Oak Barrels For Winemaking

Aging Spirits

Winemaking is an intricate art and this is the main reason why every wine bottle is unique in taste, texture and smell. Now, you usually get wine in glass bottles, cardboard cartons or even plastic bottles. However, the actual wine barrel storage process starts by storing wine in wood caskets. Vintners store the newly prepared wine in aged oak, pine or even mahogany barrels. The unique chemistry of these barrels is the main reason why wine acquires its wonderful tannins and taste.

How does this work?
Wine is aged in wood barrels primarily made with oak wood. Wine has been stored in oak barrels since 2000 years. The oak wood imparts unique taste, aroma, fuller texture and complexity to the wine. Oak wood also has a very beautiful chemistry that accentuates particular tastes in the wine. For example, oak accentuates caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, tea, toffee and even butter flavors in…

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Oak Barrels For Winemaking

Aging Spirits

Winemaking is an intricate art and this is the main reason why every wine bottle is unique in taste, texture and smell. Now, you usually get wine in glass bottles, cardboard cartons or even plastic bottles. However, the actual wine barrel storage process starts by storing wine in wood caskets. Vintners store the newly prepared wine in aged oak, pine or even mahogany barrels. The unique chemistry of these barrels is the main reason why wine acquires its wonderful tannins and taste.

How does this work?
Wine is aged in wood barrels primarily made with oak wood. Wine has been stored in oak barrels since 2000 years. The oak wood imparts unique taste, aroma, fuller texture and complexity to the wine. Oak wood also has a very beautiful chemistry that accentuates particular tastes in the wine. For example, oak accentuates caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, tea, toffee and even butter flavors in…

View original post 403 more words

Tequila Old Fashioneds

Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide

While we never tire of margaritas, we do enjoy other tequila and mezcal cocktails. This one is a strong one. Eat an extra taco or two.

Tequila Old Fashioneds

• 1 1/2 ounces Reposado tequila
• 1/2 ounce Mezcal
• 1 tsp simple syrup
• 2 dashes chocolate or orange bitters

Throw a few ice cubes in a tumbler. Shake in the bitters. Add simple syrup and liquors. Stir. Garnish with an orange rind or cherries.

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Aging Scotch In Sherry Barrels

Aging Spirits

Scotch needs to be matured in oak casks, rather than bottles and the quality of the scotch is often determined by the quality of the barrel. In fact, the quality of the barrel can account for up to 95 percent of a malt whiskey’s quality, although the barley and the manufacturing process also play their part.

The quality of the cask ultimately depends on the quality of the wood, and the oak should be both solid and flexible. White American oak and European oak are both used for making barrels, and the whiskey’s flavor is also improved by the oak used.

Why You Should Not Age Bourbon In a Sherry Barrel

Although bourbon can be aged in a new cask, scotch should only be aged in a second hand cask, which means that aging bourbon in a sherry barrel or cask is not an option. In fact, the law is…

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How Bourbon Is Made

Aging Spirits

Bourbon is made up of mostly corn, and then barley, wheat, or rye. Bourbon that is made with wheat substituted for rye is referred to as a “wheated bourbon”. Once the grains are ground together, water is then mixed with it. Some mash from an earlier batch is often added with this mix in order to keep the pH at the same consistency. This type of mash is referred to as a sour mash. Finally, after all the mixing, yeast is added, and then the mash is left to ferment. As soon as the mash is done fermenting, it is called the wash. The whiskey makers distill the wash until it is 60 to 80 percent alcohol. This is done with a continuous still.

Next, the maturation process begins by placing the alcohol into special barrels made of charred oak. It is left to age and soak up the color…

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Jack Daniels Old No.7

Whisky Den

Bought – ASDA, 14th October 2013

Ratings:
92/100 – Whisky Bible 2013

It was only after I bought this bottle that I realised – I don’t think I’ve ever drunk Jack Daniels before! If I did it was such a long time ago I can’t remember what it tasted like. Chances are it tasted like coke because a ‘Jack & Coke’ is how you drink it, isn’t it? My knowledge about drinking Tennessee Whiskey is sadly lacking. I will have to do some research before I tuck into this bottle!

One thing I’ve noticed is that the standard of JD has improved according to Jim Murray. In his whisky bible of 2009 he only scores the No.7 87/100 so it’s jumped up 5 points in recent years. It seems unfair to shove coke into it and disguise the taste of a drink which has improved that much. Anything between 90…

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Whisky Live Boston 2013

Bargain Bourbon

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend Whisky Live Boston, a massive alcoholic drinks exhibition in downtown Boston.  For nearly four hours, vendors, brand ambassadors, and sales representatives discuss their products, while hundreds of patrons sample the aforementioned products.  Most of the exhibits are whiskeys of some kind (bourbon, Scotch, Irish, Australian, etc.), but rum, tequila, vodka, gin, and cocktails of all kinds can also be found at Whisky Live.  It is a great event to try new spirits, socialize with other whiskey enthusiasts, and eat some very good food cooked with whiskey (Four Roses supplied the entrées this year).

If you ever get the chance to attend Whisky Live (or another similar event), I highly recommend it.  However, an evening at Whisky Live requires planning and pacing.  If you love whiskey as much as I do, it is too easy to become overwhelmed and go…

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Stagg Jr.

Bay Area Whiskey Reviews

Grade: B-

Type: American, Bourbon, Kentucky

Age: 8-9 Yrs

ABV: 67.20%

Price: $50

Availability: Better Whiskey Stores

Buffalo Trace has said that this will be a regular expression. However, so far it has been a bit hard to find for customers. The nose on this is wood, spice and lots of oak. The palate is rye, oak, nice candied caramel taste here. The finish is hot, plastic, finger nail polish remover. I think this expression by Stagg is worth trying and owning but it does fall a bit short if you have expectations based on the original Stagg expressions. B-/B

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Aging Ole Smoky Moonshine

Great idea alternating spirits!

Aging Spirits

It is legal to buy Ole Smoky Moonshine at your local liquor store.  The product is offered by the makers of the television show, Moonshiners, through the Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery, located in Gatlinburg, TN.  There are likely a couple flavors available, but the 100 proof Ole Smokey moonshine is a good choice.  It is a little higher in octane than most other spirits and from the show.  For under $20, you can purchase a 750 ml bottle.  Sold in a Mason jar, the flavor is bold.  It taste just as you would expect moonshine to taste.  You will feel like you could breathe fire directly from your mouth.

If you have an Oak Barrel that you have used for aging another spirit for a few weeks, that other spirit will be deeply soaked into the oak.  While it is possible to remove the other spirits by soaking in water…

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A Cocktail A Week

Like any bourbon-obsessed yuppie, I love a good Manhattan. However, sometimes I find they are a bit too sweet. For me, the perfect manhattan is a little dryer, with a really good rye whiskey. And, what a coincidence, the actual name for a manhattan that uses half sweet and half dry vermount is, in fact, a Perfect Manhattan. Here’s the Perfect Manhattan I just made myself.

The Perfect Manhattan

Add to a shaker:

• 1.5 oz. Smooth Ambler rye whiskey
• .25 oz. dry vermouth
• .25 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1 dash orange bitters
• 1 dash Angostura bitter
• 1 dash Jerry Thomas’ Own Decanter Bitters
• 3 ice cubes

Stir vigorously until chilled. Place a cherry in the bottom of a martini glass, pour the glorious manhattan over the cherry and enjoy.

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