Understanding the Many Sources of Flavor in Whiskey

From ingredient selection and fermentation to distillation and maturation, each part in the whiskey-making process includes many different, specific choices that can affect what’s possible in the later stages and in the flavor of the final spirit. In this 57-minute video course—available to Spirits & Distilling subscribers—Heaven Hill distiller Sydney Jones delves into those various details.

Along the way, she discusses:

• the definitions and limitations of rye and bourbon
• different types of oak as sources of flavor
• experimenting with different varieties of corn, rye, wheat, malt—and alternative grains, such as rice
• using fermentation and yeast strains to drive specific flavors, including spice
• why you should treat your yeast like a pet
• why distillation deserves more attention as a driver of whiskey flavor
• how different types of still—pot, column, hybrid—can affect the distillate’s character and maturation time
• making cuts—heads, hearts, tails—and how those affect flavor and maturation
• the many variables of barrel aging and how they affect the whiskey,including climate, entry proof, char, toast level... and, of course, time
• why toast can be more influential than char in barrel-driven flavors
• methods of blending for consistency or to create unique products

And more!