What Types Of Wood Are Used When Aging Whiskey?
Wood is one of the most important ingredients utilized in the making of whiskey. Wood contributes 50 to 80 of the flavor and aromas of whiskey.The wooden barrels in which whiskey is aged in add some of the most desirable characterisitcs of whiskey. The wood adds color, flavor and depth to the spirit. For whiskey to mature properly Oak is the best choice of wood for aging. Although there are hundreds of Oak varieties only a few work well for maturation of spirits. In America the perfect cask Oak would be White Oak. The White Oak resists leakage and is easily bent when heat is applied to it. European Oak is also a nice choice for aging whiskey. It is easily penetrated by liquid and allows a better oxygen flow than the American Oak. But the American Oak is lower in tannis than the European Oak and therefore lends more flavor compounds to the spirits being aged.The charcoal from the firing process and the tannins from the wood all effect the end result. Until it undergoes a wood aging process it is unappealing to the taste. If it doesn’t undergo the process of barrel aging, it simply isn’t good whiskeyStill bored? Click to continue: A Jewel in Gascony: Domaine Chiroulet
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