An interesting read

[Restaurant man]

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/11/the-new-science-of-old-whiskey/309522/

Have at it fellas and lady

[Guest]

Very interesting, thanks for the post

[jonhalter]

Good find. Thanks

[squire]

Yeah, thanks. I wondered what happened to that barrel swap between Makers Mark and Glenmorangie, the fact whisky ages about three times faster in the warm climate of Kentucky is not surprising but I would still like to hear how the final results tasted.

As to the partition of oak trees I remain skeptical.

[Restaurant man]

As to the partition of oak trees I remain skeptical.

Yeah but you are sold on the "honey" comb barrels :laugh"

[DrBob]

It is research like this that is going on, coupled with the increasing interest in bourbon that makes me think the golden age of bourbon may yet be ahead of us. I think back to where craft beer was 20 years ago, vs. where it is now....

[tmckenzie]

Well I do not agree with his statement that the best micro distillers will stay with small barrels. I am glad to see them go. I also think I got banned from bt's Facebook page when they said they were on a quest for the perfect bourbon. I said, hell, you already made it, about 30 years ago. I have several bottles and it is better than our high end stuff today. That is what needs to happen, go back to the old ways, like I always say, no need to reinvent the wheel.

[sutton]

I'm a bit confused about Zoeller's comment on using a "defensible container" - I suppose if this is like a cage (so exposure to the elements is the same as the original Jeff Ocean) it makes sense. But if it is just a shipping container, what would be different other than the barrels getting a good shake, rattle and roll?

[Richnimrod]

Thanx Restaurant Man! :cool: That was a really "Interesting Read".

...And, pretty well-written; better researched than the the usual 'Bourbon-Puff-Piece' often seen in wide-circulation publications.

I wonder whether the motion component (shipped over the sea, or just rolled around periodically) would make more of a difference than some other variables; given that more fluid will likely be exchanged (into and out of the wood as the wood wets and then dries)??? Or.... Would the drying of the areas "seal" out and therefor lessen the exchange???? Any thoughts anybody?

[cowdery]

I have talked to several micro-distillers who are sticking with small barrels to the extent that they want to be able to use that flavor component. They're putting most of their volume in standard barrels but using small barrel spirit as a kind of spice. "We want to keep that flavor in the mix," is what they've told me.

[portwood]

It is research like this that is going on, coupled with the increasing interest in bourbon that makes me think the golden age of bourbon may yet be ahead of us. I think back to where craft beer was 20 years ago, vs. where it is now....

Don't be so sure that R&D necessarily leads to better consumables. The assumption that R&D always discovers "better" comes to us from the technology/manufacturing fields where standardization is a good thing.

A different way to look at is that if/when R&D discovers "the best whisky" standardization will ensue. Variability in whisky production results in not only "bad" whisky but also the truly outstanding stuff (i.e. "accidents"). Reduce variability and you virtually eliminate the extreme outliers - both negative and positive.

[DrBob]

Well being a research scientist I tend to give it some value but basically what I mean is that people are looking at the processes, trying to understand them, and the more trial and error (will be lots of errors) the more the understanding matures about what it is that makes a honey barrel, for example.

The hope is you reduce the amount of bad side outlier's and skew your distribution of results more to the outstanding stuff. In fact some of those developmental errors may give you the best results.

[Dolph Lundgren]

Great article. Very refreshing to read something written by someone who does their research.

I really liked the part discussing the beginnings of the single oak project.

I think about all of the variables that affect bourbon and have potentially changed over the last 30 years. I always think about the growth of tree farms and how cooperages may have used older trees (different grain) for their staves in the past.

I'm also curious how the big distilleries feel about how long staves should be seasoned before sending them off to the cooperage. Tom's covered it in the micro thread (better bourbon), but I'd like a commercial distillery perspective.

Either way, great article about barrels and aging. Thanks for sharing.

[PcolaDawg]

Thanks for the link. Learned a bunch. :toast:

[r60slash5]

Thanks good read.

Ted

[squire]

I would like to see Buffalo Trace pour a slab out in a pasture, stack up a couple hundred barrels and age them for a few years protected only by a roof and chicken wire walls.

[BillP]

I would like to see Buffalo Trace pour a slab out in a pasture, stack up a couple hundred barrels and age them for a few years protected only by a roof and chicken wire walls.

[oke&coke]

I think one thing stopping that type of experiment is the requirement for the liquor to be secured to protect the tax revenue.

[MtnDew]

Thanks for the article! Most of it was old news but it's still fun to read a well written and fairly detailed account on bourbon.

[Merrymash Monk]

I just read this article last night. Learned a lot. Its very well done. I knew the barrel was important for flavor and aroma but this gives me a new perspective and appreciation of just how crucial the wood and the aging environment is. That bit about playing loud music to help shake up the whiskey in the barrel is hilarious.