Climate – Admittedly, this is a parameter that distilleries can’t particularly “control” or manipulate; they simply inherit the environment and climate of the region they build their warehouse in. Not surprisingly, Scotland’s consistently cool and damp climate has a very different impact on maturation to the hot and humid conditions of, say, India, which is different again to the hot and dry conditions of Australia. Compare this with, say, the variance experienced in Kentucky, USA, where the maturing whisk(e)y is subjected to warm summers and freezing winters. Distilleries – particularly the bourbon producers in Kentucky – will even utilise micro-climate to their advantage, rotating casks “vertically” through their warehouses to capitalise on the warmer temperatures at the top of the warehouse, compared to the lower temperatures at the lower levels.
The processes for making whisky - Whisky maturation
Some of the stages involved in making whisky prior to aging it in casks: Mashing, fermenting, and distilling.
When we speak about all the factors that contribute to a whisky’s flavour, there are many variables: The barley grain variety, the use of peat, the strain of yeast used for fermentation, the duration and style of that fermentation, the shape and size of the stills, how the stills are run and where the spirit cuts are made, the type of condenser used, the amount of contact with copper, the local climate/ environment, and so forth. The nuances, combinations, and permutations of all these are near infinite. Notwithstanding that, the accepted wisdom is that, of the final flavour of the whisky that we enjoy in our glass, 60-70% of that flavour may be attributed to the influence of the oak cask and the maturation the whisky received. On that basis, oak and maturation is king. So what’s actually happening during maturation, and why should whisky drinkers be cognisant of these things? Let’s explore some of the abovementioned parameters in more detail….