Like Swiss cheese and Belgian chocolate, Scotch whisky is steeped in tradition and is perhaps the country’s most famous export. And even though lots of countries make whiskey, Scotland’s is the most well-known and often the most expensive and luxurious. But have you ever wondered why? It’s to do with the special, precise way that it’s made, which has been refined over centuries. Here, we’ll distil exactly how it’s done.
Step 1: Choosing the Barley
Barley is a grain that serves as the most important ingredient in Scotch whisky. And while to the average person all barley looks the same, the particular variety used matters enormously to whisky producers. Those producing more affordable whiskies favour strains with lots of fermentable sugar, as this means they can make more alcohol from it. Premium distillers, however, use rarer, older strains that produce more interesting flavours.
Once grown, the barley is kept clean and dry. After making sure it’s not contaminated, the malting process begins.
Step 2: Malting the Barley
Malting is the process of using the barley’s own enzymes to break down the starch it contains, releasing the fermentable sugars that are essential to make alcohol. The barley is soaked in water for a few days first, then it will be ready for malting, which traditionally takes place on the ground. What happens is that all the barley is spread out on a stone or concrete floor, where it begins to germinate.
During germination, enzymes called amylases begin to break down the starch. This process usually takes five to seven days, and the barley will frequently be turned to make sure everything germinates evenly. However, before the seedling grows too large, the grain is placed in a kiln and air dried.
Step 3: Peat Smoke
Single malt whisky from Scotland has a distinctive smoky character, and this is the stage that produces it. The hot air used to dry the barley was traditionally made by burning peat, which was historically the main fuel source used in certain areas of Scotland. These days, not every distillery uses peat, and those that do use it deliberately, carefully measuring the smoke to ensure the right flavour profile is produced.
Step 4: Milling and Mashing
The dried barley is then taken to a mill and ground up into a flour-like substance called grist. Once again, precision matters, as grinding it too finely causes it to turn into a sticky paste, while not grinding it finely enough means the sugars stay trapped inside during the next phase. Once it has been ground up, it’s transferred to the mash-tun, which is a large metal container.
There, the grain is mixed several times with increasingly hot water. This process is known as mashing, and when enough of the watery mixture has been made, byproducts like the solid grains are extracted and sold, usually as animal feed.
Step 5: Fermentation
This is the stage where the mixture actually becomes alcoholic. It’s placed in a large tub called a washback, which is usually made from wood or steel. Surprisingly, even the material of this has an effect on the flavour of the whisky, with luxury producers often sticking to traditional materials like Douglas fir or larch wood. Yeast is added, and then the washback is left alone for four to six days to bubble and ferment.
Step 6: Distillation
After those four to six days, the washback will contain an alcoholic liquid, but not one that’s pleasant to drink just yet. It needs to be distilled, as this concentrates the alcohol. Regulations state that this must be done in copper pot stills; the resulting drink will not officially be Scotch whisky.
During the distillation, the liquid is heated up, causing vapour to rise, which then condenses and is collected. The result still isn’t whisky just yet, although it has now transformed into a liquid of around 25% ABV called ‘low wines.’ This is then distilled again, this time with a person carefully monitoring how it looks and smells, as well as using special equipment to make adjustments that affect the outcome.
Step 7: Cask Selection and Maturation
The liquid, now known as ‘new-make spirit,’ must then be matured in an oak cask. This is another official rule that must be met in order for it to be sold as Scotch whisky. What producers usually do is use oak casks that have previously stored other drinks, like bourbon or sherry. Over time, the residual flavours in the wood seep out into the whisky, creating the unique and complex flavours.
The whisky must be matured for at least three years to meet regulations, but the most luxurious brands tend to leave theirs for 12 years or more. It’s then usually diluted to 40-60% ABV, bottled, and sold.
Conclusion
As you can see, Scotch whisky is so unique and famous because a strict process is followed to keep it that way. Now, you can enjoy your next drama with a newfound appreciation for how it was made.
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