How is Whisky Made

Whilst going along to a Whisky Distillery might not be quite up there with Willy Wonka and his Chocolate Factory, it is still a fascinating and educational experience, without the fear of the unknown; and you don’t have rely on winning a golden star to see it all as many distilleries give guided tours. 

So let’s look at how a single-malt Scotch whisky is made.  The ingredients are very specific; malted barley, water and yeast.  Obviously, you would be hoping for a high quality of barley and the purest water possible, so the calibre of the whisky will depend on the proximity of the distillery to these.

Malting & Grinding

There are six steps in the production of whisky, the first being “Malting”.  The barley is wetted and laid out in optimum conditions to start the germination process.  This process turns the starch in the barley into sugar, which will be later turned into alcohol.  This can take up to three weeks to happen, depending on the conditions.  The maltings are dried with the smoke emanating from the peat burning in a kiln, and it is this smoke which gives the whisky its flavour.  When the malt is dry, it is grinded into a harsh flour called “grist”.

Brewing & Fermentation

The grist is then mixed with hot water in a massive container called a “mash tun” and looks like porridge as it is being processed.  The sugared juices (wort) from this sticky substance are allowed to escape from the container, while the remainder (draff) is fed to cattle. The quality of the wort is analysed to determine its value in terms of alcohol.  Yeast is added to the wort in a “wash-back” container, and this composite produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. 

The product (wash) of all this is a type of beer which is approximately 8% in alcohol concentration.  Indeed the process so far is not unlike the methods used to produce beer.  However, whilst various beer recipes add hops at this stage, whisky follows straight into distillation.

Distillation

The distillation process is completed in two stages, using two different “stills” of different volume, a wash-still and a spirit-still.  The wash in boiled in a wash-still and the alcohol is distilled, condensed and stored in the spirit-still as “low-wine” at about 21% alcohol concentration.  This volume is distilled once more, but only the “distillation heart” – the amount which is between 63 and 72% - will be “casked”.  The rest goes back into the spirit-still and will go through the second distillation process again.

Aging

By law, whisky must be allowed to breathe or “age” for three years before distribution is allowed.  This timeframe – and the cask in which the whisky is stored - allows it gain the character synonymous with its region and distillery.  Whether it’s the Scottish air or the characteristics of the casks, these variables are all said to have some bearing on the flavour and the texture of the whisky.