Subtle Spirits, Water For Life Charity Barrel
If you happen to go to Kentucky to visit a bourbon distillery, chances are you’re going to hear about the famed Kentucky limestone water that plays a key role in the final product. These deep limestone aquifers help to filter out iron, which can be bad for fermentation, and deposit calcium and magnesium which yeast needs to thrive. The importance of water in spirits cannot be overstated. In fact, the word whiskey can be traced back to the Gaelic word, Uisec Baetha, which means “Water of Life.” Much like the Latin word Aqua Vitae, or the French word Eau de Vie, the etymology for most spirits are derived from some translated version of “Water of Life.”
I grew up in the Great Lakes region and spent a large portion of my childhood on a lake or a river. Later on, when I moved to San Francisco and finally had a chance to live near the ocean I began to connect deeper to the true power and beauty of water. With 70% of the world's freshwater going to agriculture, clean drinking water is still a finite and valuable resource in many parts of the world. And the problem is likely getting worse before it gets better. The ability to buy a bottle of water when you are thirsty is both an economic and geographic privilege. I began reflecting on how I can play a part in the preservation and conservation of our Earth's resources, and one day over a glass of whiskey, I began to wonder… Just how much water does the whiskey industry use to make this delightful elixir? Around the same time, my partner had just finished reading the book Thirst by Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water. After hearing more about his story, I felt profoundly inspired and obligated to get involved with a cause we both cared deeply about — water.
This year Subtle Spirits is donating to charity: water. They are on a mission to bring clean and safe drinking water to every person on the planet. Water can change everything. With the help of more than 1 million supporters worldwide, charity: water has funded over 64,000 water projects in 29 countries. They have also reinvented charity in the process with their 100% model and radical transparency. This means 100% of public donations fund clean water projects, they prove every project they build, and they work with strong local partners to build and maintain projects. Private donors cover operating expenses so that 100% of all public donations can go directly to water project costs, even covering credit card fees.
For this Water For Life release, we’ve found an exceptional 12yr old bourbon cask, bottled by Bulleit. There are many rumors about where this was distilled, but we do know that this was a 21% rye mash bill with the Fruity and Creamy #2 yeast strain. Full tasting notes for our Water For Life 2021 barrel can be found here. My partner and Subtle Spirits Creative Director, Kristen Conley, designed the custom logo and teardrop foil blue sticker. In keeping with our brand ethos of supporting artisans, the sticker was printed by Tom Repetto, a second-generation San Francisco printmaker.