it's all in the water

I ran a batch of scotch a few weeks ago and set it on light toasted French oak for about two weeks at 130 proof.  The result was less than expected.  It tasted like regular whiskey to me, not the unique iodine flavored ambrosia scotch drinkers are fond of.  I did everything the right way.  Peat malted barley simmered in water for an hour followed by soaking in 2 gallons of cool water for another hour.  Set to ferment for a couple weeks and ran through a pot still and thumper to a consistent 130 proof.  Adding well water to bring the proof to 86 produced a good whiskey but it wasn't scotch.

Three regions in Scotland produce whiskey in much the same way.  The pot stills used are pretty much interchangeable and the basic ferment procedure is identical, as well as casking, ageing, and everything else that goes into producing a fine scotch whiskey.   But all three regions produce a scotch that has a flavor profile unique to the area in which it was produced.  The only difference is the water.

The fact is, there IS a difference in water.  Not so much in the distilling, but in the water added after distilling to adjust the proof.  It's the lime water in Kentucky that makes the best bourbon and the best scotch is made from water flowing over red granite and peat bogs.  That's a good place to start.

I made a solution of well water and pickling lime and let it settle for a week and added 20cc of this lime water to three quarts of water.  I then made a tea of peat moss and water and added 20cc of this solution to the three quarts.  Adding this cloned water to proof the scotch made all the difference in the world.  The hint of smoke and tones of unripened fruit with that unique scotch signature was all there with the added benefit of a smooth, creamy, lingering finish.  This is some good shit here, if I do say so myself.

Much more than crafting a decent scotch, I proved to myself that water is as important to the equation as mash, temperature, or any other distilling parameter. 
I guess there was a reason I never got around to proofing that last batch of bourbon.  I was just waiting for some cloned Kentucky lime water.