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Wednesday, May 7. 2014

The color of whiskey

Moonshine, as all of our southern readers surely know, is colorless like vodka.


The pleasing colors of Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, etc. come from the oak barrels in which they have matured. Would these spirits be as pleasant if they were colorless? I don't think so.


Posted by The Barrister in Food and Drink at 13:20 | Comments (11) | Trackbacks (0)

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I mix my clear Vodka with cranberry juice. It has a nice rosy hue. And I mix my Scotch (unless it's the good stuff) with water. For a treat, I'll add Irish Cream to my Scotch, also with a little water. And with pizza -- beer of course -- usually the dark variety.
#1 Bodie on 2014-05-07 13:55 (Reply)
You should dilute any fine whiskey to 65 proof. The added water enhances the aroma and quells the bite of the alcohol.
#1.1 bob sykes on 2014-05-07 14:25 (Reply)
Gotta agree with Bob. I find a wee bit of water in a fine scotch opens and softens the taste. By "opens" I mean that I can taste additional, and to my taste better, flavors.

To each his own and YMMV.

When it comes to cheap scotch, well... if that's all you have go heavy on the ice and the water until you can find some clear likker.
#1.1.1 Knucklehead (Link) on 2014-05-07 14:57 (Reply)
I accomplish this with a dash of crushed ice. In addition to the dilution, it cools the temp a bit for a very pleasant drink.
#1.1.2 phil g on 2014-05-08 11:35 (Reply)
The barrel wood and its char also add flavors. In fact, scotch distillers buy old bourbon and sherry barrels to add flavor to the scotch. Some distillers, like Jack Daniels, regard the pretreatment and charring of their barrels to be a trade secret.
#2 bob sykes on 2014-05-07 14:23 (Reply)
We call it "clear likker" where I come from [exported hillbilly territory], and even with the good homemade stuff I think I could tell good scotch in a blindfolded taste test. Maybe not. Maybe I'll try. I'll be going 'home' later this month and I usually bring back a pint or two. In Mason jars, of course.
#3 JorgXMcKie on 2014-05-07 14:26 (Reply)
I'm a bourbon guy, straight up. Sometimes with ice, depends on the day and how hot it is.

Not a fan of watering it down, though I've had some bourbons which should be watered down. The good ones are best left alone.
#4 Bulldog on 2014-05-07 15:29 (Reply)
100 Proof to start with, add ice and water to taste. Sometimes club soda is good but never a mixer with sugar like Coke™.
#5 dorf on 2014-05-07 18:32 (Reply)
Dorf,

I have a buddy who was throwing a large family party. After dinner he put his bottle of Johnny Walker Blue out for the "uncles" to have a taste. Went off to take care of something and came back a bit later to find the yutes mixing the stuff with coca cola. They'd drained it. Times like that you want to whack somebody upside the head with the bottle. Then again, I'm no fan of JW, blue or otherwise.
#5.1 Knucklehead (Link) on 2014-05-08 10:00 (Reply)
Some moonshiners I have known filtered or aged their liquor with charcoal to give it some color and flavor.

Good stuff.
#6 B Moe on 2014-05-07 19:46 (Reply)
When I go 'home' this summer I'll have to ask if anyone tries this.
#6.1 JorgXMcKie on 2014-05-08 10:37 (Reply)

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