The Forces
Create conditions.
Not every Force matters equally to every spirit. For gin, maturation climate may be irrelevant. For tequila, years of agave growth are everything. For whisky, maturation climate becomes fundamental.
These forces create the potential. The maker cannot change them, only respond to them.
OriginCountry, region, altitude, latitude and landscape.
Raw MaterialGrapes, grain, sugar cane, agave, botanicals or fruit.
ClimateGrowing conditions and, for aged spirits, the maturation climate.
WaterSource, mineral composition, availability and character.
TimeGrowing cycles, seasonal variation and the passage of time during maturation.
Forces create conditions.
Choices create outcomes.