On the effect of time on water

[Patrice]

Tree year ago, I was in Scotland at the Lagavulin Distillery in Islay.
And I bring back home some water directly from the distillery.
The original water that the use to cut their whisky before bottled it.

Yesterday night, I was hosting a tasting of scotch whisky at my place. And I decide to offer people the possibility to cut their Lagavulin whit the original water that I have.

Some people was skeptical about the color of the water that I show them. Their were asking if the very light green/brown color was really due to the peat of the source or it simply due that the water have now pass
three year in a bottle ? Now it difficult to argue whit them since It maybe possible that the time have a effect on the color of the water even if the conditions of keeping it was good and even if the water was THAT color when I get it (now prove that to them !).

Now, can someone tell me what happen to water, who had not be treated, when it keep a long period like tree years ? Will it be modified by time (color and taste) ? Or, at a
certain point, could it be dangerous to drink that water ?

Just in finishing, I have taste and compare the Lagavulin with the original water and with a spring bottled water and I find that the original water give more to the whisky that the bottled water. It like adding smoothest to the whisky (nose and taste) instead of "just" reduce it alcohol degrees.

And for those who could be wondering , I was not sick this morning !

Slainte !
Patrice

[jj42]

Well, I would not keep water very long after opening the bottle.

If water is pure and kept in a closed bottle, then little will happen to it over time, especially if kept a dark and cool place.

But as soon as pollutants have a chance to enter, things start to happen. Micro-organisms will start growing given half a chance, and the warmer and lighter the conditions, the faster the deterioation of the water quality. You will also taste a sort of stale quality to the water if it has been sitting too long.

As a funny side note: Ice from the Greenlandic Icecap is a very nice addition to a drink, it is very clean and contains thousands of little air-bubbles that are trapped by the compression of snow into ice over several millenia. Put a rock of that into your drink and listen to the bubbles bursting, pure music.

A supermarket chain in Denmark wanted to sell this ice and it was packaged in 1kg boxes with an expiration date one year after packaging. They did not manage to sell all the ice within that year, and so, after lying frozen in the supermarket for a year this 2000+ year old ice was deemed 'off' and was taken off the shelves.

Of course, the best way to enjoy a nice whisky with some Greenlandic ice is to actually go there, find an iceberg and chop off a suitable chunk and enjoy the view and the drink. I can whole-heartedly recommend it.

[Patrice]

Thank jj42 for your opinion on my water.

About the Ice from the Greenlandic Icecap and your recommandation to "go there, find an iceberg and chop off a suitable chunk and enjoy the view and the drink", I guess it will take a cask strenght of at least 60% to really enjoy the view ...

Patrice