Geography Affects Whiskey Production More Than You Think

When we think of how whisk(e)y is produced, we tend to consider the grains, the types of stills used for distillation and the liquid’s interaction with the wood during the aging process. But a country’s geography plays an outsized role, especially as it relates to temperature and environmental fluctuations.

“It’s estimated that two-thirds of the flavor in bourbon comes from the aging, making what happens in a barrel extremely important for creating the desired flavors,” says Brent Elliot, master distiller at Four Roses in Kentucky. “Various barrel specifications contribute to particular flavors, but the primary drivers behind flavor development in the barrel are environmental, which are dictated by geography.”

Kentucky is of course known for its bourbon production, and Elliot explains how the specific climate there makes it perfect for the maturation process. “The seasonal swings from very low to high temperatures are ideal for the gentle extraction of the wood flavors,” he says. “Additionally, Kentucky is rich in limestone, which acts as a natural filtration medium for the water used in our bourbon production. The limestone-rich water is also beneficial to our yeast.”

Scotland, on the other hand, has a more temperate climate. Making whisky here varies greatly from what’s being crafted it in those hotter climates like Kentucky, especially in terms of how it ages in the barrels.

“When the temperature is particularly warm, the wood of the cask will expand, opening up the pores of the oak letting in more spirit,” says Rory Glasgow, national brand ambassador with Glendronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh for the United States and Canada. “As the temperature cools in the evening, the wood will contract and push the spirit back into the cask. This rapid flux of expansion and contraction speeds up how the oak influences a whisky over the years.”

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Younger bourbons are typically the flagship (or signature expression) for many bourbon distilleries at just four to five years old. But in Scotland, flagships are older at around 10 to 12 years. “The colder climate slows down the process of the oak interacting with the spirit,” Glasgow says. Therefore, this prolonged aging process found in Scotland is why we see much older single-malt Scotches.

Temperatures are also factored in with “angel’s share,” or the amount of whisky lost over the years from evaporation during aging. “In Scotland, because of the colder temperatures, we see a loss of around 2% each year of whisky in the cask, whereas in Kentucky, we typically see it doubling to 4% each year,” Glasgow says. “Where your distillery is located can certainly have a massive effect on maturation and how much you owe the angels each year.”

It’s not just about a country, either — within Scotland, there are various microclimates. For example, The Glendronach’s Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distillery is found in the tiny valley of Forgue in Aberdeenshire with its own microclimate of much cooler temperatures than the surrounding areas. This makes it ideal for maturing the likes of The Glendronach 12-Year-Old Single Malt in sherry casks for very long periods.

The area around the Glendronach distillery

Glendronach

“The microclimate allows us to release such exceptionally aged expressions such as our 50-year-old that would have enjoyed the slower pace of maturation in the cooler valley where our dunnage warehouses sit,” Glasgow says. “Allowing for a slow and unhurried maturation is what many would consider one of the most important ingredients in crafting incredibly balanced Scotch whisky, even after 50 years in the cask.”

In contrast, the Glenglassaugh Single Malt Distillery is located on the coast of Scotland and is surrounded by the flowering plant gorse, which smells of coconut and influences the whisky’s flavor profile. “Gorse, alongside the microfauna that grows in-between the distillery and the beach, is blown through our maturation warehouses as well as into our fermentation room,” Glasgow says. “This microfauna promotes very rare and unusual tropical fruit notes developing in our beer [or ‘wash’ as it’s called in Scotland] before it is then distilled into the spirit.”

During fermentation, many fruit flavors of apple, pear and banana can develop while the alcohol reacts with the organic acids found in the beer. However, the microfauna and gorse help create a whisky with much different tropical fruit notes of pineapple, papaya and grapefruit.

Glasgow says these fruity notes paired with the distiller’s proximity to the coast enhance what you taste in the glass. “As we sit facing the North Sea, we have strong coastal winds whipping through our warehouse where the whisky rests over decades,” he says. “This coastal air imparts a touch of salinity into our malts. Glenglassaugh Sandend is perhaps the best example of our luscious tropical fruit house style with the coastal landscape we reside in.”

The Kanosuke Distillery in Japan — The Kanosuke Distillery

Kanosuke

The Kanosuke Distillery also reaps some benefits of being located along the beach in Japan; it prides itself on offering a more “mellow” whisky because of its location. “We feel that the sea breeze from Fukiagehama Beach, the humid environment and the microclimate with its wide temperature range all contribute to a rich, mellow and complex flavor,” says Yoshitsugu Komasa, founder, CEO and master blender of Kanosuke Distillery.

Fukiagehama Beach has a warm and humid climate with mild weather typically found year-round. While there can be relatively long hours of sunshine, the area is also prone to a lot of rain, thanks to winds from the East China Sea that bring tons of moisture. Komasa says rainfall often exceeds 2,000mm each year, especially during the rainy seasons from June to July and typhoon season from August to October. Fukiagehama Beach is also home to vast stretches of sand and dunes, which also affect the climate. The sand absorbs the heat during the day and then releases it at night.

As one of the few distillers in Japan closest to the sea, Komasa says these particular microclimate characteristics help make Kanosuke unique. The location, temperature and environmental changes all affect the “speed of aging” and, hence, the taste. Kanosuke’s “semi-basement” storage room also assists in protecting the casks from the summer heat, Komasa notes. This ensures that the “storage temperature is kept constant” to produce a consistently mellow spirit.

So consider a distillery’s location the next time you take a sip of something new. Like the wood, water, mash bill and distillation process itself, it’s going to influence what you sip.