Developing a Flavor Profile

When contemplating your flavor profile it is important understand how each part of the process can affect the flavor.

Table of Processes

This is not a complete list of all process at each point, but does cover the major ideas.

Process	Whiskey	Rum	Vodka/neutral spirit	Brandy/Eude de vie	Gin/Genever/Absinthe
Raw Material Selection	Grains, Phenols of grains, Malting	Sugars, Molasses	Grains, Sugar, potatoes	Fruit, Grape	Grains, Sugar, Maceration,
Fermention	Yeast, Esters, Open/Closed fermenting, Sour Mashing, Muck pit	Yeast, Esters, Open/Closed fermenting, Muck pit	Yeast	Yeast	Yeast
1st Distillation aka Stripping or Wash Run	Still, Cuts, Esters, Thumper	Still, Cuts, Esters, Thumper	Still, Cuts, Esters	Still, Cuts, Esters	Still, Cuts, Esters, Vapor Infusion
Low wines	Phase Separation, Sour Mashing, Muck Pit	Phase Separation, Muck Pit	Phase Separation	Maceration	Maceration
2nd Distillation aka Spirit Run	Still, Cuts, Esters, Thumper	Still, Cuts, Esters, Thumper	Still, Cuts, Esters	Still, Cuts, Esters	Still, Cuts, Esters, Vapor Infusion
Aging, Maturation, Flavoring	Barrel (Woods for aging, Toasting, Charring, Phenols, Tannins, Lactones, Aldehyde), Esters	Barrel (Woods for aging, Toasting, Charring, Phenols, Tannins, Lactones, Aldehyde), Esters	Maceration, Flavoring, Cordials and Liqueurs	Barrel (Woods for aging, Toasting, Charring, Phenols, Tannins, Lactones, Aldehyde), Esters	Maceration, Flavoring

Basic Flavor Profile: Whiskey

Newmake spirit will taste lightly sweet to sweet with a grainy flavor. Whiskeys will be distilled 1-3 times, with two being the most common. The more the whiskey is distilled the lighter and cleaner the flavor.

Basic Flavor Profile: Rum

Newmake spirit will taste sweet with a light molasses flavor. There are two major categories to Rum, light rum that has light flavor (Cuban Style Rum), and heavier rums (Jamaican Rum) that are heavy with esters. Lighter rums will be run on a reflux still or distilled 2-3 times on a pot still. Heavier Rums will be run on a pot still twice.

Basic Flavor Profile: Vodka/Neutral spirit

Newmake spirit will taste sweet with little flavor from the raw materials used to create it. Vodka and other neutrals are run on a reflux still to obtain very high alcohol levels and to minimize flavor. While a vodka can be run on a pot still it is difficult to obtain the high alcohol content and cleanliness of flavor.

Basic Flavor Profile: Brandy/Eude de vie

Newmake spirit will taste sweet with a medium to light flavor of the fruit used to make it. As with rum, lighter brandies will be run on a reflux still or distilled 2-3 times on a pot still.

Basic Flavor Profile: Gin/Genever/Absinthe

Newmake spirit will taste lightly sweet to sweet with a light to strong flavor of the constituent materials used to create it. Gin and Absinthe normally starts as a neutral spirit that is macerated and then redistilled or vapor infused with flavor. Genever is a maceration with a source material (grain, sugar) and fermented. It generally yields a heavier flavor. It will be distilled in a reflux still or twice in a pot still.

External Links

• Flavor Development