Unlike a blended whisky, a single malt is produced
exclusively from malted barley and is the product of one specific
distillery. Most bottlings of single malt contain whisky from
several casks and batches, which are carefully married or "vatted"
together, though they must all come from the same distillery.
The age of a malt whisky is defined by the length
of time it is matured in a cask prior to bottling, hence Aberlour
10 Year Old and Aberlour 15 Year Old.
Although production methods have been modernised
over the years, the essential elements of the whisky-making process
and the ingredients used have remained unchanged. It is a meticulously
monitored process that cannot be hurried, requiring traditional
skills and experience and a passion for the end product.
There are five stages before the casked whisky is
laid to rest in the warehouse: Malting, Milling, Mashing, Fermenting
and Distilling.
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