News for Week Starting Feb 8, 2021 - Distilling all the Info You May Need to Know (and is hopefully a little interesting)

What are those clouds in my Whiskey?

Last night I had someone ask me that exact question, and I said those are not clouds, that is actually fat. They were not pleased with my answer. In fact, they are fatty acids that have come together as a result of the spirit getting chilled down to about 32* somewhere along the supply chain flow. This chilling resulted in the fatty acids coming together in the solution - not something that looks very good, but is completely harmless. 

Here is a great article from SevenFifty that describes the whole "non-chill filtered" and the clouds in your Whiskey

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Rapid Spirits Aging is Not Really a Thing - Or Is IT?

I happen to spend a good amount of my time talking about the pros, and occasionally the cons, of wood aging of wines and spirits, and sometimes beer. In general the benefits are to add depth to the flavor and aroma profile of the product in the barrel, a result of being contact with the wood for an extended period of time. It also helps to soften tannins in wine, round out astringency in higher proof spirits, and create a better mouthfeel in both. But, aging an alcoholic beverage can be very expensive - in terms of both dollars invested and in time. This has resulted in some people looking to accelerate the process without having it cost so much on either front.

Check out this article on WIRED to see what one couple has been doing about rum aging

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