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Malt Whisky Pronunciation

Pronouncing some whisky distillery names can be tricky. For those of you who stumble over names like Caol Ila, Bruichladdich, Lagavulin, Ledaig and Uigeadail, read on.

Many scotch whiskies draw their names from the town, village or valley where they are situated.

Many of these places have Gaelic names which are particularly difficult to identify phonetically for those whose Gaelic is a bit rusty or non-existent. This article will clarify the pronunciation of the trickiest scotch whiskies.

Going into an off-licence or a specialist whisky shop can be an unsettling experience for those who don’t know their whiskies and who are scared of looking a fool in front of a gaggle of whisky enthusiasts (some of whose pronunciations are a bit suspect too!).

Many whiskies are pronounced exactly the way they are spelt, but there are the distilleries that can cause most of the problems.

Here they are alphabetically, with the pronunciation in italics:

Allt-a-Bhainne – Alt-a-bain. A sweet flowery highland whisky.

An Cnoc – An-Noc. A lovely creamy whisky with a hint of pineapple tanginess.

Auchentoshan – Ocken-toshan. One of the few lowland whiskies left A fruity, citrussy, floral whisky.

Auchroisk – according to Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion, there is some discrepancy between the distillery who pronounce it Auck-Roysk and the locals who pronounce it either Ack-

Rask or Ath-Rask. A soft aperitif whisky.

Bruichladdich – Brook-Laddie. A dry, salty, tangy whisky from the West of Islay.

Bunnahabhain – Boona-Har-Vin. A fruity and floral Islay whisky, very unlike the majority of its heavily peated neighbours.

Caol Ila – Cull-Eela, meaning the Sound of Islay, the stretch of water between Islay and the neighbouring island of Jura. Caol Ila are smoky, heavily peated whiskies.

Clynelish – Cline-Leash. A distillery from the North coast of Scotland producing a spicy, mustardy malt whisky.

Dailuaine – Dall-Yoo-Ain. A malty, fruity speyside whisky.

Glen Garioch – Glen-Geery. A lightly peated highland whisky with a flowery spiciness.

Glen Mhor – Glen-Vor. A silent distillery since 1986, producing big, sweet, treacly after dinner whiskies.

Glenmorangie – Glen-Morrun-Jee (rhyme with orangey). One of the greats. Creamy and soft.

Lagavulin – Lagga-voolin. A huge medicinal, peaty and smoky monster from Islay.

Laphroaig – La-Froyg. Lagavulin’s neighbour. The most extreme of any malt whisky – iodine, peat, seaweed in abundance.

Ledaig – Led-Chig which is the Gallic name for Tobermory, the capital of the island of Mull.

Ledaigs are heavily peated whiskies from the Tobermory distillery.

Poit Dhub – Potch-Goo. Poit Dhub is a vatted malt from the Island of Skye.

Tomintoul – Tom-in-towel. A gentle Speyside dram with a zesty kick.

There are also a number of pronunciations of specific expressions of whiskies which also cause a number of problems. Here are three:

A’bunadh – a-boon-ar. A big heavy after-dinner whisky from Aberlour.

Islay – Eye-la. Home of some of the world’s greatest whiskies. A peat lover’s paradise.

Uigeadail. Oog-a-darl. This is a thumping, sherried expression from Ardbeg, named after the brooding loch where the distillery draws its water.

The World of Single Malt

  

What is a Single Malt Whisky?

A single malt whisky is one produced at a single distillery in Scotland and, while much of that production goes into the blended whisky that crowds onto the supermarket shelves, the single malt is the cream of the crop.
Each single malt is different and the expert can identify both distillery and year of bottling from the taste, colour and aroma. There are five broad families of malt whisky. They are the Highland malts, the Speyside malts, the Islay malts, the Cambletown malts and the Lowland malts. Each has its supporters.

 

Highland and Speyside Malt Whisky

The Highland and Speyside malts are sharper than their cousins from elsewhere in Scotland and give a type of taste expected by those whose only experience of whisky is of the blended type. Even here, there is a wide variety of subtle differences. The Highland malts, for instance, include both the honeyed Glenmorangie (pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable should you care to ask for it), and the much dryer Admore and Macduff brands. Many will have come across the most popular of the Speyside malts, the Glenlivet, which is a little lighter than its Highland relatives.

