Aged whiskey's taste and flavour differs from the raw one. What sort of changes take place there with time?!
Aged whiskey's taste and flavour differs from the raw one. What sort of changes take place there with time?
Is there any chemical changes take place............if Yes How?
Answers:
Yes, there are both physical and chemical changes.
The barrels are toasted and sometimes charred. This creates a natural charcoal layer inside (for those that are charred) as well as caramelizes the natural sugars in the oak. Not only does the whiskey dissolve and absorb the sugars, vanillins, and other flavor components from the wood (remember, alcohol is a solvent), but the esters and congeners in the alcohol that are present from the fermentation of the mash and the distillation process react with oxygen and the wood and break down over time and convert into other compounds that lend a smoother character to the spirit. With charred barrels, there's the added adsorption of impurities into the char, and the deeper color from the extra heated sugar layer between the char and the toasted wood (why bourbon frequently has a much deeper color than other whiskies).