The Process
How Whisky is made?
Whiskey (English in Scottish whisky, in Irish whiskey; Irish Uisce beatha) is a spirit drink made from barley and other types of grain, which has its roots in Scotland and Ireland.
The manufacturing process is a sophisticated process of food processing and distillation processes.
Malt preparation
The first step in making whisky is the so-called malt preparation. In it, the barley begins to germinate and turns into malt. The barley is first spread on the ground and moistened, thus triggering germination. For this to be evenly distributed, the grain must be stirred constantly. Optimally germinated barley it is still soft and chalky to the touch.
Green malt drying
The next step is to dry the green malt. In the case of classic single malt whisky, drying is carried out by burning peat. This provides the typical smoky and peaty flavour in whisky. We skip this process, as we get barley malt from an established Slovenian supplier.
The mash
The next step is to prepare the mash. The grain is ground into coarse flour to separate the sugar from the grains. This coarse flour is mixed with hot water and boiled at a specific temperature.
Cooling the mash
The malt mash is then cooled to a suitable temperature and poured into a boiling bath. To make the malt mash turn into alcohol, yeasts are added to stimulate fermentation.
First Distillation
Distillation follows fermentation. Since the alcohol boils at 78 ° C and the water at 100 ° C, the alcohol from the mixture first rises like steam. Then it condenses in a rounded tube and flows into the collecting vessel. In the first distillation, we get raw whisky.
Second Distillation
Second distillation in a small boiler follows. At this point, it is very important to extract only the pure centre cut or heart of the run. After the second distillation, the alcohol content is over 70%. Because of that, the whisky is diluted to a drinking strength of 63% alcohol for further aging in oak barrels.
Dilluting down
The whisky is diluted to a drinking strength of 63% alcohol for further resting on oak wood.