WHISKY FROM ACRE OF BARLEY

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25555, 24 July 1948, Page 5

WHISKY FROM ACRE OF BARLEY

The Association of Agriculture recently calculated the produce per acre of British grain crops in terms of various foods, says a writer in the “Scottish Farmer.” But whisky was not mentioned. Yet it is a main dollar earner, leading source of national revenue.

In a good growing and harvesting year, five to six, or even more, quarters of barley per acre are common, but m years of mediocre or bad weather, when crops do not attain their best, a farmer is more likely to thresh four to four and a half quarters per acre.

Take it at five quarters, assume that the barley is of good, sound quality, and of a natural bushel weight of 561 b. At that weight per bushel there are 4481 b of barley in one quarter. When converted into malt at distilleries, the malt weighs 3361 b per quarter at a standard bushel weight of 421 b. There is, thus, an increase in malt over barley. It is with malt, in terms of bushels, and proof gallons that distillers are primarily concerned. Taking all Highland malt distilleries into account, their produce per bushel of malt at 421 b varies —dependent on the quality of the grain, condition of plant and working method—from 2.55 to 2.72 proof gallons. Produce lower than 2.55 is reckoned poor; above 2.72 is regarded as exceptionally good. A fair and customary produce of whisky for all distilleries is 2.65 gallons per bushel of malt.

There are eight bushels in one quarter (3361 b of malt; thus, a produce of 2.65 per bushel gives 21.2 proof gallons per quarter of malt. This in turn is, by distillers’ calculation, equivalent to an estimated extract of 2.86 gallons of spirits at proof strength per bushel of barley at 561 b, or 22.88 gallons at proof per quarter of barley at 4481 b. With an average yield, then, of five quarters of barley per acre, it means that each acre can provide in the neighbourhood of 115 gallons of whisky at proof strength! That, at the existing excise duty on whisky at 157 s 6d per proof gallon, is worth £905 12s 6d in Government revenue! So much for fact. But we dare not hope to attempt the arithmetic of how many nips daily for a year an acre of barley will provide for each individual in Britain! It can be stated, however, that there are six bottles of whisky to the gallon and that, with careful handling, 21 full nips can be taken from each bottle, i which, at a produce of 115 gallons per acre, is equal to 690 bottles, or 14,490 nips! That, though, is at proof strength. There is no way of gauging accurately the extent to which that number of nips will increase by the time it is sold over the counter at the retail under proof strength! Nor can there • be assessed just how much of the pro- ; duct of Scotland’s distilleries' remains I available for home consumption after America has had its whack!