distillation is done over two columns still called analyzer and rectifier. The analyzer washes the liquid with steam while the rectifier carries the steam until it condenses to the required alcohol strength. In this case, only one distillation process is needed.
Maturation – scotch whisky is aged in oak barrels that were previously ageing sherry, rum or bourbon whiskey so as to have the flavours from those drinks. Scotch whisky is aged to different years but the older it gets, the better the quality of the whisky.
Facts About Blended Scotch Whisky
- Blended scotch whisky is made by mixing 2/3 of grain whisky and 1/3 of malt whisky.
- Blended scotch whisky cheaper than single malt whisky which is only made from malt whisky from the same distillery.
- Blended scotch whisky combines grain whisky and malt whisky from 40 to 50 different distilleries.
- Blended Scotch whisky is aged for a minimum of 5 years after the blending.
- Blended Scotch whisky is less stronger and has more flavours in comparison with single malt whisky.
- Blended Scotch whisky is made in Scotland while single malt whisky is made in different countries.
10 Most Popular Blended Scotch Whisky Brands in Kenya
• Johnnie Walker
◦ Johnnie Walker Red Label
◦ Johnnie Walker Black Label
◦ Johnnie Walker Double Black
◦ Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
◦ Johnnie Walker Green Label
◦ Johnnie Walker Platinum Label
◦ Johnnie Walker XR 21
◦ Johnnie Walker 18 years
◦ Johnnie Walker Blue Label
◦ Johnnie Walker King George V
◦ Johnnie Walker Odyssey
• Chivas Regal
◦ Chivas Regal 12 years
◦ Chivas Regal 18 years
◦ Chivas Regal Extra
◦ Chivas Regal 21 years
◦ Chivas Regal 25 years
• Ballantines
◦ Ballantines Finest
◦ Ballantines 12 years
◦ Ballantines 17 years
◦ Ballantines 21 years
• Famous Grouse
◦ Famous Grouse Original
◦ Famous Grouse Smoky Black
◦ Snow Grouse
• Monkey Shoulder
• William Lawson
• Teachers
• VAT 69
• Grants
• J&B Rare
Single Malt Whisky
Single malt whisky is whisky that is made from malted barley and from a single distillery. Blending can also be done in single malt whisky but it is limited to the whiskies of different ages of that particular distillery. The process of making single malt whisky is the same as the process of making scotch malt whisky. All single malt distilleries produce single malt whiskies with a particular taste that is common to all their brands. That taste is used as the trademark of that distillery differentiating brands of that particular distillery from those of other distilleries. Contrary to the belief of many, single malt whiskies are not only made from Scotland but from any distillery in the world as long it follows the rules of single malt whisky production. That’s why you will find Irish single malt whisky like Teeling single malt whiskey and Japanese single malt whisky like The Yamazaki single malt whisky. However, Scotch single malt whisky is the most popular single malt whisky in the world.
10 Most Popular Single Malt Whisky Brands in Kenya
• Glenfiddich
◦ Glenfiddich 12 years
◦ Glenfiddich 15 years
◦ Glenfiddich 18 years
◦ Glenfiddich 21 years
◦ Glenfiddich 26 years
• Glenlivet
◦ Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve
◦ Glenlivet 12 years
◦ Glenlivet 15 years
◦ Glenlivet 18 years
◦ Glenlivet 21 years
◦ Glenlivet 25 years
• Glenmorangie
◦ Glenmorangie Original
◦ Glenmorangie Lasanta
◦ Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban
◦ Glenmorangie Nectar DOR 12 years
◦ Glenmorangie 18 years
◦ Glenmorangie Signet
• Macallan
◦ Macallan 12 years fine oak
◦ Macallan 12 years sherry oak
◦ Macallan 15 years fine oak
◦ Macallan 18 years fine oak
◦ Macallan Reserve Estate
◦ Macallan Maker’s Edition
◦ Macallan Select Oak
◦ Macallan Amber
◦ Macallan Rare Cask
• The Balvenie
◦ The Balvenie Double Wood 12 years
◦ The Balvenie Double Wood 17 years
◦ The Balvenie Tripple Cask 12 years
◦ The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 years
◦ The Balvenie Port Wood 21 years
• Jura
◦ Jura 10 years
◦ Jura Prophecy
◦ Jura Superstition
◦ Jura 16 years
◦ Jura 21 years
• Singleton
◦ Singleton of Dufftown
◦ Singleton Talifire
◦ Singleton Sunray
• Aberlour
◦ Aberlour 10 years
◦ Aberlour 12 years
◦ Aberlour 16 years
◦ Aberlour 18 years
• Talisker
◦ Talisker Storm
◦ Talisker 10 years
• Caol Ila
◦ Caol ila Moch
◦ Caol ila 12 years
Bourbon Whiskey
Bourbon whiskey is made in the United States particularly Kentucky though there is no limitation of where they are produced provided it is in the United States. Besides being produced in the United States, there are several other factors that must be achieved for it to be called a bourbon. The following are bourbon requirements.
Bourbon Whiskey Production Requirement
• They must be made of 51% corn
• They must be aged in new charred oak barrels
• They must be distilled below 160 % proof
• The barrel they are aged in must be below 125% proof
• When being bottled, they must be 80 % proof or higher
• If bottled aged two years they are called straight bourbon
• If bottled aged four years they are called bottled in bond bourbon
• They can be produced anywhere in the United States
There is no dictation as to which oak barrels to use and also their size though the standard American white oak barrels are used.
