terroir

terroir —the idea that the flavor of a food or beverage is in some way determined by the place(s) where it is made and its raw materials have been grown—is a concept, much debated within wine circles, whose application to distilled spirits has only recently begun to be explored (the exception being single-malt scotch whisky, which has long been described as reflective of place). It has been greeted with some skepticism: spirits, after all, are the products of a manufacturing process that is much more technologically complex than that used for wines. That said, it can be argued that the terroir concept lies at the heart of Europe’s appellation system, in which, for example, a juniper-flavored grain spirit cannot be called “Steinhäger” unless it is distilled in that corner of Germany, south of the Black Forest—even if it is otherwise chemically identical. See Geographical Indication (GI) and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). The concept of the impact of place can become fusty or mysterious in the voices of some, but simply put, “terroir” is terrain. The factors that can vary with a spirit’s place of origin include climate, weather, season, topography, geography, proximity to specific flora, soil, subsoils, and the place and conditions under which these beverages are stored, and even the local traditions and regulations that can affect decisions made by the people who are producing the spirit.

Some spirits, such as Absolut vodka, rely upon locally sourced grains and water from a specific aquifer. See Absolut. It is arguable that the most distinctive flavor characteristics of Absolut are due to the distillery’s aquifer-drawn water, a reflection of terroir. Islay single malt is presumed to be smoky and briny because of its location; Islay distillers insist that barrel storage near the ocean is the chief influence. Yet few whisky barrels are actually stored on the island—most are sent to Glasgow. On the other hand, Islay peat is traditionally wetter than peats on the mainland (wet vegetation creates more smoke), which means that any peated malt used that comes from local maltings will tend to be smoked to a greater degree than other malts. The influence of that peat doesn’t stop there: the water on Islay is to a significant degree flavored by the peat through which it filters, which means that any whisky made there using the local water will display some peat notes. One could continue with examples of rums, agave spirits, brandies, baijius, and so forth, each displaying influences of terroir, but it should be clear already that the concept will repay further investigation and discussion.

See also baijiu; rum, Jamaica; and whisky, scotch.

Sandhaus, Derek. Drunk in China. Lincoln, NE: Potomac, 2019.

By: Doug Frost