Does Single Malt Scotch Whisky have “Terrior”?
By Bob F.
A term has been creeping into the jargon and descriptions of Single Malt Scotch Whisky’s (SMSW) that may be unfamiliar to single malt Scotch drinkers. Some may have heard the term, but may mispronounce it. It is “terrior”. A Google search may ask if you really mean “terrier”, a small wirehaired hunting dog? No, it comes from the French, and is correctly pronounced “ter wah”. So what does this have to do with SMSW?
If you also appreciate wine or cheese, you may have encountered this term in describing these delectables as well. Most commonly the “Appellation de’ Controle’e” designation is a kin to “terrior”. The Appellation was devised as a legal basis for specifying the geographical origin of a wine and has served as an accepted notation in the wine industry in both France and the World. Cheese has similar “stamps” of origin. But is this “terrior”?
No. In the sense that the term is being used today, it embodies much more than the mere place of origin. In a sense, it means that the wine, or cheese, or for that matter, the single malt Scotch whisky has assumed the unique quality of being, the very essence of the place in which it is produced.
As any knucklehead of Scotch (or any SMSW drinker) would agree, what draws us to Single Malt’s is their very uniqueness. From the growing of the barley malt, the character of the waters used, the firing and tunning process, the size, shape and dimension of the copper stills, the types of barrels used, to the place in which the whisky is aged, all, all have a profound effect in producing the color, nose and taste of the final product. The areas themselves, the environment, plays a vital role. It’s what makes Islays (or Skye) different from the highland Speysides, and as different from the lowlands. Add to this the unique philosophies, traditions, and skills of the distillers, coopers, and copper smiths, and you get “terrior”.
So does single malt Scotch whisky have “terrior”? You bet, in spades!! So now, when you hear a local “aficionado” extolling the “terrior” of a SMSW at your local watering hole, or read some snotty review about the “terrior” of a particular cheese, as a knucklehead of Scotch, you’ll not only know what it means but how it gets it’s “terrior”.
Now you’ve got some real “gravitas” (whatever that means!).