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Islay grown
  We
enjoy exploring the aspects of different locations and the effects that has on
the barley, and its subsequent fermentation and distillation. European
winemakers, particularly the French, have a word for it: “terroir” -
the complex, almost mystical interaction of bedrock, sub-soil, soil, exposition
and micro-climate with the vine. Often denounced by large producers (for
obvious reasons) as folklore, the differing influences on the vine, and
therefore the wine character, is well documented over 1500 years to the extent
that in Europe, and increasingly in the US and Australia, ‘terroirs’, or
specific locations, are enshrined in law. But does ‘terroir’ exist for
whisky? Would barley grown in different climates, on We commissioned barley
grown on three separate farms, from specific fields with different geology to
been malted, milled, mashed, and fermented separately to see the difference – if
any.
  The
principle of alcoholic fermentation is the same for wine as it is for whisky.
Instead of grapes, the sugar source comes from malted barley. 60% of the flavour
of a new spirit (or wine) is obtained at the time of fermentation, from the
complex interaction of the three raw ingredients - water, yeast and barley.
Surely the origin, type and growing conditions of that barley must be a
fundamental component to the flavour of the spirit? Eau de Vie de Poire
William, where the sugar source is pear macerated in water, fermented with
yeast and distilled, tastes of ….er… pear.
We have commissioned organically grown Chalice barley from
specific fields on Coulmore and Culblair farms on the mainland, and Kentraw
Farm a mile from the distillery. The latter was planted by Raymond Stuart on
fields on the ‘bruichladdich’ or raised beach - marine deposits made up
of sand, pebbles etc. where no crops have been grown for at least 15 years;
although not entirely organic, the well-drained soil is free from decades of
chemicals.
  At
the outset there was much doubt that it would be feasible to obtain a
sufficiently ripe crop. The wind would destroy the crop. Despite an uninspiring
summer, the crop ripened. Harvest time on Islay in glorious weather is a special
moment, and even more so when history is being made. Our first harvest of
Islay-grown was completed on Wednesday 8th September. For Duncan
McGillivray, Distillery Manager, whose family used to farm this estate post the
war, it was a particularly poignant moment: “There was concern that the moisture
content would be too high for malting, but the measurement read a surprisingly
satisfying 17%. When the rest of the UK has been struggling under torrential
rain resulting in ruined harvests, we were mighty pleased to have a good
inaugural harvest under our belts.”
After a two month dormancy period, the 21 tonnes of barley
was malted and the first mashing took place on Wednesday 1st
December. Malting barley had not been grown commercially on Islay since before
the first world war – mainland crops proving to be more reliable and higher
yielding - more alcohol per tonne. We were not expecting the same level of
alcohol as would be associated with mainland Scottish barley, yet Distillery
Manager Duncan McGillivray was very pleasantly surprised to register an
identical potential alcohol figure as our usual Scottish barley.
“Totally different to mill - we had to tighten the top mill
rollers by 8% providing a lower ratio of 11.5% husk, 13.4% flour 75.1% middles
in the grist as opposed to the usual 15.% husks, 15.6% flour, and 68.6%
middles.”
“In the mash tun it has been unusually bulky
- very fluffy - resulting in good drainage, so the wort has run very cleanly indeed meaning
that the sugar extraction is much better than could ever have been expected.
I am well impressed with the clarity of the wort which as
an original specific gravity of 58 the same as we get from mainland Scottish
barley - meaning a potential of 395 to 400 litres of alcohol per tonne when
distilled - this is a very pleasant surprise.
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