Does water really make a difference???

[Worm]

Does water really make a difference? I dont mean when you are drinking a good single malt. But does it make a differenc eduring the process??? I only ask because at distillation you boil the contents and leave the water behind. If you drink Glen Grant whisky, it is very light, non-smoky, non-peaty yet if you taste the water they use before it goes to the whisky it is completely the opposite. What you could argue is that Speyside water tends to be soft water and if it has a high calcium rate then it may provide a sweeter or drier spirit because the higher the calcium the more sugars it will pull out in the mashing process. Say for example, If Aberlour had a water drought, would it make much of a differenc e if they went and Glenfiddichs water. Even if water does influence the whisky and gives more flavours, surely there cant be that much of a difference between all the water supplies in a small area like Speyside. Okay maybe Glenfiddich is not the best example to use because if any distillery used Glenfiddichs water, there whisky would taste a lot worse. The word urine comes to mind.

[Deactivated Member]

You are a troll, worm.

[bamber]

Come on Worm give us a hug. No need for hostility or Trolling. You made a very valid post and then spoilt it by rubbishing Glenfiddich, which a lot of people enjoy around here and in doing so encouraged the use of flame throwers.

To my mind water can affect taste in 2 ways:

1. It affects the concentration and composition of the volatile substances, within the beer, produced during fermentation.

2. It conatains volatile substances itself (probably far less important).

Which is pretty much what you said.