The origins of the name whisky comes from the Gaelic word ‘uisgebeatha’ which translates as ‘water of life’.
There is also archaeological evidence that whisky was an alcoholic drink made in Scotland over 6000 years ago, although the first tax on whisky was not imposed by the Scots Parliament until 1644. Even now around 60/70% of the price of whisky in Scotland is due to tax.
Glenlivet was Scotland’s first licensed distillery back in 1823, but the best whisky is obviously a matter of personal preference and is often a very heated debate. 1978 was blended whisky’s golden year with over 300 million litres being sold, but has been on the decline ever since.
