A point of endless contention, a discussion topic that has filled many evenings with (mostly) friendly debate, and a question we are asked daily: does adding water to your whisky dilute the flavour, or ‘open up’ the contents for a fuller experience? Dr Kate McAdam gives us a look at the science to help…

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If you’ve joined us at a tasting or popped by our stand at a whisky show, you may have heard us talk about the regions the various whiskies in our award-winning blended malts come from - but what does this actually mean for your dram? Our CEO Martin McAdam explains a wee bit more:

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Well, as you might imagine, any whisky called Scotch must be produced in Scotland. But more than that, as a registered ‘Geographical Indication’ (like Champagne) Scotch Whisky must be produced according to strict regulations set down in law.

To understand this better, our starting point the Scotch Whisky Regulations (SWR) 2009. Here in law is the exact definition of what Scotch Whisky is. According to the SWR, whisky can only be called Scotch if it has been produced at a distillery in Scotland from water and malted barley (to which only whole grains of other cereals may be added). Furthermore…

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If you have a keen eye for detail, you’ll notice that our whisky labels state that our products are not chill-filtered. But what does this mean for you and your dram? Our Distiller, Lisa, is here to tell you.

‘If you like a drop of water or an ice cube or two in your whisky, you might have noticed a slight ‘haze’ in some whiskies when they are colder. You might even have worried this meant there’s an issue with the spirit or the quality has been affected.

Firstly, let me assure you that this isn’t the case – to explain why, we need to delve into the science behind the whisky.’

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Have you ever poured yourself a dram, added some ice, and noticed your whisky go cloudy?

By Max McFarlane, Whisky Maker, the Ardgowan Distillery

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