Moreover, in warehouses that lack climate control, the typical case for many Texas distillers, it’s not uncommon to have variances of 10 to 20 degrees in the ambient temperature of different areas of the warehouse. The result is that compared to cool climate whiskeys, hot climate whiskeys can sometimes feel unbalanced and have a more pronounced alcoholic sharpness. Evaporation is concentrating flavor and aroma elements in the spirit, depending on the relative humidity the ratio of water to alcohol is changing, additional flavor and aroma compounds are being extracted from the wood, oxygen is seeping into the barrel and oxidizing some of the compounds in the spirit, while other chemical reactions, some catalyzed by oxygen, are creating new aroma and flavor compounds.Ī hot climate will increase the speed of certain processes like wood extraction or evaporation, but have far less effect on other processes. TTB regulations define the main types of American whiskey but the generic term “American Whiskey” is not defined.ĭuring maturation, a series of separate processes are occurring. The TTB shows a lot of flexibility with craft distillers, so a whiskey matured in a combination of new and old barrels could, if the TTB allows it, be called an “American Whiskey”. Corn whiskey, on the other hand, can be matured in a combination of new and used barrels. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) rules, however, require that only new barrels of charred oak can be used if the whiskey is to be labeled as a bourbon, rye, wheat or malt whiskey. Ideally, distillers would use a combination of new and used barrels to manage the overall level of extraction. Left untended, whiskey can become woody and tannic. Maturing whiskeys in hot climates also poses special challenges. In Texas’s case, this means more pronounced sweetness, along with more cinnamon and pepper spiciness, more caramel, and a more distinctive oak wood note. The result is that hot climate whiskeys are darker, heartier and more flavorful. Cooler climates, like Scotland for example, will average around 2%-3% in the first year dropping to between 1%-2% in subsequent years. In both cases evaporation, what distillers euphemistically call the “angel’s share,” can average between 8% and 10% in the first year, diminishing to around 5% in subsequent years. The same whiskey matured in different areas of Texas can result in significantly different aroma and taste profiles. Whiskeys matured along the humid Gulf Coast, for example Houston area producers, tend to lose more alcohol during maturation, while producers in the Hill Country of central Texas sometimes lose more water than alcohol. Hot climate whiskeys also have higher evaporation, with the balance between alcohol and water varying in accordance with the relative humidity. The larger the temperature variation the more spirit is absorbed and expelled by the cask wood and the greater the amount of flavor compounds extracted from the wood. This is especially true if there is significant seasonal or diurnal temperature variation. Whiskeys matured in hot climates extract flavors from wood faster than whiskeys matured in cooler climates. Texas whiskey producers share many common characteristics with their brethren in other hot climates like Taiwan, India, southern Japan or South Africa.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |