With great malt whisky, is it all in the copper?

When It Comes to Great Whisky, The Size of Your Still Matters - The Daily Beast:

"There is a reason Speyside has become synonymous with Scotch whisky. To produce deliciously smooth drams of single malt, the region has refined the ancient art of distillation. For one Speyside distillery in particular, The Macallan, that process has come to be defined by some curiously small stills. The distillation of any sumptuous single malt takes place in two stages and with two distinct stills, both of which are usually made out of copper. ...
Why stills made out of copper? The distinctive qualities of copper make it perfect for whisky stills—and thus for developing the full-bodied flavor of fine single malts. This is partly due to the metal’s malleable nature and ability to cope with wear—not to mention its exceptional capacity to conduct heat. But the copper performs another important function: working as a catalyst in the distillation process. In this way, it assists with the formation of “esters”: sweet, naturally forming chemical compounds which, when combined with water, react to create alcohol. What’s more, this process keeps impurities to a minimum"

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