Uisge Source: Water Built for Scotch Whisky

Those who prefer their Scotch whisky neat may want to reconsider. Uisge Source is the first water designed to enhance the whisky-drinking experience.                  

  

Uisge (pronounced 'oosh-guh') is the Scottish Gaelic word for “water” as in uisge beatha (oosh-guh beh-huh,) which translates to “water of life.” 

Diluting your favorite single malt may seem sacrilegious to some, but the practice is widely embraced in Scotland. Most whisky experts agree that a few drops of water in your dram will unleash complex aromas and flavors that are often masked by the anesthetizing effects of alcohol on the senses. 

 Drawn by hand from three of Scotland’s major whisky regions—Speyside, Islay, and The Highlands—Uisge Source waters vary naturally in mineral content, acid, and pH, and are intended to mimic the water that was used in the Scotch whisky’s original recipe.

“It’s the provenance and sense of place that makes whisky so unique,” says Dr. Bill Lumsden, master distiller for The Glenmorangie. “Adding water from the same source can only help protect the integrity of the spirit.”

From Ardbeg Distillery: A Secret Ingredient

 By Sarah Doyle

Perched on the Isle of Islay, a raw, mist-driven island off the west coast of Scotland, Ardbeg Distillery has been renowned for its complex, smoky Scotch for nearly 200 years. After the Old Kiln Café was added to its visitor’s center in 1997, however, the Scotch was forced to share the spotlight—at least to those who appreciate a good meal.

“Our food is very unique to the area so everyone really embraces it,” explains Jackie Thomson, the café’s manager. “We found there to be a real demand for this sort of thing.”

Housed in Ardbeg’s original 1815 kiln room and malt barn, the Kiln Café emerges like a warm, welcoming beacon on the often blustery landscape, its twin pagoda roofs rising ceremoniously into the air like points on a crown. Inside, the visitor’s shop bustles, while appreciative murmurs from the adjoining whisky tasting and nosing bar acts as soothing mood music. The furnishings are modest. The mood, relaxed. The smell, marvelous—a mixture of cinnamon and peat smoke, with a dash of salt delivered from the surrounding sea.

“Originally, we planned to serve only simple treats like scones and tea,” says Thomson, whose husband, Stuart, acts as Distillery Manager. But resident baker, Mary McKechnie, had a yen for culinary experimentation, especially when it came to Ardbeg’s arsenal of barley grist.