2018Q3SpiritedVA - 27

COURTESY OF RESEVOIR DISTILLERY

These are residuals that don't
evaporate from the liquid during
distillation; they add flavor and
depth to the final product. If
you aged a dry gin made from a
column still, the end result would
be much the same as the original
distillate. Liquors produced in a
pot still, on the other hand, will
typically improve with age because
of extended interaction with the
congeners. Scotch, mezcal and
brandy are examples of this. There
are exceptions, though. Bourbon,
which is often produced in a column
still, does benefit from aging.
There's a further complication.
Some spirits are aged or finished in
casks that previously held a different
beverage. Scotch is often aged in
a used bourbon barrel and then
finished, for a shorter period of time,
in a sherry cask. Fredericksburg's
A. Smith Bowman Distillery makes
a delicious bourbon that's finished
in old port barrels. As you'd expect,
Isaac Bowman Port Finish Whiskey
has hints of red wine that come
through in the flavor.
How long should a distillate age
in a barrel? It all depends on the
spirit and what flavors you're trying
to cultivate. Cognac, for example,
must be aged for at least two years,
but it's often barreled for eight.
Scotch needs to age no less than
three years, but high-end varieties,
especially single-malts, are typically
aged 10 years or more. Tequilas are
generally consumed much younger:
Blancos aren't aged at all, reposados
sit for two months to a year, anejos
are one to three years old, and ultras
are aged for three years or more.
Distillers have been aging liquor
almost as long as they've been
making it. The practice is thousands
of years old. Over time, the taste
of a spirit becomes more smooth,
complex and drinkable. Stainless
steel barrels are neutral-the
metal doesn't affect the taste of
the beverage. Wood, on the other

hand, is a great catalyst for flavor
development. Air passes through
the wood and interacts with
the liquid, changing its color,
mellowing out the harsh edges, and
helping to create a more complex
flavor profile.
Are there any downsides to
barrel-aging? Yes, one very
important factor. Each year the
spirit sits in a cask, approximately 2
percent of the liquid-"the angels'
share"-evaporates. The percentage
is higher if the climate, or storage
facility, is more hot and humid.
With evaporation, the spirit sits
lower in the barrel and, as a result,
the top of the barrel grows dry.
Distillers typically rotate barrels
every few weeks to keep them from
drying out.
The most common material for
barreling is oak, especially American
white oak, but maple, hickory and
other woods are also used.
For bourbon, there's a special
relationship between the barrel
and the beverage. First, to be
labeled "bourbon," the whiskey
must be aged in oak barrels that
have never been used. Second,
these barrels need to be charred.
This creates charcoal on the inside
of the barrels, which absorbs and

filters out impurities. Barrels
receive a different degree of char-
between one and four-to achieve
different flavors in the whiskey.
To be labelled "straight bourbon,"
the spirit has to age for at least
two years. Once the bourbon-or
any spirit, for that matter-is fully
aged, it can be transferred to a
steel barrel, or some other neutral
vessel, where it will stop aging and
the taste will not be affected by the
container.
The caramelized sugars in the
charred oak lend color and taste
to the aging bourbon. Evaporation
and oxidation-when air breaks
down the flavor compounds-
also contribute to the spirit's
maturation. Taste and color
continue to evolve as long as the
bourbon ages, though at a certain
point it can take on a woody,
imbalanced, unpleasant flavor. The
timing isn't always the same, which
keeps distillers on their toes. They
continually taste the product to see
if it's reached the intended level of
maturity.
David Cuttino-one of the
founders of Reservoir Distillery in
Richmond-is a man who knows
his bourbon and his barrels. While
the standard barrel size is 53

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2018Q3SpiritedVA

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