How Is Whisky Made – Facts & Myths About The Distillery Process. Read More….
Whisky, like any alcoholic beverage, is an alcoholic beverage made from a base spirit that is distilled to remove impurities such as water, ethanol, congeners and other volatile chemicals. The remaining ‘wash’ is then enriched with natural essences and flavourings.
Whisky is a type of liquor that originates in Scotland. It can be made from grain, grapes or fruits. Whisky must be made from some fermented mash known as the ‘base stock’ which can also contain water, yeast and/or other ingredients, such as pot spirits, spices or grains. The base stock is then distilled to produce the different types of whisky: A single malt is made by combining different malted grains and single varietal grains like barley and wheat. A blended Scotch Whisky must contain a minimum of three whiskies and at least two of those must be Scotch; Irish whiskey contains a minimum of one-third Irish whiskey (by volume) and at least two-thirds blended whisky; Japanese whisky must have a minimum of 50% Japanese spirit; Canadian Whisky has to meet certain requirements set out by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario; Bourbon Whiskey has to be made with no more than 40% rye grain; Rye Whiskey has to be made only with rye grain; Single Vodka can be made from any neutral grain spirit free from added flavourings such as ethanol or flavourings .
How Is Whisky Made?
The first step in the whisky making process is malting. Malting is the process of germinating barley grain to produce malt. The grains are then dried in a kiln and then steeped in water to produce a mash. The mash is then fermented to produce the fermentation wash and yeast. The fermentation wash is then combined with the grain to create the ‘wash’ and is then combined with natural essences and flavourings to create the ‘spirit’. The spirit is then distilled to produce the ‘wash’ and ‘spirit’. The wash is then aged in oak casks to produce the whisky. The casks are then returned to a facility for maturing, blending and bottling.
What goes into Whisky?
Whisky, like any alcoholic beverage, is an alcoholic beverage made from a base spirit that is distilled to remove impurities such as water, ethanol, congeners and other volatile chemicals. The remaining ‘wash’ is then enriched with natural essences and flavourings. Some whisky is made exclusively with malted barley, while other whiskies may be made with only a small percentage of malted barley. Most whiskies are also made with a small amount of wheat or rye. The types of grain used in whisky making determine the colour and flavours produced in the final product. In addition, barley is the primary source of enzymes that convert starches into sugars, which are then converted into sugars that produce flavour and colour.
The distillation process
Whisky starts as the wash, which is made from the fermented mash and the grains. The wash is then distilled to produce the spirit. This distillation method is the basic process used in all types of distillation; the most common method for making spirits such as vodka and whiskey. The wash is in water, but during distillation the water is boiled off, leaving the alcohol behind, which is then collected in a container. In the collection of spirit, other components remain, such as impurities and unwanted flavours. After the spirit is collected, it is then filtered to remove the undesired components and then is diluted before it is bottled.
Aging and bottling steps for whisky
Once the whisky is filtered and diluted, it is then sent to a warehouse for aging. Aging is the process of mixing the whisky with the essences, which are flavourings, to produce a unique flavoured whisky. Once the whisky is aged for the specified amount of time, it is then bottled and labelled. The exact number of years an aged whisky must be aged before it is ready for drinking depends on the type of whisky, with single malts being aged the longest and blended whiskies being aged the shortest.
Conclusion
Whisky is a complex beverage, and like wine, it has a long and interesting history. There are many myths, but few facts when it comes to whisky. You can learn more about how whisky is made in this article, but remember that whisky is a beverage that comes only from Scotland, and all whiskies are classed as whisky. Whisky is made from various grains and distilled to a certain strength. Malted barley produces whisky with a darker colour and is the only grain used in the production of single malt whiskies. Blended whiskies are blends of whisky, neutral spirits, water and other ingredients.
