Cooper

1. ('ku:p) n. A person skilled in making
and repairing barrels, casks, etc.

2. -vb tr. To make or mend (barrels,
casks, etc)

From Middle Dutch cuper or Middle Low German Kuper.

Coopers Choice

1. n. Barrels filled with 10 year old Malt Scotch Whisky produced by Old St Andrews.

2. n. A great gift for a scotch lover. A special bottle for that special person

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The contents of this website are copyright Old St Andrews Ltd and not to be used or reproduced without written permission.

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For more about Scotch whisky visit these sites :

Scotch Whisky Association

Whisky Tours

Whisky Golf Gifts

Scotch whisky is made from only three things – water, barley  and yeast. However, peat is an indirect ingredient - lending its flavour to the water and its smoke in the drying kilns. Malt whisky production begins when the barley is malted - by steeping the barley in water, and then allowing it to get to the point of sprouting. When the barley germinates like this, enzymes are released that that break down starches in the grain and helps convert them into sugars. When the desired state of germination is reached, the malted barley is then dried using smoke in the drying kilns.

The dried malt is ground into a coarse flour called "grist." It is then mixed with hot water, in a large vessel called a mash tun. The grist is allowed to steep. This process is referred to as "mashing," and dissolves the sugars which were produced during malting, producing a sugary liquid known as "wort."

The wort is then transferred to another large vessel called a "wash back" where it is cooled. The yeast is added, and the wort is allowed to ferment. The resulting liquid, now at about 5-7% alcohol by volume, is called "wash" and is very similar to a rudimentary beer.

The wash is transferred into a wash still. The liquid is heated to the boiling point of alcohol, which is lower than the boiling point of water. The alcohol evaporates and travels to the top of the still, through the "lyne arm" and into a condenser - where it is cooled and reverts to liquid. This liquid has an alcohol content of about 20% and is called "low wine."

The low wine is then distilled a second time, in a spirit still. The distillation is divided into three "cuts." The first liquid or cut of the distillation is called "foreshots" and is generally quite toxic. These are generally saved for further distillation. It is the "middle cut" which will be placed in casks for maturation. At this stage it is called "new make." Its alcohol content is anywhere from 60%-75%.

The third cut is called the "feints" and is generally quite weak. These are also saved for further distillation. Once distilled, the "new make spirit" is placed into oak barrels  for the maturation process.

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