International Whisk(e)y Day - 27th March

Not knowing your Scotch from your Bourbon is Whiskey Business!

Whisk(e)y history and its invention is an adventurous tale. Tracing back more than 1,000 years, it is widely believed that it wasn’t until the discovery of distillation hit Scotland and Ireland that whisk(e)y was born. When arriving in the UK without access to vineyards and grapes, monks chose to ferment mashed grain and barley in monasteries; and the first origins of whisk(e)y, as we call it today, was born.

Here at REVL, we love to learn about the products we sell, and with International Whisk(e)y Day fast approaching, we wanted to help with your discovery of some of the best in the world.

But where did it come from?

and what even is it?

Whisk(e)y has been distilled in Scotland for hundreds of years. There is evidence to show that the art of distilling could have been brought to the country by Christian missionary monks, but it has never been proved that Highland's farmers did not themselves discover how to distill spirits from their surplus barley. The term ‘whisk(e)y’ originally derives from the Gaelic "uisge beatha", or "usquebaugh", which means ‘water of life’.

With the first written record of distilling being C. 100AD, we know that the Ancient Greeks had a process for taking sea water, and distilling it into pure drinking water. But there are indicators that distillation was actually founded in Ancient Mesopotamia (now Iraq and Syria) in C. 2,000BC. However, the distillation of liquids to produce alcohol was not really used until 1000-1200AD, which is about the time whisk(e)y, as we know and love it today, was invented. The first ever licensed whisk(e)y distillery debuted in Ireland in 1608; Old Bushmill’s Distillery is still producing whiskey on the coast of Ireland for over 400 years.

In answer to the age-old question of “Is it whiskey or whisky” … Well, it’s both – Typically Irish and American made are whiskey, whereas those distilled in Scotland, Canada or Japan drop the E in favour of whisky. We believe whiskey is whisky (Or vice versa) and wherever you are buying them from, we're glad you are getting into the spirit. With 100's of brands being distilled and distributed all over the world, we are sure you will discover a whisk(e)y that’s fit for a Highland Monk.

REVL's Suggestions

Enjoy some of our favourite premium whiskies, all available on the REVL Store

Oban Highland Single Malt

14yr Scotch whisky - 43% ABV - Distilled in Oban, Scotland

REVL price - £85.00

• A superb combination of rich sweetness and smoky dryness with notes of oranges, pears, and dried figs, plus hints of sea-salt and peat smoke notes. -

Roe & Coe Irish Whiskey

Blended Irish whiskey (Minimum of 3 yrs.) - 45% ABV - Distilled (blended) in Dublin, Ireland

REVL price - £35.00

• Irish whiskey with remarkable depth of flavour. Creamy, sweet, vanilla, spiced pears, silky smooth texture. -

Bulleit Bourbon

10yr American bourbon - 45.6% ABV - Distilled in Shelbyville, Kentucky

REVL price - £41.00

• A rich, deep, incredibly smooth sipping experience maintaining the inherent character and high rye content for which the brand is best known. -