Thoughts on impact of water to taste?

[jcg9779]

In my house, we HAD to get a reverse osmosis system. The water, even through a Brita filter tasted like swamp-water. The reverse osmosis filtering finally strips away that terrible taste. It even tainted any teas, or drinks we added it to. Horrible stuff.

[GaryT]

Here's a better question. Can you taste the difference between the three water sources you used? If not, then you probably wouldn't have been able to detect a difference. In my house, we HAD to get a reverse osmosis system. The water, even through a Brita filter tasted like swamp-water. The reverse osmosis filtering finally strips away that terrible taste. It even tainted any teas, or drinks we added it to. Horrible stuff.

I know what you mean - I lived in Garland for a spell and we had a Brita pitcher for any water we wanted to drink or cook with.

I couldn't taste much if any difference in the waters by themselves, but what I had heard was that minerals in the water would react chemically with the whiskey and alter the flavor - and I wasn't sure if those minerals had any objectionable taste by themselves or not. Thankfully - if there IS any impact - I can't taste it so I can stick to just filtered water.

[tmckenzie]

Water to whisky glass- just use a good clean water and should be fine...

As for whisky make

I think water plays a role in the fermentation process, thus having an effect on the finished product. Personally I believe yeast may have as much or more impact especially on flavor.

Note how beers of the world grew up around water source character. Soft water of Pilzn vs hard waters of Dortmund or England. Then, look at the impact yeast plays in Belgian Ales (both golden/strong styles and then the Lambic/ sour styles) A world of difference. I have yet to find this sort of huge impact flavorwise from water source that yeast choice has displayed- at least in beer.

Something I have been considering is older vs newer spirit yeast selection and resultant flavor profile. An opinion being formed is that the newer yeasts are possibly more efficient in process, yet from my own taste experience lack some characters that I have grown to enjoy flavorwise from the older versions. The supply chain is so variable, inconsistency is the norm.

Cheers,

RW

Having counsulted in small distilleries around the country, water makeup for mahing in whiskey production does effect the flavour of the product. Same mashbill, yeast and still, different water, different taste and smell. Yeast do make a difference. Most of the distilleries still use old strains. Even distilleries that bring in dry yeast are using older strains. For instance, red star's whiskey yeast is an old strain Schenley used.

[tmckenzie]

I should have added amount of backset used sometimes has a bigger impact on tastes than any of the above. Can't explain it, but it happens. More backset in my opinion equals bolder, richer flavors.

[BourbonBaron]

Distilleries that I know of, including us, use ro or di water to cut with. Calcium and magnesium will precipitate out of the whiskey in the bottle.

Our tour guide at Woodford last year mentioned they use RO water for lowering proof as well.

[RWBadley]

Having counsulted in small distilleries around the country, water makeup for mahing in whiskey production does effect the flavour of the product. Same mashbill, yeast and still, different water, different taste and smell. Yeast do make a difference. Most of the distilleries still use old strains. Even distilleries that bring in dry yeast are using older strains. For instance, red star's whiskey yeast is an old strain Schenley used.

Thanks for that info on the Red Star/Schenley connection.

Boils down to it ALL makes a difference everywhere down the line ;-)

[tmckenzie]

I am pretty sure it came from Buffalo Trace trace when they started having it grown by red star. I know the rye flavors it makes are very similar to Sazerac.