Scotch Whisky Trivia

June 1^st 2007 will be the 513^th anniversary of the first written record of the distilling of Scotch Whisky (or as they called it back then Aquae Vitae). The distiller mentioned was Friar John Cor and since then the production of Scotch has become a multimllion dollar and multimillion gallon industry. Scotch is both a key export and tax revenue earner for the government of the United Kingdom but it is also a major part of Scottish culture and heritage. To celebrate this glorious drink, you are invited to have a dram and try to answer these questions about the "water of life".

1. What are the four categories of Scotch?

2. Scotch is matured in casks made of what kind of wood?

3. What is the minimum amount of time Scotch must age in the cask?

4. What is the primary grain that Scotch is made from?

5. The descriptors single or blended refer to what?

6. In 1831 what major change to Scotch took place?

7. Why did the knowledge of distilling begin to spread in the 16^th Century?

8. What is the Angel's Share?

9. What is the average normal capacity of a hogshead whisky cask?

10. What is Scotch called until it fully matures?

11. What Gaelic term is the origin of the word whisky?

12. In addition to production techniques and ingredients, what etymological difference separates the American and Scottish liquors?

13. Approximately how many brands of Scotch are sold world wide?

14. In 2005 how many cases of Scotch were sold?

15. Scotch is what percent of the United Kingdom's food & drink exports?

16. What Country is the #1 market for Scotch in dollar terms?

17. What Country is the #1 market for Scotch in volume?

18. When did the UK government first establish a legal definition for Scotch?

19. How many Scotch distilleries are there in Scotland.

20. True or False, Scotch Whisky matures and improves in the bottle.

1. Single Malt, Vatted Malt, Blended, Single Grain.

2. Oak.

3. Three years.

4. Barley

5. Whether or not the scotch came from one distillery (single) or more than one (blended).