What is the best water?

[Deactivated Member]

For those of us who do like to add a drop of original source to the precious, what suggestions do folk have as the best to use?
My own personal preference is Highland Spring from a glass bottle as it's produced locally (just along the road from Tullibardine and Glenturret).
It has a clean untainted taste and IMHO does not influence the flavour of the dram (other than by dilution, obviously).
If I lived on Islay, no doubt I'd just stick a jug into the burn

[Frodo]

Evion

[Lawrence]

Any still water or even tap water if its had a chance to sit for a while. I find bottled water that has been heavily filtered ruins the taste of whisky. Water with heavier mineral content seem to work out best.

Scottish water is not available here (yet).

[Admiral]

Fiji Spring Water from, oddly enough, Fiji.

Cheers,
Admiral

[Aidan]

Just about any water that doesn't taste bad. The tap water where I live is very good anyway, and it's cleaner than the stuff you get in bottles.

Why would anyone in Ireland or Scotland need to buy water in bottles. We've got too much of it falling from the sky.

[Deactivated Member]

Why would anyone in Ireland or Scotland need to buy water in bottles. We've got too much of it falling from the sky.

Not this summer!

[Aidan]

That's true. It's raining here now for the first time in weeks. I'm putting a bucket out to collect water for my whisky.

[lambda]

Anybody know anything about the pH of whisky? Tap water is always alkaline to prevent any reaction with the copper. This in contrast with 'natural' water (usually). I can imagine this could affect the more sour notes in the whisky..

[Aidan]

I think they use aluminium sulphate as a floculating agent in water purification plants.

I used to work measuring the chemical contents of drainage water and think I still have my kit. I might test some whiskey and let you know.

[Deactivated Member]

If I lived on Islay, no doubt I'd just stick a jug into the burn

And contract giardia.

I find bottled water that has been heavily filtered ruins the taste of whisky. Water with heavier mineral content seem to work out best.

Odd, I'd have bet just the opposite. But I rarely use water, and must defer to your superior experience.

Frodo, I've never liked Evian. There are lots of better Canadian bottled waters, in my opinion; Naya springs (:!:) to mind. And here, the water of choice is Poland Spring.

[Frodo]

Just about any water that doesn't taste bad. The tap water where I live is very good anyway, and it's cleaner than the stuff you get in bottles.

Why would anyone in Ireland or Scotland need to buy water in bottles. We've got too much of it falling from the sky.

There was an interesting post from Suzywong that talked about a tasting she did with different waters (bottled, tap, Scottish bottled, distilled) added to a few different whiskies. Ms. Wong said she was amaized by the differences that the choice of water made! I'd have loved to try this out. Hmmmmm.

[Deactivated Member]

If I lived on Islay, no doubt I'd just stick a jug into the burn

And contract giardia.

I'd be happy to take my chances. The Islay folk have done OK so far.

[hpulley]

None