A whisky's natural companion

How do you like to drink your whisky? Neat, with ice or a dash of water?

Even though adding anything to the spirit is still frowned upon by some, water has been a long-standing companion for the drink. It’s believed that it ‘opens up’ the flavour by dialing down the alcohol.

When drinking a strong spirit, our brain naturally focuses on ethanol but when we take that away, we have a chance to experience the full flavour profile and character of the drink.

But what if I told you there is a more intriguing and luxurious way to enjoy whisky?

A few weeks ago, I set out on a wee journey to one of Scotland’s most ancient forests in Perthshire to learn about the new approach to drinking whisky – with Highland birch water.

A short train journey took me from snowy winter scenery to a bright spring sun. I got out at the Dunkeld and Birnam train station and after a short car journey, I was amongst the smiling and excited faces, all looking forward to trying a whisky’s natural companion – Birkentree’s birch water.

The company hand-harvests birch sap for only three weeks in March, tapping 200-300-year-old birch trees. Doing it for 6 years now, Birkentree not only bottles birch water but also helps to preserve age-old trees. They use maple syrup buckets exported from America, taking only 1-3% of the sap. Each tree gives a different amount of liquid: from 1 to 20 liters.

Just like with whisky-making, birch sap has its own head, heart and tail. The first sap is runny and flavorless, like water; the middle is that perfect, slightly sweet liquid; and the last is a bitter juice.

Birch water itself is completely natural and has quite a few health benefits. Full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, it’s been used for centuries to help various skin conditions, boost digestion and strengthen the immune system.

It all sounds great, but how does it pair with whisky? My fellow whisky people and I were taken on a wee tour around the forest and had a chance to taste 4 wonderful spirits, accompanied by birch water.

When you add Birkentree's liquid to the spirit, it gives a smoothing effect, taking away the harshness of alcohol and allowing the full spectrum of flavours to come through. It doesn’t change the essence of the flavour, but rather illuminates it.

Your nose gets a chance to detect more notes while your taste buds take you on a journey. Another interesting thing about birch water is that it allows the texture of the drink to stay the same, unlike water that dilutes it.

Out of 4 delicious drams we’ve tried (Glenfarclas, Carn Mor, Glenallachie and Torabhaig), my absolute favorite hands-down was Glenfarclas. Another surprising combination that won me over was Torabhaig – I’m not a fan of smoky whisky but birch water tones the smokiness down, letting the citrusy palate come to the surface.

When we returned from the woods, we got the opportunity to have another cheeky tasting. A stunning bottle of Glenturret appeared in front of us as if by magic. As soon as I caught the whiffs of cheese, my hand quickly grabbed the dram – what a phenomenal flavour that works fantastically well with and without birch water!

My thoughts? I loved experimenting with birch water. It’s worth giving a shot, especially for those, who are put off by the whisky’s harshness or who like to be adventurous with their spirits. However, there is a hidden danger- without birch water, you can sip your whisky, yet with birch water, you can drink it.

I would say, the best whisky to try with Birkentree is cask strength and there is a good reason for it. Even though a higher strength usually delivers richer flavours, the intensity of the alcohol can numb the palate. Adding the birch water will allow the flavours to leap to the surface for the ultimate tasting experience.

As a side note, there’s something about drinking whisky outdoors that sends you into a different world of complete calm, peace and tranquility.

Many thanks to Birkentree for the wonderful experience and to David Reid for making it possible.