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=>Whisky process
Whiskey on the trail
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a cooling plant a worm air Angel’s share barley diastase drained fermentation germinate green malt malt single malt soaked spirit spread starch stills sugar solubles tubs wash is boiled washbacks water water of life yeast
The term ‘Aqua vitae makes a fast appearance in the Scottish history books in 1494 where there is an entry of
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
been sold to one Friar John Cor to make the
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
, but the term “whisky” actually appears rather later been derived from the Gaelic for “
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
” ‘usquebaugh’/’uisge beath’.
In 1618, accounts of the funerals and wake of highland chieftain, mentions ‘usque’/’usge’ as been served, and from this point onwards Scotch whisky was produced in earnest.
William Grant and his family worked tirelessly to create their exceptional
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
and the glenfiddich name very quickly became an assurance of quality.
Cristal pure
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
from the Robbie Dhu springs, the finest Scots
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
, pure highland
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
and unusually small
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
, all contributed to make William Grant’s glenfiddich a unique and much loved single malt.
This really is the perfect opportunity to take a look in close up at how Scotch malt whisky is made. It will vary between distilleries, and Glenfiddich has specific ways of doing things, but these are the basics principals.
Just like their Scottish forefathers who
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
their barley in their local barn (stream), the malting process begins with barley being steeped in water. After two to four days the barley is
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
and
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
across a large stone malting floor, where it is allowed to
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
. Some distilleries still turn the barley by hand daily, but mainly now have mechanised the process. After eight to twelve days, an enzyme called
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
will have been produced which converts the barley to
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
and
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
, known in that trade as
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
.
Once the malt has been cooled, it's transferred to ‘
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
’, large wooden or stainless steel
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
where
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
can be added to begin the
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
process. It takes about 40 hours for this to happen , famously at 21 degrees. Now, there was a time when PC simply referred to Police Constable, but in today’s climate where political correctness is the burning issue, it is almost controversial to say that the male dominated whisky making workforce of generations passed remembered the temperature for this tricky stage by comparison with a women of 21, which all sagely agreed was when she was at her most awkward.
After, the
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
so that the alcohol level rises to roughly 23 degrees in a vapour, which then condenses in
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
or traditionally coiled pipes in cold water. This piece of equipment has always been referred to as the ‘Worm’ and even though some of the newer, more technologically advanced versions have no coiled pipes whatsoever , to the whisky makers of Scotland is still
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
.
A certain amount of whisky will evaporate during this final process. But even the thrifty Scott can do nothing to prevent this(!) and what’s lost has to be philosophically written off as the
a cooling plant
a worm
air
Angel’s share
barley
diastase
drained
fermentation
germinate
green malt
malt
single malt
soaked
spirit
spread
starch
stills
sugar solubles
tubs
wash is boiled
washbacks
water
water of life
yeast
. At Glenfiddich, there is also an opportunity to see the whisky being bottled as this is one of the few distilleries to bottle on site .
It’s important too to remember that Speyside is not the only place to find great Scotch whisky.
There are plenty of Scottish islands that produce single malts of their own, distinctive characters, and there is a wealth of fascinating explanation to be undertaken to search them all out, once you have mastered the basics. But be warned, appreciating Scotch whisky involves a lifetime of efforts, once you’ve started, there is no going back!
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=>MC bar
=>food and beverages
=>Whisky process