Whisky Scotland

HOW TO DRINK  WHISKY  

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.

Whisky Scotland 

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

Whisky Scotland 

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.

HOW TO DRINK WHISKY

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.