The Importance of Bourbon Whiskey and Water: From Distillation to Serving

Water plays a crucial role in every stage of bourbon whiskey’s journey. It influences the mash, shapes the distillation process, and even affects how bourbon is enjoyed. Whether it’s the limestone-rich water of Kentucky or the snowmelt mountain stream water of Colorado, water truly enhances the character and flavour profile of this American classic.

In this blog, we’ll uncover every aspect of the role of water in whiskey, start to finish – from the source, through the production process, maturation and bottling, all the way to adding water to whiskey in the glass.

Bourbon Whiskey and Water: A Match Made in Heaven

Bourbon wouldn’t exist without water. It doesn’t just make the bourbon; it entirely defines it. In fact, water makes up a huge proportion of what you see when you pour bourbon into a glass – the rest is made from just two other basic ingredients – yeast and grain. To understand its impact, you have to start at the water source.

Water Source

Water is the reason that around 95% of bourbon is made in Kentucky. Most of the state sits on limestone bedrock, formed millions of years ago when the land was covered by a vast, tropical sea.

This means that the state is abundant in limestone-rich water, which is naturally filtered and rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium, giving bourbon its characteristic sweet flavour and smooth mouthfeel.

Where does the water come from?

Water is used from a variety of sources including:

·      Lakes

·      Reservoirs

·      Rivers

·      Springs

·      Wells

·      Aquifers

·      Snow-melt streams

What about bourbon made elsewhere?

In regions without limestone-rich water, bourbon makers use alternative methods to obtain high quality mineral-rich water. These include using well water that has interacted with underground rock formations, and reverse osmosis, a process that filters water through a semi-permeable membrane to remove impurities while preserving essential minerals for production.

Water in Bourbon Whiskey Production

Mashing

The corn is added first to the water in a ‘mash tub’ or ‘cooker’ and boiled at around 80–90°C for around 30 minutes. The temperature is lowered and gradually the rye, wheat and malted barley are added to the mash. The mixture is left to cool down and then is rinsed with water to help the release of sugar before being transferred to the fermenter.

Fermentation

During fermentation, yeast is added to the mash, and the water begins to behave as a solvent, helping the yeast to break down the starches into fermentable sugars, in a process that usually takes about three days.

Kentucky’s natural limestone-filtered water optimizes pH levels, enhances fermentation, and extracts sugars efficiently, creating the perfect foundation for yeast to produce alcohol.

Distillation

Water is used in the distillation process to separate alcohol from the mash. The mash is pumped into the column still and boiled, making the alcohol vapour rise to the top. The vapour is captured and the water and spent mash is left behind. The distillate must not be higher than 160 proof (80% ABV) which helps to keep the corn and grain flavour profile intact before the spirit is filled into the barrel.

Proofing

After distillation, water is added to the spirit to bring it to the desired proof, which must not exceed 125 proof (62.5% ABV). At this point the newly made spirit, referred to as ‘white dog’, is as clear as water.

Maturation

The ‘white dog’ is filled into new, charred oak barrels and taken to the warehouse or ‘rickhouse’ to begin the process of maturation. Water in the bourbon interacts with the char inside the barrel and helps to extract flavours which contributes to the final taste.

Bottling

After a period of maturation, and before bottling, water is added to bring the spirit down to the intended proof which must be at 80 proof (40% ABV) or higher.

Serving Water in Whiskey

Should you drink whiskey with water? And if so, how much water should you add to whiskey? The answer is that it’s entirely up to you. However, there are two main benefits to adding water to your whiskey. These are:

·      Reducing the ‘Burn’ - You may want to dilute the alcohol content, depending on the proof of the whiskey you’re drinking. Enjoying it in its natural form sometimes leads to what’s known as the ‘whiskey burn’, a harsh, tingling sensation in the mouth. So, adding a drop or two of water reduces the risk.

·      Enhancing the Flavour - Adding water releases the aroma compounds of whiskey, breaking down the ethanol molecules. So, by adding water, you’ll experience the many layered aroma compounds in bourbon, which can range from toffee and cinnamon to orchard fruit and blossom honey.

What type of water in whiskey?

We advise adding mineral, filtered, or natural spring water. Better yet would be natural water from the region in which the bourbon has been distilled, although for the majority of bourbon whiskey drinkers that isn’t possible.

However, we advise against using tap water. There are too many additional minerals in standard tap water – particularly chlorine and fluoride - which may alter the taste.

How much water to add to whiskey?

A drop or two at most. Tap it in and let it settle, then pick the glass up and give it a swirl.

The only thing left to do is to drink it.

Enjoy!

At Still Spirit, we stock a wide range of bourbon and American whiskey, as well as glassware and gift sets.