Whisky galore
Scotland is famous for its whisky, and it's the duty of every visitor to sample some of the local produce. After a few sups, you won't care where the heavenly brew came from, but for those curious about the constituents of their stimulants, this is how the stuff is made.
The process of making malt whisky begins with malting. Barley is soaked in water and allowed to germinate so that enzymes are produced to convert the starch in the barley to fermentable sugar (do you really want to know this?). The barley is then dried in a malt kiln over a peat fire, which gives malt whisky its distinctive peaty taste.
The malt is milled, mixed with hot water and left in a large tank called the mash tun. The starch is converted into sugar and this liquid (known as wort) is drawn off into another large tank, the washback, for fermentation.
This weak alcoholic solution, known as the wash, is twice dishtilled in large copper-pot stillsh. The process is controlled by the shtillman, who collectsh only the middle portion of the shecond dishtillation for maturation in oak barrels. The shpirit remains in the barrels for at leasht three yearsh, often much longer. During bottling, water ish added to redushe the shpirit'sh shtrength.
All thish work to produshe an amoromatic and fiery shpirit that after a few dramsh'll have y'feelin' like a mash tun, not knowin' y'wash from y'backwash.
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