Who Is Tim?
My name is Tim Brinkmann and while I'd prefer to answer your questions in person at my store, you will always have 24-hour access to my wine and spirits knowledge on my Ask Tim page. My background and my passion both lie in the wine and spirits industry, with over 10 years experience as a spirits wholesaler and 9 years in fine wine distribution. I opened Brinkmann's Wine & Spirits because I love to discover new wines and spirits and I have a great appreciation for the evolution, growth, and maturity of existing brands. Please come visit me in the store so we can talk shop, or feel free to interact with me here. Just remember: Good, Better... Brinkmann's!

Updated March 23, 2011

Ted A. asks Tim –

Tim,

I have recently taken a liking to scotch after being a faithful bourbon drinker for years. During my scotch experiments, I've become intrigued with both Scotch Whisky and Irish Whiskey. Can you tell me a bit more about these two spirits?

Ted A.

Tim responds –

Ted,

Irish Whiskey and Scotch Whisky have very distinct yet wonderful differences between the two. For starters, you'll notice the spelling is different depending on the origin of the whiskey. Scotch whisky left out the "e" while Irish Whiskey added it in. One of the key differences between Scotch Whisky and Irish Whiskey is the distillation process. Scotch Whisky is distilled only twice while Irish Whiskey undergoes triple distillation, giving it a marked lightness. Scotch Whisky uses peat-smoked, wholly malted barley, which can be easily detected in both the nose and palate. These Whiskys usually harbor a distinct smoky flavor. Irish Whiskey, on the other hand, uses kiln-dried, raw and malted barley. This makes it a bit smoother with no detection of peat.

Whatever your taste profile may fancy, I have a plethora of both Scotch Whisky and Irish Whiskey at my store that I'm sure you will grow to love. See you soon.

Cheers!

 

Cheers! Tim Brinkmann