How to make Uisce Beatha / Whiskey

Last weekend I had a few friends in town and oddly enough we decided to go along to one of my favourite whiskey bars for a drink or two. Over a bottle of Glenrothes Select Reserve, we started to discuss the steps involved in making whiskey and some of the differences between Irish and Scottish whiskeys. For some of us it was a refresher course but for others it was just a good excuse to seat back with a glass of whiskey and listen to the stories unfold. So below I have summarised some of the key points we touched on (ie. Left out most of the swearing about which way is better).

Malting
The barley is first steeped in water and then removed and allowed to germinate for a few days. After this, the barley will then go to the kiln for drying, a process that stops the germination. Irish distillers normally dry their barley in a closed kiln, this eliminates the presence of smoke and is believed to give a cleaner taste to the final whiskey. Scottish Whisky on the other hand may add peat at this stage to give a smoky flavour to the whisky. After the drying is complete, we are left with the malted barley.

Mashing
To begin mashing the malted barley is first milled into a girst or course floor. It is then mixed with hot water in a large vessel called a “Mash Tun”. The mash is stirred in order to help the starches convert into sugar. The mashing process is finished when a sweet liquid called “Wort” is drawn.
Also, don’t worry about the spent grains or draff, these are used by local farmers for cattle feed.

Fermentation
Next the “Wort” is cooled and pumped into “Wash Backs”. It is here where the yeast is added and the fermentation process begins. The yeast will feed on the sugar to produce a low strength alcohol (approx 6-8%) and lots of carbon dioxide. Also during this process, congeners are produced. Now while strictly speaking congeners are impurities, they are essential in giving whiskey its taste, aroma, flavour and colour. After about 2 days in the “Wash Backs” the fermentation process will die down and we will have what is called the “Wash”.

Distillation
The shape of the copper pot still is known to affect the characteristics of the whiskey and for this reasons, each distillery has kept their own unique still exactly the same for many years.
The distillation process begins by first distilling the wash in a wash still, this creates a distillate know as low wines with an alcohol volume of around 20%. The low wines will then go to the spirit still for distillation. The distillery will collect the centre cut or heart of the run in a spirit receiver. This collected spirit will now have an alcohol volume of around 68%.
In most regions the “wash” is distilled just twice but in Ireland, in order it create a smoother whiskey, it goes through this process three times, thus earning it the title of “triple distilled”.

Unfortunately around this stage, we got off topic and started to talk a little more about the Glenrothes that we were drinking and less about the process for making whiskey. However, not to worry, over the course of the next month or so, I know I will be drinking with them again and discussing the even more interesting parts of maturing and blending whiskey.

So as an old Irish blessing best puts it:

“May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall softly on your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.”

Slan,
Seosamh

Uisce Beatha aka "Water of life" aka "Whiskey"

When I think of Whiskey, I used to think of that recent hangover it caused or maybe that deadly stuff that one swears never to touch again…. It may shock you however to discover that there is a whole other side to whiskey and this is the part that I hope to enlightened you on. I am no guru, just someone who appreciates the good stuff and doesn't believe in drinking it alone. It is a drink that is meant to be shared with both friends and strangers.

So lets start with what is the most basic of all ingredients for any whiskey – the water. It is an ingredient that is heavily used in the production of whiskey at each and every stage, from steeping the barley to condensing the final distillate. But before I start listing each and ever whiskey and its water source, lets talk about how Whiskey got it name.

Originally known as "Uisce Beatha", Gaelic for the "water of life", a name it was given by Irish Monks in the Sixth Century, probably due to the fine medical powers it holds. Over time, these words evolved to usquebaugh and eventually into Whiskey. Now, while it would be easy for me to seat here and wave the Irish flag on this beautiful nectar originating from Ireland, I would rather fly the Celt flag for both Scotland and Ireland, as the case that both have helped to develop this nectar into what the world now knows as Whiskey or Whisky is much stronger. Sure even St. Patrick himself is sometimes credited with the drink's first distillation.

Now I can't finish this section without going into the "e or not to e" of course. The general rule states that if it is from Ireland or the US it is referred to as Whiskey and if from Scotland, Canada or Japan it is referred to as Whisky. So, since I am Irish through and through, I will refer to it as Whiskey. But in also respecting my fellow Celt from across the water, if we are talking about Scottish Whisky, it will be spelt so.

So back to the water and what was the major influence to the location of many a distillery. Because of the vast amounts of water that is needed, distilleries were strategically located within close vicinity to a spring or stream. A whiskey master is always looking for the purist source of water that they can find and a fresh water spring is probably the most ideal example of this. The next best thing is in locating yourself as far up stream as possible, again in the hope the purist water. Glenfarclas' whisky for example uses water from springs that are fed by water from the slopes of Ben Rinnes. This snowmelt flows through the heather and peat, across granite eventually emerging clear, soft and slightly acid.

I hope you liked my first installment. Next time around we will look a little more in the process of making whiskey. Also, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to forward them on.

