Whisky is distilled to around 70% alcohol by volume (vol-%) then diluted to about 40 vol-%, and often drunk after further slight dilution to enhance its taste. The taste of whisky is primarily associated with amphipathic molecules, such as guaiacol, but why and how dilution enhances the taste is not well understood. We carried out computer simulations of water-ethanol mixtures in the presence of guaiacol, providing atomistic details on the structure of the liquid mixture. We found that guaiacol is preferentially associated with ethanol, and, therefore, primarily found at the liquid-air interface in mixtures that contain up to 45 vol-% of ethanol. At ethanol concentrations of 59 vol-% or higher, guaiacol is increasingly surrounded by ethanol molecules and is driven to the bulk. This indicates that the taste of guaiacol in the whisky would be enhanced upon dilution prior to bottling. Our findings may apply to other flavour-giving amphipathic molecules and could contribute to optimising the production of spirits for desired tastes. Furthermore, it sheds light on the molecular structure of water-alcohol mixtures that contain small solutes, and reveals that interactions with the water may be negligible already at 89 vol-% of ethanol.
When blending barrels, the tasting samples of the barrels are normally diluted to 30%. Because those aromas, which are better ethanol soluble than water soluble, are more volatile now. Esters for example. 30% is less pleasant to drink, but better to study.
BTW, probably here is one of the main reasons, why an angel's shared spirit still has fruity volatile flavors. In the barrel at barrel strength those flavors are way less volatile than after dilution. Probably a Whisky barreled at 45% will taste very unfruity after aging (besides the other consequences such a low barrel abv has).
Probably with guaiacol it's the same. According to German wikipedia its solubility in water is very low and in ethanol and other alcohols very high.
In this way, imperialism brings catastrophe as a mode of existence back from the periphery of capitalist development to its point of departure.- Rosa Luxemburg
Even in the German news: http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mens ... -box-pager" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
It's summer vacation time. Less real news, so they dig out something somewhere and claim it is something new...
But I had much fun at breakfast reading the trash comments there.
In this way, imperialism brings catastrophe as a mode of existence back from the periphery of capitalist development to its point of departure.- Rosa Luxemburg