The World of Single Malt Whisk(e)y
August 2021
SPONSORED BY: The Water of Life A Whisky Film
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Alternative Aging Methods
We’ve talked at length about traditional barrel aging in this monthly column; it’s no wonder, considering roughly 70% of a whisky’s character comes from the barrel and aging process, not to mention 100% of the colour (unless artificially altered). The myriad of prior drinks held in the cask, from Bourbon to Sherry to Port to high end red wines or sweet dessert wines, even rum and tequila, each lend their unique characteristics and flavours to the finished single malt. We know the size of cask and type of wood play an important role in shaping the spirit, as well. This is the way whisky has been made for hundreds of years, and while there have been innovations with various cask finishes, it’s a system that has remained largely traditional in its practice. What works, works. Why change what’s not broken?
Well, people have been creating and inventing for centuries -- just because something isn’t broken doesn’t mean it can’t be altered in an attempt to improve upon the process or discover a radical new method that blows the consumer out of the water. This month, we’re taking a look at some of the newer, alternative aging methods that have come onto the scene, from the effects of water to pressure aging and even taking a trip into space!
Call of the Sea
It’s clear that sea and water influence a whisky. Take those beautiful malts crafted on Islay or near the coast -- it’s clear the effect proximity has on the aging spirit. But we’re not just talking about sitting in barrels on the shore with this -- we’re talking about actually aging whisky on the water where it benefits from the physical aspects, as well. The swells and currents act as a naturally gentle agitator, increasing the interaction between the whisky and the wood. Not to mention, temperatures on the water and humidity levels differ, which all play a part in maturation. One of the most prominent examples of this, albeit not a Scotch Single Malt, is Jefferson’s Aged at Sea Bourbon. They place their casks on a ship that travels to 25 ports across 5 continents with 2 equator crossings. It weathers the whims of Mother Nature, from intense heat changes to stormy waves….Granted, this is actually not a new method -- whisky was transported via ship around the world centuries ago, and that’s often where it did all of its aging. It went into the barrels for shipping as new make and arrived as fully matured, delicious whisky. So, there is already merit to this, but it may not be feasible for the vast majority of producers, let alone not nearly as safe an investment for such precious cargo.
The Power of Sound
Speaking of cascading waves and vibrations at sea, that’s where the idea came from to use musical vibrations to speed up the whisky aging process. Anything that makes the barrels thrum can be utilized, but heavy bass music is a solid go--to for its deep rhythmic vibrations. Take, for instance, heavy metal band Metallica’s Blackened, created initially in collaboration with former Maker’s Mark head distiller, Dave Pickerell. Together, they came up with a system they’ve called Black Noise. Working with the band’s sound company, a proprietary device was made and various playlists of Metallica music send vibrations throughout the resting barrels, forcing the wood and whiskey interaction to a rapid degree, resulting in a richer spirit with more depth of flavour. Tests were carried out at the beginning, comparing the traditionally aged whiskey with the Black Noise aged, and each of the nine markers or flavour points came back enhanced from the Black Noise method.
Metallica is not the only group to be utilizing sound in their creation process. Companies claim these sonic “aged” whiskies stand up to age statement whiskies of 10, 20+ years old in terms of quality and flavour at a fraction of the price.
Hitting a little closer to the shores of Scotland is Wee Smoky, a new blended grain Scotch whisky that debuted in 2020 and has caught media attention with a piper serenading two casks which will be turned into a very limited offering of just 550 bottles. Project Smok is the band behind the progressive traditional Scottish tunes, and £1 from every bottle of Wee Smoky’s Project Smok Edition will go to support the band. Granted, while this is charmingly delightful, based on what is known about the intensity required for actual differences to take place from sonic vibrations, this writer is skeptical the whisky will have undergone any actual change just from a bit of fun piping.
Pressured Precision
The thing about whisky is that it takes time; time for the spirit to interact with the wood to soften out the harsher aspects and gain those desirable wood--derived qualities. But what if one could speed up that process? Pressure aging is just what it sounds like. Spirit is put in a stainless steel tank with a measured amount of wood and intense pressure is applied to force the whisky in and out of the wood, cutting a process that takes years down to a few days or even hours. Now, this is definitely a method that’s gotten The Scotch Whisky Association’s knickers in a twist, and it’s typically seen in America due to less stringent regulations.
Two large instigators of this more scientific-based method are Lost Spirits Distillery (founded in 2010 by inventor/distiller Bryan Davis and Joanne Haruta) and Bespoken Spirits (founded in 2018).
Davis invented and patented the first documented process of successfully replicating some of the effects of barrel aging. He’s since gone on to license and help other distilleries utilize his technology.
Bespoken has the patented ACTivation technology which uses a chemical reactor to precisely extract key components from the wood.
Another take on pressure aging is companies buying whisky that has already been made and aged under the proper laws of governance in other countries (such as Scotland) and adding their own spin on things; but still - maybe that’s splitting staves.
Is it more ecologically friendly and business savvy? Less trees cut down, less energy and water are used, less time is taken, less spirit is lost to the Angels, more whisky is produced and faster...But it does beg the question, is this really “aging” whisky? Because age implies time, and in this instance, you’re taking away the time. It’s like the term alcohol--free spirits….but that’s another conversation for another time.
Space -- The Final Frontier
If you read the All About Ardbeg article back in March, you’ll already know that yes, whisky has indeed been aged in space! While not a particularly feasible method of aging at this point, it is a fascinating idea. We know whisky is a product of its environment -- from where the grain was grown to the tangy sea breezes that blow through the dunnage warehouse -- it all plays a part. It stands to reason that if you take whisky out of Earth’s atmosphere and into space, something is going to happen. In the case of Ardbeg, being in a microgravity environment for 3 years where it orbited Earth 15 times a day at the speed of 17,227 miles per hour, there were definite differences compared to its Earth--bound counterpart, according to lead researcher and Ardbeg Whisky Creator, Dr. Bill Lumsden. There were 4 stages of analysis, 3 of which had noticeable differences, particularly relating to the phenols; it seems being in space brought out a much deeper and more intense smokey characteristic, one that Dr. Lumsden had never experienced from Earth aged whisky. Shards of Ardbeg barrels were also included in the vials of new make spirit, and the research team noted significant differences between those samples, as well. In terms of flavour and maturation rate, the space--aged whisky appears to have been somewhat inhibited -- which makes sense, as there isn’t the same pressure and outside forces in space as on Earth to force the spirit in and out of the wood. With the advances in public travel into space, it won’t be long before folks take a bottle of their favorite dram along and claim it was “space aged”. However, in the end, while fascinating, this humble writer does not think space aging on a production scale will become the way of the future anytime soon.
Each of these methods have their pros and cons, but it’s an interesting look into how some whiskies are being aged these days. I’m sure there are new methods just around the corner -- and when we hear about them, we’ll write about them.