Whiskey brands in Kenya & their prices

Types of whiskey In kenya

Whiskey is a complex category of alcohol made from the fermentation of grains and then aged in oak casks. There are different methods involved, different grains used, and different aging periods which give rise to different types of whisky in Kenya. In Ireland and the United States, they spell it as “whiskey” while in any other country apart from the two named countries above it is called "whisky". In other words, the "e" explains the country from which the whisky is produced.

The following are the major categories of whiskies that are derived from the country where the whisky is produced, the grains used in the production, and the method of production utilized

9 Types Of Whisky In Kenya

1. Single Malt Whisky
2. Blended whisky
3. Scotch whisky
4. Irish whiskey
5. Bourbon & Tennessee whiskey
6. Japanese whisky
7. Canadian whisky
8. Indian whisky
9. Rye Whisky

The biggest whisky production country is Scotland though Ireland claims to be the first one to produce whiskey. They actually called it “holy water” to show how important the drink was to them. Scotland is divided into six whisky-producing regions and each region produces whisky with a unique taste and aroma depending on the region. The six regions are Islay, Lowlands, Speyside, Highlands, Campbeltown, and Islands. There are two schools of thoughts when it comes to whisky production;

• Age matters
• Age doesn’t matter

Most of the famous distilleries like Chivas are on the side that age matters. They classify their drinks according to age by labeling the bottle with the number of years of the youngest whisky in the blend. They actually claim you should check the age of the bottle to judge the quality. Other distilleries like Macallan are on the other side of age doesn’t matter and they have even gone to the extent of labeling their youngest whiskies with different names instead of years to cater for the market of those people who are not interested in the age but the whisky itself. The truth of the matter is, the older the whisky aged in the cask before bottling the more the water evaporates leaving the dark-colored concentrated whisky behind. At the same time, the more time the whisky spends in the oak casks the more it gains flavors from that particular cask. To spice up the flavors, some whiskies are aged in different casks. Old whiskies which are above 25 years are very rare and very expensive at the same time. The high prices are justified by the patience during maturity, the expertise required in the production, and the reduction in volume due to evaporation.

Scotch Whisky

All scotch whisky must have been distilled and matured in oak barrels for a period not less than 3 years in Scotland. The whisky must be made of yeast, water, and barley, or other grains like maize and wheat. The barley could be malted or not. If whisky is made from unmalted barley or other grain it is called grain whisky. This type of whisky is rarely sold on its own, rather it used to blend other scotch whiskies so as to standardize the quality and the flavors. Scotch whiskies are sold in two main categories: blended scotch whisky and single malt whisky.

Blended scotch whisky

There happen to be two types of blending that happens with this scotch whisky. First, you can blend a grain whisky with a malt whisky to improve its taste and flavors because grain whiskies are known to be of low-quality taste. The second blending is happening between malt whiskies of different distilleries of which are of different ages. Blending was introduced in the 19th century when it was realized that the flavors of whisky were too strong to be enjoyed on daily drinking.

The blending was mainly aimed at achieving a mild flavor and improving the quality of the whisky to be more constant because the quality of the whisky was questionable. After blending the whiskies, the bottle is labeled with the age of the youngest whisky in the blend. A very old whisky must be included in the blend to ensure that the taste of the whisky is appreciated. For example, Johnnie Walker Black Label is labeled as 12 years old but in the blend which comprises 40 different malt whiskies the oldest one is 50 years old. This has significantly contributed to the superior taste of the drink. There are several famous whisky brands categorized as blended scotch whisky like Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker, Famous Grouse, etc.

Single Malt Whisky

This is a whisky that is made out of malted barley and is produced from a single distillery without being blended with whiskies from other distilleries. The whisky bears the specific and unique taste which is the trademark of the distillery. To increase the flavors and also improve the taste, some of the single malt whiskies are blended with other single malt whiskies from the same distillery. The single malt whisky has a unique taste because they are particular to the six Scotland regions in which it is produced in. The youngest single malt whiskies must be 8 or 10 years and they go all the way to 60 years. The older the single malt whisky, the stronger the smell and taste but at the same time, the more the price. Actually, you will notice the age of the whiskies depending on its smoothness. Single malt whiskies are regarded as the best whiskies, however, a quality blended whisky can be richer in flavors and taste than a young single malt. Famous brands that fall under this category include Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Glenlivet, Jura, Singleton, Talisker, Oban, Macallan, Aberlour, etc.

Tennessee and Bourbon Whiskeys

These whiskies are produced in America and the rules are that they must be made of at least 51% corn and then aged for at least six years. In their maturation, they utilize new charred oak barrels. This gives the drink a sweet full-bodied taste. American whiskeys are categorized as Bourbon whiskey and Tennessee whiskey. The difference between the two is only that Tennessee whiskeys must be filtered through charcoal plus their maturation is gauged through taste, smell, and color. This method was the one that was used by the founder of the distiller Jack Daniel himself and up to today, it is still utilized as his legacy. Someone asked me if Tennessee whiskeys are bourbon whiskeys and yes they are bourbon whiskeys because they meet all the conditions required for bourbon whiskeys. Famous brands under this category include Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, Monkey Shoulder, Woodford Reserve, Maker’s Mark, Bulleit Bourbon, Wild Turkey, and Virginia Black.

Irish whiskeys

This category of whiskeys is produced in Ireland. Ireland claims to be the first one to produce whiskey. They have actually baptized it as "holy water" to mean it was very important to them. It is made from malted whiskeys which are half barley and half oats. These whiskeys are neither smoky nor sweet but they have a flavor of their own. This is because the grains are after germination they are dried on peat fires but the smoke is not let to come into contact with the grains. Famous brands in this category include Jameson, Tullamore Dew, The powers, Bushmills, and Teeling whiskeys.

Some other categories of whisky worth mentioning are Canadian Whisky, Japanese whisky, and Indian Whisky. Categories of whiskeys are so many when you do the sub-division according to the production process, country of production, and the grain used in production. However, there is something to smile about because Nairobi Drinks stocks all these types of whiskeys. Nairobi Drinks is the leading online whiskey store in Kenya. The following are the main reasons you should consider an online liquor store for all your alcohol needs ;

• Free drinks delivery in Nairobi – we don’t charge for the service of online liquor delivery services
• varieties of drinks – there are varieties of drinks to conquer your thirst
• Flexible means of payment – Mpesa, Till Number, Visa Card, Master Card, and Cash on Delivery
• Flexible means of order – Social media, Text, Whatsapp, Call, Email, and Shopping Cart.
• No minimum order – we even deliver a single bottle.
• Discounted prices – we offer a very competitive price on drinks delivery in Nairobi
• Genuine drinks – Nairobi Drinks sells only genuine drinks as we get our drinks from genuine suppliers

Visit our website to enjoy the wide variety of whiskeys. To place an order or to make an inquiry call 0714798820. Keep it #NairobiDrinks. Cheers!