A reliable and sustainable water source is paramount to whisky production, whether the water used comes from stream, spring or well. The primary sourse of water is rain, the journey that this rain water makes on its way to the distillery is where it finds its character. If the rain lands on bare mountains and travels fast down streams it will likely pick up very little mineral content and may be acid and soft.
If it lands on more permeable strata it will percolate through the rock which will increase its mineral content. If the said rock is limestone or sandstone the water produced will be neutral or slightly alkaline and hard. Traditionally “soft water, through peat, over granite” was regarded as the best for makng whisky with but as long as it is clear and in abundance it will be used.
A reliable and sustainable water source is paramount to whisky production, whether the water used comes from stream, spring or well. The primary sourse of water is rain, the journey that this rain water makes on its way to the distillery is where it finds its character. If the rain lands on bare mountains and travels fast down streams it will likely pick up very little mineral content and may be acid and soft.
If it lands on more permeable strata it will percolate through the rock which will increase its mineral content. If the said rock is limestone or sandstone the water produced will be neutral or slightly alkaline and hard. Traditionally “soft water, through peat, over granite” was regarded as the best for makng whisky with but as long as it is clear and in abundance it will be used.