How do you like your steak cooked? (Or halloumi or aubergine, for the vegetarians and vegans out there.) From barely warm to thoroughly scorched, it is clear how caramelisation and burning in cooking can transform an ingredient’s taste. The way these flavours develop is down to sequences called Maillard reactions — and they are a common way to build a whisky’s signature profile, too.
In short, Maillard reactions happen when sugars react with amino acids. Heat speeds the reactions up, which is why rare and well-done steaks taste very different. Maillard reactions are pretty common in whisky making too, most notably occurring in direct-fired stills during distillation.
Back in the day, all pot stills were direct fired. Oil, coal, or even wood was burned underneath the still to heat the liquid. The advent of cheaper, more efficient technology has seen most whisky distilleries