Forbes lists ten best Irish Whiskeys
Whether you consider yourself a beverage connoisseur or just want some help getting your Irish on this St. Patrick's Day, Forbes has compiled a list of their top ten must-drink Irish Whiskeys. Ranging in price from $17 - $1000 per bottle, you can certainly find something on this list that will fit any budget, and perhaps discover something new for your palate as well.

For decades, serious whiskey drinkers drank scotch. Irish "blended" whiskey was for drowning sorrows--or coffee. But that’s changing.
"The line between Irish whiskey and Scotch whiskey has become blurred," says John Hansell, editor and publisher of Malt Advocate magazine. Irish whiskey companies like Bushmills and Jameson have expanded their range to include deluxe whiskies from aged blends to pure pot stills and their own brand of single malts. "The top Irish whiskeys are just as good as many single-malt scotches."

Bushmills 21 year old (single malt)
$115
Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim
Aged for 21 years in bourbon barrels and sherry casks, then vatted and married and sent to Madeira drums for the honeymoon. The result is a rich, smooth old malt, its nose slightly nutty with hints of dried fruit and butterscotch. The palate hints at honeyed cloves, hazelnuts and oak. Delicate, intriguing and sexy. Limited release.

Midleton Very Rare (blend)
$150
Midleton Distillery, County Cork
Bottles are dated and released in limited supply every year. A blend of triple-distilled whiskeys, from 12 to 21 years old, matured in individually selected Bourbon-seasoned American oak casks nesting in dark aromatic cellars. The nose is fresh and floral, meadow-like. On the tongue expect almonds, lush fruits, honey and herbs. Long, velvety smooth finish.

Redbreast 12-year-old (pure pot still)
$50
Midleton Distillery, County Cork
Uniquely Irish pure pot still: emphatic yet elegant. Assertive yet smooth. The nose gives off a powerful pot still essence with clean malt, apple, toffee and sherry. Full-bodied palate with notes of caramel, golden raisins, nuts and peat. A long, sweet spice finish.

Green Spot (pure pot still)
$60
Midleton Distillery, County Cork
A whiskey drinker's whiskey, since the turn of the 19th century. Only 500 bottles released per year. Made with 7- to 8-year-old pure pot still whiskey, 25% from sherry casks. Hard to find here but soon widely available in the U.S. Rich, complex and disarmingly sensuous. Slightly mentholated nose, burst of honey on the tongue, a pot still finish laced with coffee and cough drops.

Jameson 18-year-old (blend)
$65
Midleton Distillery, County Cork
The best in the Jameson range, an artful blend of three whiskeys, ranging from 18 to 23 years of age, principally matured in Spanish Oloroso sherry barrels and blended together and married for about six months in Bourbon barrels for a polished finish. A mouthful of complex flavors from fudge, toffee, spice, vanilla and hints of wood and leather that hang on through the finish.

Knappogue Castle 1951 (pure pot still)
$1000
Distilled in 1951 at the now-defunct B. Daly Distillery in Tullamore, aged in sherry casks for 36 years and bottled in 1987. The oldest and rarest Irish whiskey around with fewer than 1,000 bottles left--period. Described as a "take-no-prisoners" whiskey, beguiling and complex. With aromas of overripe bananas and molasses, and palatal notes of apple, licorice, honey, and tons of barrel. A sweet, coppery texture akin to Jamaican pot still.

Connemara Cask Strength (single malt)
$60
Cooley Distillery, County Louth
Bottled right out of the cask without being cut for uniformity. Smooth and sweet like a traditional Irish whiskey yet smoky, like an Islay scotch. Hints at toffee and dried fruit in the nose with a full-bodied and sweetly fruity palate rife with caramel, pistachio, anise, golden raisins and peat. A long, sweet spice finish with a hot flash of pepper.

Jameson 12-year-old (blend)
$33
Midleton Distillery, County Cork
Aged in sherry-seasoned Spanish oak casks. Known for its mellow, sweet, nutty character. The sweet sherry is evident in the nose and, initially at least, on the tongue where it’s followed by old pot still coupled with a short, but effective flypast of spice. Intense vanilla finish.
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Black Bush (blend)
$29
Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim
The original single malt whiskey from Ireland. Most whiskey that becomes Black Bush is aged up to 11 years in sherry casks, then blended with a small amount of delicate grain whiskey.Clean nose with whiffs of sherry. Strong malty taste with dark chocolate, oaky notes. Lingering notes of grain on the finish.

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Powers Irish Whiskey
$17
Midleton Distillery, County Cork
Triple-distilled in both copper pot stills and column stills, Powers is aged in bourbon casks for five to six years. This well-rounded, robust bourbon boasts a honey, pepper nose with tones of wood and grain. Its flavor is full-bodied balancing honey and an explosive mix of spices. Its long, sweet and sour finish is capped by spice. Perfect for Irish coffee.
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/2007/03/12/drink-whiskey-irish-forbeslife-cx_pl_0313irishwhiskey_slide.html?thisSpeed=30000