Does Fermentation make Bourbon Sweeter?

[WhiskeyFanMan]

What about the fermentation process alters the flavoring of Bourbon. And Does it make the product any more sweet?
Does the sweet flavor of sugars used and consumed in the fermentation process add to the flavor of the liquor after the distillation process?

[Bull Rider]

I'm thinking that the sugars in a whiskey mash are almost totally consumed by the yeast. A whiskey mash can and usually does end up below 1.0 SG, where beer stops at around 1.010 due to residual nonfermentables.
If there's too much sugar at the start of the mash, and the yeast dies due to too high of an ABV, then there will be residual sugars leftover. But this is due to a failed process.



Bull.

[blind drunk]

Like Bull said, fermentation makes it drier. Fermentation also creates a bunch of other chemicals, as byproducts of fermentation, that can taste sweet when distilled. This sweetness can come through in the final product as part of the overall profile of the likker.

Little edit to finish my thought ...

[Husker]

The largest part of the flavor profile (including any sweetness, vanilla flavoring, etc), comes from aging. Oak is magic!

H.

[Dnderhead]

witch bourbon you talking about? if straight bourbon then any "sweetness" has to come from the barrel,if it "blended" then its a bit harder to pin down,as other things can be added.like
neutral alcohol and/or caramel.grains once fermented does not taste sweet.unlike beer
no caramelized grains are used,so its "dry" .grains very in flavor when fermented
from corn/maze witch taste a bit like cider,barley something like a light beer,rye spicy.
wheat is used in some and flavor depends on type .then any raw grains used also change the profile.

[WhiskeyFanMan]

Thanks for the responses, so is there no sugar in Bourbon? And how does it compare to Scotch as far as sugar goes. Its my first time on this forum, and im in a heated debate with somebody over this.

[blind drunk]

No sugar is allowed with either of the two. Caramel, for color, is allowed in Scotch. Not sure about caramel coloring for bourbon.

[Dnderhead]

"Not sure about caramel coloring for bourbon."
caramel is alowed in blended but not in straight bourbon..

[LWTCS]

Off topic I suppose...but BD and the rest of the fellas touched on a topic that applies to my feelings about how rums should be also.....

The sweet notes should be on the nose and resonate through your pallet. But not sweet like sugar on your tongue as such......Sorry if this seems irrelevant and clearly an opinion.

[Prairiepiss]

Here is the Wikipedia page for bourbon. This mite help you. Or mite not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey

And I am wondering. What Bourbon you and your friend are in a debate about? Is it one particular brand or all bourbons? They are all different yet the same. And what is exactly the debate? Is it just what makes bourbon sweet. Or are you comparing Bourbon to another spirit like straight whiskey or Rum? If you could elaborate a little more it would be easier to get the correct answer to conclude your debate.

Personally I don't find anything sweet about a bourbon? But I'm just now really experimenting with the difference in flavors. Before I just drank what was in front of me. Not really trying to find the different complexities in it. I now try to find as many as I can when sampling what ever I can. So if I know what to taste for I mite be able to find it in there.

[LWTCS]

Personally I don't find anything sweet about a bourbon?

On the tongue neither can I.

But the bottle of Four Roses definitely has a sweet kind of aroma.

I should add that this is my first ever bourbon and prior to this bottle,,,I have zero experience..
But I do like this bottle of 4Rs and will likely buy more......after I test Blanton's

[blind drunk]

This is interesting because I've always thought of bourbon as a "sweeter" drink. I taste "sweet" everywhere, even in scotch. Maybe later on the tongue, but I do taste it. And "salt" in vodka I'm messed up

[Prairiepiss]

I think one of my problems is I have a sweet tooth. I use a lot of sugar in my sweet tea. I mean A LOT. So it is harder for me to find sweet notes in many things I am tasting. My wife will say something is to sweet for her while I'm dumping sugar in mine. I have cut back in efforts to be able to taste things better. But I'm still working on it. It has gotten better over the last year. So I'm making progress. This was also one of the reasons I got in to this hobby.

[blind drunk]

I just think there's a big subjective element to it as well. Some folks taste the sweet, some taste the spice, some the salt, etc. Maybe it's physiological, or something. It's also mood, I think. The lucky ones taste it all, each and every time!

[LWTCS]

Good points BD,,,,,,.


Similarly,, how some folks luv lima beens,,,or any type of food. And some folks don't.

[Prairiepiss]

I may never be able to taste it. But if I don't know what I need to be tasting for. I surely won't taste it. Or will have a very hard time finding it on my own.

BD I too taste salt in vodka.

LWTCS I like Lima beans.

[blind drunk]

LWTCS I like Lima beans.

I'll eat them only with bacon, over pasta

[The Baker]

I just think there's a big subjective element to it as well. Some folks taste the sweet, some taste the spice, some the salt, etc. Maybe it's physiological, or something. It's also mood, I think. The lucky ones taste it all, each and every time!

That's right.
I taste (am very 'sensitive' to) the acid in foods.
I heartily dislike strawberries, for example, unless they are very ripe; I love them then.
And some white wines that experts praise taste pretty much like lemon juice to me.

I recall a high school teacher handing out a scrap of blotting paper ( I was not in the group that got it) soaked in something (don't know what) and collating the differing taste reactions of members of the group. Don't recall the details but I think it involved the basic tastes; sweet, salty, bitter, acid, and maybe there was another.
Can't remember the detail but it would have been fifty-five years ago....

[LWTCS]

Say that sounds like a recipe out of the north of Italy.

Sauté them beans with garlic and a nice virgin olive oil,,,and use a nice Italian pork (brusuto,,,,can't spell fer shit) and topped with a nice Fontina cheese and a family styled red table wine.............hungry now.......look what ya done BD.

[Prairiepiss]

Now I'm hungry after that! Thanks LWTCS!
To bad nobody else in this house likes Lima beans.

[blind drunk]

Hey Baker, the last time I had blotter paper there was a strawberry stamped on it - and boy was it acidic

[LWTCS]

Hey Baker, the last time I had blotter paper there was a strawberry stamped on it - and boy was it acidic

Head

[dougjones31]

Hey Baker, the last time I had blotter paper there was a strawberry stamped on it - and boy was it acidic

Now that's funny right there..! I bet you smoke your grains too!

I did have some green moonshine once.....tasted a little "grassy" and had a tendancy to give you the munchies.

[LWTCS]

I did have some green moonshine once.....tasted a little "grassy" and had a tendancy to give you the munchies.

True story???

Macerated or vapor infused?

Had an hemp energy drink( made in Amsterdam as I recall) with a bit of orange flavor.......damn thing was god awful.

[Tater]

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