Finished product color

[PoppaW]

What makes the final aged product different colours. Single malt has a brownish colour at 7 months. Alder smoked Barley (80% barley) has a light yellow colour at 5 months. My bourbon has a reddish and very dark colour at 3 months. The wood is all the same source so I would assume the grain makes the colour. The proof is the same for all while aging. I may have answered my own question but I alway wonder why these things happen.
Thanks

[Toxxyc]

The colour comes from the wood. Different toast, char and volume will contribute different colours to the whisky.

[Demy]

If the abv is the same and the type of wood is identical, is there the variable quantity of wood?

[jonnys_spirit]

Interesting! Unless the char/toast/quantity/volume of wood/spirits and ABV is different i'd also expect the color to be very similar...

Cheers,
j

[OtisT]

PoppaW,
As said above, it’s mostly about the wood type, wood treatment and time.

I made a few threads where I played around with various woods and treatments (toasts/char). I took lots of pictures that show how varying toast levels, char, and different woods look compared to each other. To see those pics, check out two of the threads I show in my signature below, Learning to toast and using Fruitwood for aging.

Otis

PS. That fruitwood thread also shows some oaked products as well.

[PoppaW]

Thanks for the info. The volume of wood is similar for the scotch and bourbon for the volume of product and those are close in colour. I checked my alder smoked and it looks like I was told to age it longer and used some once used wood so that makes sense. I will try to get a pic of the bourbon and single malt to compare. It looks like a big difference to me.

[Demy]

If you want to make a comparison, you have to eliminate as much as possible the variables: same wood, same quantity (weight), same abv, same quantity of alcohol. Only in this way will you get results from which to start.