Whisky Connosr
Menu
Buy Whisky Online

Discussions

The Young Science of Making Old Spirits

3 18

@Benancio
Benancio started a discussion

I think if your a spirit enthusiast like myself, This will be a very interesting read. www.wired.com/2015/04/lost-spirits/

This guy says he can make 20y old spirits in 6 days. My first reaction was no way and the thought of drinking something like that made me feel ill.

I sent this article to a very good friend that's a Chemist at one of the Nations Top labs, he said it plausible but without the patient he couldn't validate the science. He cautioned, don't believe everything you read, but it sounds attainable.

The inventor formally and publicly unveiled the Model 1 at the American Distilling Institute Annual Spirits Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, this April 2015.

After reading my second reaction was, whiskey connosours will judge the quality, distilleries and consumers will determine its success.

What's your thoughts?

9 years ago

18 replies

RetFor replied

wow, thats really interesting. if it really works, itll totally change the way young spirits are done. as he says, it still wont compare to truly aging a spirit for 50 years, but for the young cheap ones, i cant see any reason not to do it if it works even half as good as claimed.

9 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor replied

I suppose that we will find out how good these products are when we actually taste and smell them for ourselves. Skill of the operator will be as important with "enhanced" products as they will be with traditional products. In other words, there is likely to be a range in quality in the products produced in the enhanced products sector. Time will tell how good any of this new stuff will be.

9 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Robert99
Robert99 replied

@Benancio Very interesting! I have no problem with getting young spirits to taste like old ones. But I would like to know what is the chemical difference between the two of it. I usually finished a bottle between two months and two years; how will react the whisky produce with this process over time? So I think like you all that taste and value will determine its succes and craftmanship will play its role to achieve true greatness like with any process.

9 years ago 0

@Ol_Jas
Ol_Jas replied

Let's all just be warned. This is the guy who made Leviathan.

9 years ago 0

@Benancio
Benancio replied

@RetFor, I think your probably right, low end whiskey might improve.

@Victor, Distillers have their own chemist, I'm sure this isn't a new idea, I find it hard believe that they haven't tried to speed the process up. Have you ever heard of any non traditional processing of whiskey?

@Robert99, I have no idea how these products will hold up. My first reaction is still the same. I'll let some ginniepigs drink it first. I have a few friends that will drink anything, they have never seen a whiskey they didn't like.

OlJas, He also has a book on how to distill whiskey. Making great whiskey is still an art and not a science. Not to say there isn't science in today's whiskey industry. I'll avoid Lavaithan. There was a peated malt whiskey made in Oregon I think, not great, but not aweful. If it was easy anyone would make great Islay whiskey, it's not easy. Santa Fe Spirits makes a wood smoked malt whiskey, some people like it, I hate it.

9 years ago 0

@Maltmaniacmate

My first reaction to this article was sadness and horror. Sadness to see the end of whisky as we know it. And I was horrified to realize that the future of whisky may be that of a "beefed up botox" product. But let's look at the upsides first: First of all, it must be of great help to the labs at the distilleries. With this new invention they will be able to see very quickly how a spirit reacts to a certain age or a certain type of wood. Maybe that will make them more willing to try some funky sort of wood that they wouldn't dare if they had to actually buy the wood and age the spirit for years before they would know how the end product would taste like. So as long as it stays in the lab I'm all for it. On the downside I envision a future where age statement whisky will totally disappear (or at least divide the whisky market into super premium (with an age statement) and affordable (no age)). Why invest in wood, dunnage warehouses and so forth if you can sell a product that tastes the same (and to much greater profit), but is made in 2 hours instead of 20 years? Luckily, at least in Scotland, the whisky brand is controlled by a lot of requirements such as "at least 3 years of oak maturation". Maybe what we will then see is two different kinds of Whisky spirits developing: on the one hand you'll have "Whisky" and on the other you'll have something they might call "Wheasky". Meaning that you'll be able to buy lets say "Talisker 18" in both a whisky version and a wheasky version. The former priced around 100 dollars and the latter for half the price. It would be similar to that of the music or film business where you can buy the product in different formats (LP, CD, DVD, BLU Ray). If that's how the future pans out there'll be easy access to "fake" old whisky and very limited (and expensive) access to truly aged whisky....but as things are going right now thats the future anyhow..

9 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Ol_Jas
Ol_Jas replied

I predict this will be some garbage we've all forgotten about in a few weeks' time.

9 years ago 2Who liked this?

@Frost
Frost replied

This will revolutionise the whisk(e)y industry, just how the hamburger-in-a-can killed the humble burger...oh ...wait...

9 years ago 2Who liked this?

@Victor
Victor replied

If the innovators ever get this accelerated whisky-aging thing right it will be absolutely hilarious to witness the turmoil this will do to the smug self-appointed 'Guardians of Tradition' in the whisky industry. Customers trying the new stuff and saying things like: "This new stuff is not really "whisky", but it tastes better than that 12 year old stuff which YOU are selling." I would love to watch that show!!!

Those who know me know that I try always to be polite, but that I don't give a shit for whisky tradition or for whisky Romanticism. I just care what it tastes and smells like. For me, everything else is a pipe-dream fantasy, a fantasy world which does not now exist and probably never did exist.

7 years ago 3Who liked this?

@jeanluc
jeanluc replied

fire fire I love it when @Victor unloads both barrels (excuse the pun).

7 years ago 2Who liked this?

@Nozinan
Nozinan replied

@Victor I would add that Amrut is an example of young but mature whisky. I've read "experts" who say that while it matures quicker it doesn't achieve the same complexity as older malts, but that is just hog-wash (Not Boss-Hog-wash...). Anyone who has tasted asbourbon cask single barrel Amrut has known complexity...

7 years ago 0

@paddockjudge
paddockjudge replied

@Nozinan,

Amrut Single Cask is amazing. It is a world class whisky worthy of high praise. In less than 5 years the angel's share amounts to 45%; that is the trade-off. There is a toll for traveling in the fast lane.

7 years ago 0

@newreverie
newreverie replied

@Benancio so that is why you gave me that bottle at the whiskey summit! I still haven't tried it. Maybe I'll finally open it up tonight.

7 years ago 0

@GoodVintage
GoodVintage replied

This would certiainly put the cat amongst the pigeons!

7 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor replied

@Nelom, I did taste and review one of the accelerated-aged whiskies. It was better than I expected.

connosr.com/cleveland-bourbon-50-abv-whisk…

Soon there will be more opportunities for all of us to try out some of these products.

7 years ago 0

@Nelom
Nelom replied

Thanks @Victor and @Ol_Jas for pointing me towards this thread. It'll be interesting to read through.

7 years ago 0

Liked by:

@GoodVintage@jeanluc@vanPelt