Malt Whiskies
> Home > Malt Whiskies > Whisky History
Whisky History
In 1494, 8 miles from Cupar as the crow flies, in the abbey of Lindores, an Irish Friar was given, by order of the King (James IV) “to make AQUA VITAE 8 bolls of malt”, the first recorded mention of Scotch Malt Whisky! And these 8 bolls of malted barley were enough to make around 1500 bottles – probably of various shapes and sizes, and would even have included stone jars, also of various shapes and sizes! So it would seem that Whisky was probably NOT first made hidden away in the hills and glens of the Highlands and Islands but in a wee corner of Fife, and possibly in other parts of the Lowlands such as Selkirk, Kelso and Kilwinning.
Lindores Abbey, along with its brother abbeys mentioned above, was founded at the beginning of the 12th Century – the order being called TIRONENSIAN. The monks in these abbeys were in essence break-away Benedictines in that the founder of their order, a Frenchman from northern France, wanted his followers to return to adherence to the strict rule of St. Benedict i.e Peace, Prayer and Work, to foster a good community environment both within and without the walls. Many of these monks became master craftsmen – like Friar John Cor, who besides being the Whisky maker, would probably also have been the APOTHECARIST or HERBALIST. Just along the road East of Lindores, also on the Tay, there was Balmerino Abbey, and to the West was the town of Newburgh, still famous for its orchards or HORTICULTURE i.e cultivation of gardens. The monks would have had a great input into agriculture. It can be said that the monasteries and abbeys were the technical and agricultural colleges of their time!
Did Whisky making spread out from these and other abbeys and monasteries to become a cottage industry after their dissolution? After all, when James VI, just like his noble relative Henry VIII 40 odd years earlier in England, dissolved the monasteries, priories etc in Scotland because he was short of a few shillings, where could these monks go and what could they do except what they were expert in? Distilling, carpentry, stonemasonry, medicine, etc. And as they were no longer bound by the rules of celibacy, they probably started families and passed down their expertise! So perhaps the real birth of Scotch Whisky originates from this time, around the end of the 16th Century, spreading outwards from the confiscated abbeys and monasteries all around Scotland, laying the first foundations of it becoming “The World Cup” (no, NOT 1966!!)
The spread of Whisky around the world and its appreciation by so many diverse countries and peoples had many stepping stones. If we but think of the enormous extent of the British Empire with many Scots and Irish finding themselves in the furthest extremities of the world, what better memory of home than “the cup of CHEER”! If we look at, not necessarily just the technical advances brought about by the Industrial Revolution – railways, construction, greater trade etc – but other events such as the arrival of Phylloxera to Europe with the consequent devastation of nearly all the vineyards, thus creating an enormous shortage of Brandy, what better spirit to fill the void than Whisky? When, after the 1916 Easter uprising in Dublin, the Empire was virtually closed to Irish exports, again Whisky filled the vacuum left by Whiskey. When, during and immediately after prohibition there was again a shortage of good liquor, what better than Whisky was there? And when all the resources of Britain were needed to pay for the War, Whisky once again played its part in quite large measure!
Whisky, that is Scotch Whisky, is still playing a very significant role, in that it is one of the major earners of good foreign currency which is required to fill the coffers of our exchequer. It is still hugely influential in the life of this tiny country of ours because it is so much a part of our identity – ask a German, a Japanese, an Italian, a Brazilian, almost anyone, to say the first things that come into their heads when asked about Scotland and as sure as taxes are certain, they will all to a man or woman mention WHISKY (and perhaps the Loch Ness Monster, the Juppe Ecossaise and perhaps golf too!)
So although Scotland might never win the World Cup, it certainly provides “The World Cup” and the “cup that cheers”.
Slainte!
News and Events
Coming Soon!
Reserve your bottls of Springbank Rundlets and Kilderkins....
read more > >
Glenfarclas 175 Ann
In addition to our oldest cask from 1952 we have included three casks from....
read more > >
Snow Phoenix
This is Glenfiddich in the wild - apples roasted in the embers of a campfire....
read more > >
Meet the Expert
I was up in the Heart of Speyside recently (which is the Heart of Whisky), joining minds with another Family Concern....
read more > >