Bourbon Whisky Brands in Kenya
• Jim Beam
◦ Jim Beam Original
◦ Jim Beam Apple
◦ Jim Beam Honey
◦ Jim Beam Black
◦ Jim Beam Red Stag
• Maker’s Mark
• Maker’s Mark 46
• Bulleit Bourbon
• Virginia Black
• Wild Turkey
• Woodford Reserve
Tennessee Whiskey
Tennessee whiskey follows the same process of production just like bourbon whiskey only that they filtered through maple charcoal after the distillation process but prior to the ageing process in the oak barrel. The process of filtering through the charcoal is called the Lincoln County Process. This process is aimed at removing impurities and the harsh flavourings leaving behind a smoother and easy to drink spirit. Tennessee whiskey must be made in Tennessee district. Going by the fact that Tennessee whisky follows all the rules of production of bourbon whisky, they could be called bourbon whiskey but the owners don’t want that. So in simple terms, Tennessee whiskey meets the threshold of bourbon whiskey but they are more than bourbon whiskey, therefore, calling them bourbon whisky will be lowering them their class. However, bourbon whiskey cannot be called Tennessee whiskey because they are not produced in Tennessee district and don’t undergo the Lincoln County Process.
Funny Points To Note About Tennessee Whiskey
By filtering Tennessee whiskeys over maple charcoal doesn’t make them better than their counterparts, it is just a marketing strategy. More so, there is no rule that prevents the bourbon whiskeys from filtering their whiskeys over charcoal. Any whisky can be filtered over charcoal and actually many distilleries filter their whisky over charcoal after maturation before bottling. They say marketing is about being cunning enough to make people believe in something so as to have an upper hand.
Tennessee Whiskey in Kenya
• Jack Daniel’s Sour Mash No.7
• Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel
• Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey
• Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire
• Gentleman Jack
• Jack Daniel’s Sinatra
Japanese Whisky
Japanese whisky borrows a lot from Scotch whisky and that is why their whisky doesn’t have an “e” just like the scotch one. Japan started producing whisky back in 1918 when a young Japanese man by the name Masataka Taketsuru was sent to study organic chemistry in Scotland and fell in love scotch whisky. He went back to Japan and started two distilleries; Yoichi distillery and Yamazaki distillery. Japanese whisky is produced more like scotch malt whisky. They use malted barley that is dried over the peat fire. After mashing the grains and adding hot water to release the sugars, it is let to cool and yeast is added to speed up fermentation that converts the sugars into alcohol. The resulting liquid is distilled twice over the copper pot still. In the case of grain whisky, fractional distillation over two column stills is used. The difference comes in ageing where Japanese whisky can be aged in American oak, sherry casks or Mizunara oak which gives this whisky the flavours of incense, citrus and spice.
Unlike in Scotland where distilleries are owned by so many different people, in Japan all the distilleries are owned by two companies; Nikka and Suntory. The issue comes in the making of blended Japanese whisky. The two companies are selfish enough not to share their whiskies so a blend must be made by mixing grain whisky and single malt whisky from some of the micro-distilleries that are owned by the same company. There are two dimensions to look at this, the first one is the selfishness of not sharing whisky between the two companies and the other one is the extensive research and innovation that must be done by each company to improve their taste and flavours so as to beat the other company. This competition leads to Japanese whisky being the leaders in terms of quality but at the same time, the whisky is quite expensive in comparison with whiskies from other countries.
Japanese Whisky in Kenya
• The Yamazaki Single Malt
• Nikka Yoichi Single Malt
• Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt
• Nikka Taketsuru 12 years Pure Malt
• The Hakushu Single Malt
• Hibiki Suntory Whisky
• Chita Suntory Whisky
• Suntory Whisky
• Iwai Traditional Whisky
• Iwai Japanese Whisky
Other categories of whisky worth mentioning are Indian whisky and Canadian Whisky. These two types of whisky are not so popular in Kenya though they have their share of the market. Indian whisky are loved by Indians in Kenya and also low medium class people because they are cheap. Most of them are below Ksh 1,200 though they are well packaged with fancy names. Actually, for someone who doesn’t know them might think they are super expensive when they see them for the first time. On the hand, Canadian whisky are mostly grain whisky with a good number of them being made from rye. There are only a few brands in Kenya but the most popular one is Canadian Club whisky.
Nairobi Drinks is an online whisky shop located in Nairobi CBD. We stock all whisky brands in Kenya making us your favourite online wine and spirits shop when it comes to drinks delivery Kenya. In order to make alcohol delivery Nairobi an inclusive service for all, Nairobi Drinks has extended its operational hours to midnight on weekdays and 3 AM on weekends and public holidays. In the near future we are planning to offer 24 hour alcohol delivery Nairobi. Apart from whisky, we also stock other types of alcohol like wine, beer, brandy, cognac, liqueur, vodka, tequila, aperitif, bitters, vermouth, gin and rum.
The main reason why whisky delivery Nairobi is the main liquor delivery service in Kenya is because whisky are thought to be classy drinks and also because it the most wide category of alcoholic beverages in the world. Beers are good for socialization, wine are good for refreshment and also part of the meal but whisky are purposely meant for high class people. It is only in whisky you will find the most expensive alcohol in Kenya. Most celebrities and most powerful politicians in the world have talked about alcohol but specifically about whisky. Nairobi Drinks is the only online liquor store where you will find all types of whisky in Kenya.
