scotch

Due to the possibility of water contamination, fracking may threaten the vitality of the Scottish whisky industry, which supports more than 10,500 Scottish jobs and creates more than 30% of Scotland's exports. The Scottish government is currently considering allowing fracking for shale gas in an area known as Scotland's "Central Belt," roughly the area between Glasgow and Edinburgh. After public consultation concludes on May 31st, the practice could spread out to other areas of Scotland, including our beloved Islay and Speyside, areas that many Scotch distilleries call their home.

Imagine that you're on vacation, sipping a glass of your favorite whisky while relaxing outside of your hotel on the Scottish isle of Jura. Suddenly, a man arrives on a Vespa loaded up with camping equipment and painting supplies. Intrigued, you strike up a conversation and learn that his name is Ben Birdsall, and that he has just arrived from Switzerland to travel the Scottish Highlands and Isles, hopping from distillery to distillery along the way."Are you an alcoholic?" You ask. "No," He replies. "Are you wanted by the police?" asks a friend. Birdsall retorts: "Not yet."

Even though creative experimentation is at an all-time high in the whiskey world, a demand for well-aged whiskey dictates that the fruits of these craft distilleries will not be enjoyed for years to come. Some whiskeys are meant to be enjoyed sooner than others, but most whiskeys need to spend quite a bit of time in the barrel before they are ready to meet the world. Fortunately, a new chemistry study claims to have found a way to age whiskey many years in just a few days, a breakthrough that could change the whiskey world forever