For example, I’ve heard bourbon is sweeter than other whiskies because it’s made from corn, rhum agricole is grassy because of sugarcane, and tequila is vegetal because of agave. What I understand is distillation concentrates alcohol because alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, so it’s heated and the vapor condenses on the other side. So how do flavors make it through? Also, aren’t sugars way bigger/heavier than alcohol and water? How do they make it all the way through?
In: Chemistry
They’re basically pure ethanol straight out of the still. Without aging, you’re basically drinking moonshine. For all reasons and purposes, the barrels are doing the heavy lifting as the spirit age in them. There is a specialized barrels industry that produces the right barrel to achieve desired flavors.
To be clear, some aromatic and flavor compounds do carry over from the distillation process and does matter, but it’s hard to even notice them prior to aging. As it ages, the compounds change over time and take on more flavor and aroma from the barrel, thus turning from clear, 120-ish proof ethanol compound to the 100-ish proof brown liquid we know.
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