Whisky Scotland
SCOTTISH FOLKLORE & TRADITION
hold that it is the water with which an individual malt
whisky is made that distinguishes it from other malts. Even today,
many distillery workers view their water with superstitious awe,
while management goes to great lengths to protect and preserve the
source and its purity, buying up the catchment area and controlling
land use.
HOW TO DRINK WHISKY
HARD
AND SOFT WATER
It is frequently stated that the best malt whisky is
made from soft water (ie water with a low pH value). Soft water which
rises through peat and runs over granite' is a time-worn marketing
claim.
In
truth, the usefulness of granite is that, being so hard, it imparts
no minerals whatsoever to any water percolating through or running
over it, and many well-known distilleries pipe their water from wells
and springs before it has a chance to make contact with peat. What is
more, some of the most famous names employ hard water - Glenmorangie, Glenkinchie
and Highland Park, for example - and plausibly claim that the
additional minerals in hard water impart spiciness to the finished
product. Certain minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and zinc, are
deemed to he essential for good fermentations, although adequate
amounts of them are usually obtained from the malt itself.
Water
makes its impact during fermentation, and its main influence may be
in terms of spirit yield,
rather than flavour. The two are linked,
however. I have been told by many distillers that high yields
mitigate against flavoursome whiskies. It may be that micro-organisms
in the water work upon the barley and yeast to reduce the yield and
enhance the flavour. Certainly, high bacterial and mineral levels can
affect the process of fermentation, as with brewing beer.
A
water with a high pH value will not necessarily make better whisky,
although the distinguished whisky expert Professor McDowall argues
that, since
soft water is a far better solvent than hard water, it is capable of
extracting much more from the malt during mashing. Tea made with the
hard water of London is much better than the same tea made with soft
water which is known to extract the bitter oxalic acid from it. This
may produce irritation of the urinary tract in some persons,
especially if they are not accustomed to it ... At one time the town
council of Kirkaldy concluded that tea was indeed more harmful than
whisky!'
One
might add that, since water's capacity to dissolve solubles is
enhanced both if it contains carbon dioxide and by the presence of
acid- producing bacteria, which come from peat, soft peaty water is
best.
PEATY
WATER
Many
experts still maintain that the use of peaty water, especially in
Islay, contributes character to the product. According to the
authority on distilling, JR Nettleton, the use of 'moss-water' by Highland and Western distilleries makes it possible to continue to
save spirit at considerably lower strengths: 48-51% ABV, rather than
74-75% ABV. 'The evidence [of experienced distillery
operatives] tends to support the view that - where presumably
identical mashing materials are used, and where the fermenting and
distilling routine is the same, and nothing
differs except the quality of the water - this great difference of 50
or 60 degrees is compulsory ... Mysterious influences are ascribed to
the use of moss-water. It is certain that spirits are collected at
extremely low strengths, and that they are full-bodied and feint y ...
the flavor and other characteristics are approved of by
connoisseurs.'
Nettleton
then points out that many other Highland distilleries prefer to
collect at high strength, since it is generally convenient for
reduction and trade purposes. So it seems that collecting at low
strengths may have more to do with the style of whisky desired than
the use of moss-water.
Whisky Scotland
PURITY
Distillers
agree that the most important factor as regards water is its purity;
it is essential that water he as free from organic and mineral
impurity - from micro-organisms, organic matter, minerals dissolved
or in suspension - as possible. Some distilleries put their
production water through a UV unit to kill any e-coli that might be
present, but no distilleries use distilled water, although this is
one of the potential sacrifices the Scotch whisky industry may be
forced to make to the European Community in its ever- increasing
march towards uniformity in industry.
Many
distillers maintain that the influence of water is neutral, that the
best distilling water will contribute veiy little flavour to the
whisky it makes. Soft water, which is more or less rain-water, is
almost as pure as distilled water, so long as it does not pass
through air-borne pollution.
In
fact most of Scotland's water is famously soft, especially in the
Highlands, while the absence of any near neighbour from whom
air-borne pollution might travel, combines with the prevailing
westerly and
south-westerly winds to ensure absolute purity.
Whisky Scotland
VOLUME
AND TEMPERATURE
The two other water-related factors that influence
the choice of a distillery site are the amount of water available and
its temperature. Whisky distilleries require a great deal of water,
for cooling the condensers and cleaning the plant, as well as for
producing and reducing the spirit. A copious supply is essential; if
the water source dries up, even temporarily, the distillery shuts
down. This has led to the demise of many established distilleries.
Temperature
is crucial in that it is desirable that the water he cold for the
production process, otherwise it has to be chilled before passing
through the condensers. This is done anyway in most distilleries
today, as the temperature of the cooling water can affect the quality
of some distillates. Distillery workers claim to be able to tell the
difference between the whisky they made in the autumn and late
spring, and that which they made in the dead of winter (the last
being best). This may be as much to do with ambient temperatures
throughout the distillery; when the ambient temperature in the
stillhouse is higher more unwanted elements will pass into the stills
and when it is lower it is less easy to collect the pure spirit.
The
water levels in Scotland are generally lower in summer, usually
during July and August and this has always played an important part
in making distilling traditionally a winter activity, or at least in
influencing the timing of the 'silent' season, when the distillery
temporarily shuts down.
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