Part three maturation In the third and final part of his series on what influences the flavour of malt whisky, Professor Alan Ruthrford turns his attention to the ageing process.
In Parts One and Two of this series I attempted to describe the nuances of malt whisky character that arise from the raw materials (Part One) and from the distilling process (Part Two) respectively. The variables available to the maltster and the distiller lead to a wonderful diversity of new-make s...
By Alan Rutherford
from Issue 5 published on 4/8/1999
In the second of his three-part series on what determines the character of malt whisky, Professor Alan Rutherford looks at the effect mashing, fermentation and distillation have on flavour.
In the last issue of Whisky Magazine I described the contribution made to malt whisky character by the raw materials: water, malt and yeast. Now we move to the distillery.
Mashing
When malted barley arrives at the distillery it is ground or milled. This is simply a crushing of the grains into gris...
By Alan Rutherford
from Issue 4 published on 13/6/1999
Part one: the raw materials What determines the characte of a malt whisky? In the first of a three-part series Professor Alan Rutherford looks at the effect water, barley and yeast have on flavour.
At any one time, over recent decades, there have been between about 80 and 100 malt distilleries operational in Scotland. The fortune and reputation of each of these is dependent on the consistency and distinctive character of its spirit.
In this piece I will try to describe from my own experience...
By Alan Rutherford
from Issue 3 published on 13/5/1999
