All Alcohol Starts Out Clear - So What Happens To Dark Liquors?

Have you ever wondered how liquors like vodka and gin are crystal clear, but others like whiskey and brandy have a rich amber hue? In actuality, all liquors start the same way — as a transparent, colorless liquid fresh off the still. Once the distiller has gotten the clear base spirit, to "darken" them, all they have to do is pour the clear distillate into wooden barrels. These alcohol-filled barrels are carted off into temperature-controlled warehouses, where they're left to mature for anywhere from months to years. In that time, the alcohol breaks down the cellulose in the barrel's wood, releasing something called melanoidins. The melanoidins leak into the spirit and give it the beautiful shades of amber and brown you see on the shelves. Along with color, aging also draws out congeners — compounds other than alcohol — that give your spirits their signature character and depth.

Though barrels are where virtually all dark liquors get their colorings, some distillers (notably Scotch and some Irish whisky-makers) add something called spirit caramel, or E105A to their products to ensure every bottle across every batch has a consistent color. The use of spirit caramel is regulated, however. Certain classes of liquors, like straight bourbon whiskeys, are required by laws to be additive-free, spirit caramel included. Rest assured, spirit caramel's safe and won't affect the bottling's quality... but admittedly, its absence does make the feeling of holding a good dram of bourbon extra-special.

The barrel does more than just give your whiskies and brandies a more refined look. They actually make them taste better, too. Try and read a couple of professionally written reviews of your favorite dark liquor, and you're bound to find the keyword "cask flavors" popping up a lot. You see, a big part of a barrel-aged liquor's flavor profile is derived from the barrel itself. Take bourbon, for example. As it sits in its charred oak barrel, the wood releases something called vanillin, which flavors the liquor with extra notes reminiscent of vanilla, caramel, and warm spices. The slightly burned wood even adds a gentle smoky taste that makes bourbon taste like, well, bourbon.

Some distillers get even more creative with their barrels. In Europe, many whisky makers use old barrels that used to hold sweet wines to age their drinks. The result? Whisky with hints of dried fruit and sweet wine mixed into its own special taste — like this Macallan 18-Year Sherry Oak whisky.

This barrel-borrowing tradition is everywhere in the industry. Corazón, for instance, has an añejo tequila bottling that's aged in barrels that once held popular bourbons like Blanton's. For bourbon fans who would like to indulge in a straight shot or a Tequila Sunrise this weekend, that's bound to be an experience that's both familiar and new.