Scotch Terroir (related to bourbon as well)

[fussychicken]

A great interview with Mark Reynier (Managing Director of Bruichladdich Distillery) discussing the concept of terroir. In reality, it is just a discussion about something we talk about all the time here on straight bourbon. What are some of the most influential factors when it comes making good whiskey?

http://www.thescotchblog.com/2007/04/best_of_terroir.html

For me the most interesting comment was the first by Mark Reynier:

At the last Islay Festival, I organised a tasting that 147 members of the public took part in; ‘nosing’ 4 new spirit. The samples were drawn from the spirit safe at 0 age, colourless, identically distilled, same harvest, but from 4 different 'terroirs'. 100% of the tasters – all members of the public - on the nose alone, could tell that the 4 samples were different. The ‘Terroir’ was the only difference between the samples: the fields where the barley was grown. In this case the soil, bedrock, microclimate all played their part. That’s ‘terroir’.

[mier]

That is also a reason i`m not very fond on woodfinishes,they can make from a average whisky a better one only to mask the terroir,and sell it for much more it was originally worth.To me it feels a bit like being cheated but the normal maturation can do a lot of good/bad as well.

Eric.

[Frodo]

Yeah, but if the origional bottling was dodgy then a finish can make an expression drinkable. See Grant's Ale & Sherry cask for examples of this. If there is any doubt, try the plain Grants HTH...