28.07.2011 / Food & Leisure
Scottish Alchemists
There is an old Scottish saying: “The wood makes the whisky”. Nobody knows for certain what determines the character of malt whisky, but of course the wood does play an important part.
The Dalmore Distillery, in the Highlands of Scotland, uses two kinds of oaks – American and European – each bestowing different flavours to the spirit. Yet, there is more to it than just the wood. It’s a kind of alchemy, an alchemy that gives birth to one of the most renowed whiskies in the world, a spirit that has been produced for some 172 years.
It used to be thought that the water was the key. Certainly, the site of Dalmore Distillery was chosen to take advantage of the cold, clear waters of Loch Kildermorie which local illicit distillers believed had mystical properties long before the legal distillery opened in the 1830s.
The aroma and taste of the final product are also obtained by seasoning the casks with Bourbon or Oloroso sherry before they are filled.
The only other ingredient is yeast, and here again, Dalmore has developed a single strain of yeast which produces an unusually rich and fruity beer from which the spirit is distilled. The very name Dalmore means “big meadow”.
The best way to discover how such a craftmade and precious product comes to life is visiting the distillery warehouses, which feature some of the oldest whisky stocks in the world.
Visitors to the distillery receive a rare insight into the skill required to produce each drop of The Dalmore.
