Whiskey Revisited

As you'll recall from my uncreatively titled September post Whiskey River, I added 1500 ml of high proof clear barley whiskey to an oak cask and let it sit. Three months later, it was time to decant. The alcohol acts as a solvent, liberating colorful and delicious caramelized sugars and exotic chemicals from the wood.



The alcohol level of the cask-strength spirit is unpleasantly high. With the help of some simple math, I diluted the spirit to have one bottle standard 80 proof (40% alcohol) and one bottle 100 proof (50%). Despite adding about 300 ml of water, I only ended up with two full bottles of spirit, suggesting substantial evaporation. I read up on this to find out whether my drink got weaker or stronger and the answer is neither. Though alcohol has a lower vapor point than water, the temperature and relative humidity impact what evaporates out of the liquid. If it s warm and/or very humid, very little water will evaporate and the only loss will be alcohol (very bad!). If it is cooler and/or drier, water will evaporate in a greater proportion. Though my basement is fairly cool and dry, I can't speak to the exact proportions of liquid loss. Thus, the ABV figures are rough estimates.

The more diluted spirit is obviously a bit lighter and more drinkable while the less dilute is stronger and a bit rougher. The spirit is much smoother after aging. As you can see, it has a very pleasant medium amber color. The taste is slightly sweet, with flavors of honey and spices, among other delicious things. Though I'm sure that either bottle would make glorious Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, due to the cost, time and limitedness of the spirit, I'll stick with straight up in a snifter or with one or two ice cubes in a heavy bottomed rocks glass.

Prost!

P.S. See you in three months when the next mystery spirit is de-casked. I'll give you a hint. It's delicious.