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How does the choice of water source and treatment affect the flavor and aroma of whiskey?

The choice of water source and treatment does not significantly affect the flavor and aroma of whiskey in commercial distilleries. This is largely due to the use of treated, softened water. These effects are more likely to be seen in home distillers or moonshiners who use untreated water sources.
 
Transcript: "Has a choice of water source, and treatment affect the flavor and Aroma of whiskey. Well, this is a fun question because it's a in many ways, almost a pointless question. It's a romanticize question based on what water used to do for whiskey. We obviously all know that Kentucky is famous for its Limestone just as Southern Indiana once was, and the minerals in the Limestone and specifically the Magnesium that would feed the yeast with in the Limestone. Ironically, it was never really a romantic question because even in the old days, One of the favorite spots of distillers was actually an agricultural Pond tied to a spring and surrounded by cattle. They wanted cattle on that farm and, and, and the manure, and that water for nutrients. It was never really as romantic as it was made out to be. But now, nowadays, most people even in Scotland were granted is a big deal. Most distillers, most commercial distillers. All of them really that I know of whether they're on the craft level or or not. They all use our oh, treated water and softened water. So the water is not nearly Is important. Nowadays is what it wants was if you really want the taste of terroir, the taste of water and how water affects the distillation, you're going to have to find a good home distiller. And, or Moonshiner to really get that effect, because in the commercial industry, it does not exist anymore, it's part of marketing, it's part of PR. It's part of the makeup of what this industry is. Unfortunately become. Which is very, very over commercialized in many ways. Listen, there's production notes and then there's marketing notes, and rarely do the to align themselves with one another. Or whether we like to believe that is consumers, are not. That is most often the case. So how does the choice of water source, and treatment affect the flavor of an aroma of whiskey? I'll get that out in a minute. I would say that nowadays, not that much, and it might be kind of a sad thing."
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Alan Bishop

Award Winning Distiller
Has a choice of water source, and treatment affect the flavor and Aroma of whiskey. Well, this is a fun question because it's a in many ways, almost a pointless question. It's a romanticize question based on what water used to do for whiskey. We obviously all know that Kentucky is famous for its Limestone just as Southern Indiana once was, and the minerals in the Limestone and specifically the Magnesium that would feed the yeast with in the Limestone. Ironically, it was never really a romantic question because even in the old days, One of the favorite spots of distillers was actually an agricultural Pond tied to a spring and surrounded by cattle. They wanted cattle on that farm and, and, and the manure, and that water for nutrients. It was never really as romantic as it was made out to be. But now, nowadays, most people even in Scotland were granted is a big deal. Most distillers, most commercial distillers. All of them really that I know of whether they're on the craft level or or not. They all use our oh, treated water and softened water. So the water is not nearly Is important. Nowadays is what it wants was if you really want the taste of terroir, the taste of water and how water affects the distillation, you're going to have to find a good home distiller. And, or Moonshiner to really get that effect, because in the commercial industry, it does not exist anymore, it's part of marketing, it's part of PR. It's part of the makeup of what this industry is. Unfortunately become. Which is very, very over commercialized in many ways. Listen, there's production notes and then there's marketing notes, and rarely do the to align themselves with one another. Or whether we like to believe that is consumers, are not. That is most often the case. So how does the choice of water source, and treatment affect the flavor of an aroma of whiskey? I'll get that out in a minute. I would say that nowadays, not that much, and it might be kind of a sad thing.