Like the various types of wood, they influence whiskey
Quercia
The primary function of oak in whiskey is to impart flavor. But the way the modern whiskey industry works today, rather than the wood itself, we are increasingly familiar, as consumers, with what the barrel previously contained.
The barrel journey begins, however, with unadulterated wood, so let's take a quick look at how the different varieties might affect the nostri whiskey.
American oak
American oak is by far the most prolific wood when it comes to alcohol aging. Most, however, was used to age the bourbon first, before being sold to third parties to age everything from Tequila to the Scotch Whisky single malt , to which it most often gives flavors of vanilla and fresh fruit.
New American oak offers a subtly different but distinct flavor profile: i sweet, vanilla flavors are prevalent, but they are also balanced by spicy and woody notes, and any fruitiness risks being fused with a certain vegetable bitterness.
European oak
European oak generally refers to wood originating in France or Spain. Whiskey drinkers often encounter his influence through the sherry barrels, however it is also commonly used to age alcohol such as Cognac e Armagnac .
European oak tends to have a grain much more compact than American oak, leaving it less porous and therefore taking a little longer to impart its flavor; but also the taste is very different.
Leaning less towards vanilla and fresh fruit e more towards tannins, stewed citrus notes, a woody, spicy character and milder dried fruit flavors, European oak is often said to give spirits a profile "Darker", deeper.
The provenance is a determining factor in European oak, with several varieties sprouting across the continent. Spanish oak, for example, is fairly porous and therefore has a greater impact on the distillate. Oak varieties from colder climates such as Ukraine or Russia they may have little or no porosity and therefore a minimal impact on flavor.
Read also: How many types of whiskey are there?
Scottish oak
Scotch oak is particularly rare when it comes to alcohol aging; the tree itself is scarce due to centuries of slow deforestation, and almost always wild rather than cultivated, which can make it particularly gnarled, and therefore difficult to work with and build barrels in.
Scotch oak is believed to give the whiskey a character hot and spicyPerhaps more similar to that provided by European oak than from the American one.
Irish oak
Similarly to Scottish oak, Irish oak has also been rarely used for production of barrels for the maturation of whiskey, mainly, apparently, due to the scarcity of this wood.
Recent Midleton Distillery experiments with it, however, suggest that this particular variety imparts sweet notes of vanilla, caramel and chocolate, along with a healthy dose of woody spices differentiating itself quite considerably, from its Scottish relative.
Hungarian oak
Particularly rare in the maturation of whiskey, the impact of the Hungarian oak on the distillate seems to find a intriguing balance between spices, soft flavors of wild berries and greater depth than the more traditional European oak.
Japanese oak Mizunara
Often linked to the aromatic complexity of Japanese whiskey, Mizunara wood is native to the Japanese islands.
Protected and slow-growing tree species, Mizunara oak barrels are difficult to make and particularly rare.
The effect such barrels have on whiskey è both spicy and softener, bringing notes of St.andalo, incense, coconuts and a dry, tannic edge.
Read also: Are there sweet whiskeys? Here are the best
Ambush
Native to the Brazilian rainforest, Amburana is one of the least known woods for whiskey maturation.
Typically used to age the cachaça - a Brazilian sugarcane spirit - the amberana gives the whiskey a powerful tonka bean character. Intense hints of rounded vanilla with aromatic coconut and cinnamon notes.