Lowland and Cambletown Malt Whisky

There are fewer distilleries representing the Lowland and Cambletown malts, but those who neglect them deny themselves much pleasure. For a taste of the former, try the fruity Glenkinchie, and for the latter, the rich Springbank. Both have long finishes.

The Flavours of Malt Whisky

Each of these single malts brings with it memories of the place where it was produced. The Highland malts are sharp, reminding the person fortunate enough to hold one in their hand of the mountains and glens in which the distilleries can be found. Speyside malts bring to mind the fast-flowing river and its tributaries along whose banks the nectar is brought forth from the barley. The Cambletown and Lowland malts reflect the richer, lush, pastures that abound in those areas.

 

Islay Malt Whisky - The Cream of the Crop

Finally, there are the Islay malts. These are the whiskies that remind the drinker of the sea and of the peat that fuelled the blackhouses in which the population of the Island of Islay used to live. They are smooth and smoky with just a hint of sea-spray. The finest of all (in this writer’s opinion at least) are the Ardbegs which come from a distillery against whose walls the seas really do throw themselves at times of storm. The best of the Ardbegs were distilled in the 1970s and the decades before, and are the smokiest of all single malts. If found, they are to be treasured. For those who would prefer a less smoky experience (and one that is more easily purchased), the output of the Laphroaig (pronounced La-froyg with the emphasis on the first syllable and a long ‘oy’) distillery will repay a visit.

 

How Should A Malt Whisky Be Drunk?

Scottish malt whiskies offer one of life’s great pleasures. They are to be savoured rather than consumed with a view to intoxication. They should be sipped. A single, small glass of malt whisky should last anything up to an hour. Most importantly, it should be drunk either on its own, poured straight from the bottle, or with a little water, but never, ever with a mixer. (Those wanting, say, a whisky and soda should use a blended whisky.) Both whisky and water should be at room temperature otherwise the aroma of the drink will be lost.

 

Is Scotch Whisky The Water Of Life?

In Gaelic, whisky is called ‘uisege beatha’ or the ‘water of life’. Only by trying the single malts will the reason why that is the case become clear. Seeking that clarity is both pleasurable and also gives the drinker a remarkably good way of touring Scotland without leaving the comfort of their home.
It will also become clear to you why New Year celebrations were invented in Scotland, home of the world's finest whiskies.

 

My Home Bar - The Wooden Closet

My Wooden Closet

Scotch Whisky

Ardbeg 10yr

Aberlour 10 yr
Balvenie 12yr Double Wood
Caol Ila 10yr
Chivas Regal 12yr

Chivas Regal 18yr

Royal Salute Blue Cask

Glenfiddich 12yr

Glenfiddich 15yr

Glenmorangie 10 yr

Glenlivet 10yr

Johnnie Walker Blue Label

Johnnie Walker Green Label
Johnnie Walker Black Label 1 litre

Johnnie Walker Black Label Jug 2 litre
Johnnie Walker XR - 21 yr 1 litre

J & B Rare

Lagavulin 15yr
Laphroaig 10yr
Talisker 10yr
The Macallan 12yr Fine Oak


Bourbon

Jim Beam
Maker's Mark

Tennessee Whiskey

Jack Daniel's
Gentelman Jack

Irish

Bushmills 1608
Tullamore Dew

Other Whisky

Antiquity Blue ( Indian )
Old Keg ( Sri Lanka )

Gin

Bombay Sapphire
Gordon's
Tanqueray No. 10


Vodka

Absolut
Grey Goose

Rum

Bacardi Gold

Bacardi White
Captain Morgan Spiced

Old Monk

Malibu

Cognac

Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac


Tequila

Sauza Gold

Jose Cuervo


Liqueurs

Bailey's*

Cointreau

Drambuie
Kahlua

Aperitifs

Campari

Champagne

Vevue Cliquot

Moet Chandon Vintage