Quote Originally Posted by Father Bill View Post
You know . . . an interesting and nascent train of thought just struck me: Why is it frowned on by some to wear the kilt outwith the highlands, but Scotch whisky is universally acclaimed by the same highlanders as something they're proud to share? Should I be drinking only rye?
int:
I was actually thinking on this very same subject the other day and it occurred to me that Scotch whisky, despite the name, is not immediately associated with Scotland.

Some merely view Scotch as just another type of whisky/whiskey: Rye, bourbon, sour mash, corn, etc.

Some just see it as another regional whiskey: Tennessee, Kentucky, Irish, Canadian, etc. I actually heard one person tell another that Scotch, Canadian, and Irish whiskies are just bourbons made outside the US.

I have met a number of people who do not make the connection between the spirit and the country, which I found surprising, though they will readily identify tequila with Mexico, vodka with Russia or Finland, and rum with the Caribbean.

In the minority are those who at least know the various regions in Scotland where whisky is made, and may have been on a distillery tour.

On the other hand, show them a man in a kilt and they immediately think "Scotland".