{"id":710,"date":"2018-06-07T21:20:17","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T21:20:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.storagearea.com\/blog\/?p=710"},"modified":"2020-10-28T16:59:28","modified_gmt":"2020-10-28T16:59:28","slug":"why-is-whiskey-aged-for-so-many-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.storagearea.com\/blog\/why-is-whiskey-aged-for-so-many-years.html","title":{"rendered":"Why Is Whiskey Aged for So Many Years?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whiskey lovers around the world will tell you that the longer a whiskey is aged the better it\u2019ll taste. All of those distinctive flavors that whiskey connoisseurs adore in their tipple\u2014tobacco, leather, vanilla, cedar, smoke, peat, caramel\u2014are imparted to the \u201cwhite dog<\/a>,\u201d or raw whiskey, by the barrel used to store the spirit. Whiskey in its purest form is pretty much moonshine. Before the barrel can work its magic on the freshly distilled concoction, it\u2019s a perfectly clear liquid that packs quite a wallop. This pre-barreled mixture retains the original flavor of the mash bill, which usually includes some combination of corn, rye, barley, or wheat.<\/p>\n

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Great Barrels of Fire <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bourbon, America\u2019s favorite whiskey, has a few strict requirements set forth by the U.S. Congress in the 1964 Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits, including:<\/p>\n

        1.<\/strong> It must be produced in the U.S.A.
\n        2.<\/strong> It must have a minimum grain mixture of 51% corn.
\n        3.<\/strong> It must have a proof of no more than 160.
\n        4.<\/strong> It must be aged for at least 2 years.
\n        5.<\/strong> It must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.<\/p>\n

But what the heck is a new, charred oak barrel?<\/p>\n

Charring barrels has a long and somewhat mysterious origin. Though no one is entirely certain, most professionals believe that distillers burned their barrels to remove leftover impurities from previously stored goods and that this tradition was passed down from generation to generation until it became industry standard.<\/p>\n

Basically, charring is exactly what it sounds like. Scorching flames are applied to the inside of the barrel for a specific period of time in order to reach one of 5 charring levels.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how it breaks down:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • No. 1 Char<\/strong> \u2013 15 seconds<\/li>\n
  • No. 2 Char <\/strong>\u2013 30 seconds<\/li>\n
  • No. 3 Char <\/strong>\u2013 35 seconds<\/li>\n
  • No. 4 Char <\/strong>\u2013 55 seconds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Charring the barrel for these lengths opens up the wood and allows the \u201cwhite dog\u201d whiskey to soak in the flavors more easily before the barrels are put into storage. There\u2019re also a number of scientific terms that apply to the charring method. Some of these are hemicellulose<\/em>, lignin<\/em>, and oak lactones<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Those might sound like a mouthful, but here\u2019s what these compounds mean in the whiskey world:<\/p>\n

            Hemicellulose <\/strong>breaks down wood sugars imparting caramel, toffee, and brown                  sugar flavors to the whiskey.<\/p>\n

            Lignin <\/strong>pulls double or even triple-duty in the barrel, providing the spirit with                        vanilla, smoke, and spice tastes.<\/p>\n

            Oak lactones <\/strong>imbue the liquor with powerful woody or coconut flavors.<\/p>\n

    Check out this video of a whiskey barrel being charred:<\/strong><\/p>\n