Oak. To some it’s merely a elaborate sort of wooden that makes premium-quality furnishings, and comes from a tree related to Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest. To whisky distillers nevertheless, oak is a wooden that may actually make or break any batch of whisky.
Whisky will be loved on all events, any time, and anyplace. Discovering an awesome tasting whisky nevertheless, is simpler mentioned than executed. Certain, we’ve loads of tipples that style simply superb, however typically we would like one thing that’s a lot nicer than “superb”. Why accept mediocrity after we don’t must?
Whisky distillers throughout the globe perceive the significance of manufacturing the very best whisky/whiskey that they’ll, which is why they place such an emphasis on wooden. Specifically, a really particular sort of wooden – oak.
When whisky is left to mature and age in oak casks, all types of magical issues start taking place to it.
Not solely does it tackle a variety of various colors, it additionally adopts a lot of totally different tastes, aromas, and finishes too.
Right here’s a have a look at a number of methods by which several types of oak casks can impart totally different traits throughout the maturation course of.
Oak and whisky
Prior to now, whisky was once aged and matured in all method of various casks, constructed from a wide range of totally different woods. These days nevertheless, by legislation, whisky have to be aged and matured in casks constructed from oak.
Oak is a really robust and sturdy wooden, but it’s also straightforward to be made into casks. It has very tight grains that make it excellent for leak prevention, whereas additionally being very porous, thus permitting extra oxygen into and out of the cask to assist the whisky do its factor.
As whisky matures, it attracts naturally occurring oils out of the oak, that are known as ‘vanillins’. These oils then assist to change the profile of the whisky, giving it a distinct color, totally different aromas, totally different mouthfeels, and even a distinct flavour.
So, if all whisky needs to be aged in oak casks, why accomplish that many whiskies style, look, and scent so extremely totally different? Oak is oak, and whisky is whisky, so what provides? Nicely, all of it comes all the way down to the truth that several types of oak cask are used, which have additionally saved totally different liquids prior to now.
Various kinds of oak casks
Oak bushes are discovered everywhere in the globe, but oak bushes in Europe, America, and Asia are very totally different to 1 one other.
Right here’s a have a look at the important thing variations between each.
European Oak
European oak is primarily used to mature whisky produced in Scotland and Eire. This has been the case for a whole lot of years.
Scotland and Eire used to make use of oak from Scotland and England, however the issue is that the grains on this oak weren’t as superb as different European oak bushes, and so the casks would leak. To the distiller’s dismay, they’d discover their treasured whisky seeping out of the casks and going to waste. This actually was no ‘Angel’s Share’.
Needing another, they sourced oak from Russia. As a result of the oak was from a colder, a lot harsher local weather, it was more durable and didn’t leak. The issue is that, like most first rate issues in life, it was costly.
After the Spanish imported their sherry in Spanish oak casks to the UK, distillers seeking to save a few cents would rinse them out and use these casks to age their whisky as a substitute. These casks have been additionally very robust and sturdy, however have been so much cheaper than these from Russia.
To this present day, Spanish sherry casks, akin to Oloroso Sherry casks, are nonetheless used within the whisky-making business, regardless of being rather more costly. Because the saying goes ‘you get what you pay for.’
European oak tends to supply spicier, extra bitter notes and deeper amber, even purple colors.
American Oak
American oak has been used on this business for near a century now.
After WWII, a legislation was handed which acknowledged that whisky needed to be aged in brand-new oak casks. This was primarily executed to assist increase the cooper business, which had took a hell of a pounding throughout the prohibition period.
This was all nicely and good, however a number of years later and there was abruptly a surplus of oak casks accessible, and nothing to place in them. As bourbon whisky grew to become extra well-liked, this actually helped, however there have been nonetheless too many.
They have been steadily despatched oversea to Eire and Scotland, as some Irish and Scottish distillers started utilizing them. As there have been so many, they have been very inexpensive, and have been typically even free.
American oak is right for whisky maturation. A lot so actually, that almost 90% of the world’s whisky is matured in American ex-bourbon casks.
American oak often provides delicate notes of vanilla and caramel, with a a lot mellower, smoother end than its European counterpart. It additionally provides the whisky a golden color.
Japanese Oak
Lastly, now we have Japanese oak.
Japan loves its whisky, and the Japanese whisky-making business is rising each single 12 months.
For the reason that Thirties, Japan has been utilizing a particular sort of oak for his or her casks, known as Mizunara Oak.
Mizunara oak is extraordinarily porous and delicate, and is packed stuffed with vanillins. The casks are due to this fact very liable to leakage and really delicate.
We dread to assume how a lot treasured whisky went to waste in Japan through the years, which is why they primarily use ex-bourbon and sherry casks, similar to in Europe and America. Japanese oak nevertheless, continues to be used. What tends to occur right here is that the whisky is transferred to the Mizunara oak casks on the finish of maturation for a shorter time frame, simply to assist it tackle these further traits you simply don’t get with different forms of oak.
Japanese oak provides distinctive floral notes of Asian spices, candy coconut, recent apples, and sandal wooden. You possibly can anticipate gentle golden honey colors from this explicit wooden.
Charring and toasting
In America notably, you’ll discover that casks are charred and/or toasted in preparation for whiskey maturation.
It sounds excessive, nevertheless it gives an unimaginable depth of flavour and beautiful color to the whiskey. The within of the oak cask shall be set on fireplace and charred. This creates a layer of charcoal which is used to assist filter out any impurities. Yep, charcoal isn’t simply nice for getting your BBQ going, it’s additionally a unbelievable filtration media.
The toasting course of requires the casks to be toasted over an open flame in order to caramelise naturally occurring sugars discovered throughout the wooden. This course of helps to create sweeter flavours and provides notes of nuts and honey. It’s the identical precept behind caramelising onions to make them sweeter.
Charring and/or toasting the oak casks helps with filtering out any impurities, whereas additionally including further notes to the whiskey, in addition to a a lot deeper ruby amber color.
Cask seasoning
One of many foremost the explanation why we get so many alternative and distinctive forms of whiskey/whisky is as a result of the oak casks must be seasoned earlier than the spirit will be left to mature.
Earlier than being full of whiskey, these picket casks must first be “seasoned” by being stuffed up
with another liquid to whiskey.
Sometimes, you’ll discover that these within the whisky distilling business will use oak casks which were used to retailer liquids like:
Sherry and fortified wine akin to port or madeira
Bourbon
Purple and even white wine
Beer or lager
Seasoning the barrels beforehand is essential, because it helps the pores within the wooden to open up, permitting the whisky inside to penetrate deeper because it matures. Not solely that, nevertheless it additionally permits for extra tannins within the wooden to be drawn out earlier than the whisky goes in. Don’t get us unsuitable, tannins when brewing are essential relating to issues like mouthfeel, however too many and the spirit will be bitter.
As soon as the whisky goes into casks which have beforehand been used to retailer different spirits, it then takes on notes and traits of the liquid it has taken the place of. A whisky saved in an ex-sherry cask for instance, will tackle sweeter notes and hues that are just like the sherry. A whisky saved in an ex-beer cask, nevertheless, might tackle extra bitter notes. Prior to now, distillers would even retailer their whisky in casks which used to include salted herring and different fish, although this was merely on account of them having no different. For sure, the whisky matured in these casks took on barely, let’s assume, uncommon traits.
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