Sugarhead/sugar bite and it's cause. high energy molecules?

[Chauncey]

Some discourse from the rye whiskey thread originally George Washingtons rye whiskey then edited:

I made 2 batches the same recipe: the 1st no glycerin and the 2nd with glycerin: what I found that the glycerin helped with the aging and made the 2nd batch a lot smoother and a little sweeter. They use Glycerin in Schnapps and different types of food.

Glycerin is a unique additive, the Russians use a small amount in their commercial vodkas, and they did the research on what it does to spirits...ethanol has two molecular states after distilling, one is "twisted" it's called the "high energy state" and tastes "HOT" there is only about 20% of the new spirit in this state at 65% ABV but it's effect is very pronounced... as the spirit ages (or is diluted) it normalizes to it's low energy state and the taste mellows, but this state frees the hydrogen atom of the ethanol molecule, in what's called the "H2 bridge" to bond with other non-ethanol molecules, however there are substances...glycerin being one...that release the energy from the "twisted" high energy ethanol molecule by bonding to it in it's high energy state, mellowing the spirit out, unnaturally...giving the illusion of aging. There are components in red wine that supposedly can do the same thing...aging whiskey in sherry casks...etc

Interesting. So is it possible that the reason sugarheads have that bite is a large amount of the high energy molecules vs all grain for some reason? The sugar bite definitely reduces with age in my experience.

Interesting. So is it possible that the reason sugarheads have that bite is a large amount of the high energy molecules vs all grain for some reason? The sugar bite definitely reduces with age in my experience.

This is quite possible...In all the years on HD forums I've heard no better explanation.

glycerol can be sourced from plant fats, lipids...even though it has a high boiling point we all know some plant fats get through. May have more than a little bit to do with it. got a new google mission!

Alright so looping back around to this: we have a thread for discussion of the sugarhead bite. What say you...and what ideas of other causes are out there?

I've often thought the additional flavor from boiling and steeping the grains during mashing may pad the bite some in thin mashes and make it seem less...


Also the thread on destrose recently got me thinking about this again and inspired this one. Dextrose and inverted sugar have less bite than other sugars according to alot of people. Why is this and is it linked to the high energy molecules situation?

Food for thought.