# Whiskey question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [November 19, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whiskey-question/705084 "2014-11-19T16:45:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whiskey-question/705084/21 "2014-11-19T19:18:59Z")
> [@Curious\_Mike](#): > > Hopefully this was a typo as it is white oak that is typically used for whiskey barrels. > > I have used “sticks” of white oak to flavor neutral spirits many times. I have found that “toasting” the oak gives better results than scorching does. I will put some oak (wrapped in foil to prevent bursting into flames) into a toaster oven at 300 deg for an hour or so. No typo, I use red oak for other hobbies I have and just happen to notice the smells it puts off. I use white oak as well it it seems more neutral in fragrance. I have always purchased my wine barrels and never really knew what kind of oak they were made from. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whiskey-question/705084/22 "2014-11-19T19:57:20Z")
> [@Curious\_Mike](#): > > Hopefully this was a typo as it is white oak that is typically used for whiskey barrels. > > I have used “sticks” of white oak to flavor neutral spirits many times. I have found that “toasting” the oak gives better results than scorching does. I will put some oak (wrapped in foil to prevent bursting into flames) into a toaster oven at 300 deg for an hour or so. Sounds similar to this technique used by Ralfy the Whisky vlogger. You can also soak the oak stick in sherry for extra finishing. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zRkoT6nFu0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zRkoT6nFu0) ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whiskey-question/705084/23 "2014-11-19T20:30:02Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > The actual process of distilling whiskey is pretty similar the world 'round. But there are three huge components that will significantly determine what the end result tastes like > > 1. Distillation number. Bourbons are distilled once, scotches twice, Irish Whiskeys three times. > > 2. What wheat did you use? This is also key. You know what the difference is between Glenfiddich and Glenlivet and Glengaryglenross? Where they gather the ingredients to use for the mash. Like how sourdough tastes different from region to region? Same concept here. 1. Plenty (most?) of bourbon is distilled more than once. A super common setup is to use a column still followed by a doubler. [Here’s an example](http://www.jimbeam.com/about-bourbon/process-flowchart). 2. By “wheat”, I’m assuming you mean corn, in the case of bourbon, and barley for the scotch. Yeah, I know some bourbons contain wheat, but it can’t be bourbon if it’s less than 51% corn. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whiskey-question/705084/24 "2014-11-19T21:01:27Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > 1. Plenty (most?) of bourbon is distilled more than once. A super common setup is to use a column still followed by a doubler. [Here’s an example](http://www.jimbeam.com/about-bourbon/process-flowchart). > > 2. By “wheat”, I’m assuming you mean corn, in the case of bourbon, and barley for the scotch. Yeah, I know some bourbons contain wheat, but it can’t be bourbon if it’s less than 51% corn. Sorry yeah. Wheat, corn, rye, barley, etc etc etc. I changed it to “mash” for the second one, but left in wheat as the shorthand for the first reference even though you’re right, that’s not technically correct. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whiskey-question/705084/25 "2014-11-19T21:21:24Z")
I am starting a Craft distillery and I found this [paper](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:dBvff0rk0owJ:scholar.sun.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10019.1/4057/bougas_evaluating_2009.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1+&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a) on the effects of still head design on the flavor of a spirit. It’s how I designed our still heads but it also talks about other things that effect the flavor of a spirit so they could control them. With aging the spirit there are a variety ways to add flavor some of it is time although many distillery both micro and macro are finding ways to create the same flavor without waiting. The contact area of the oak is a major ingredient both in terms of the square footage to volume but also in terms of penetration into the oak from temperature cycles. The other thing that matures a spirit is oxygen contact which allows several compounds to oxidize and go from terrible tasting to great tasting. The last major component, though there are multitude more, is the percent alcohol in the aged spirit. Different alcohol contents absorb different flavors from the oak; you will get more vanilla flavors again at 50% alcohol and more caramel flavors at 60% (I can’t seem to find that reference right now) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whiskey-question/705084.md?page=1)