Now That's What I Call Maturation... Volume One!

Here at Caskstrength, we love new whisky related-stuff.  The moment we saw a fully operational three litre copper pot still for sale by the side of the road in rural Portugal, we knew we had to have it.  As you may recall, we had a crack at using it (well someone resembling us anyway) and the results were really rather impressive...well, to us anyway.  The point we're trying to make here is that whether or not the spirit which ran from our little gem is deemed to be any good, we had a fantastic time understanding the principles of distillation (albeit on a micro scale) and it only served to highlight how hard the art of the commercial distiller is.

Recently we took the opportunity to explore another key aspect of the whisky making process, from a micro scale - this time in the shape of a brilliantly novel kit, retailed by a US craft distiller.  The Copper Fox distillery, neatly situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (hang on, this is the opening line of a wonderful song, is it not?) have, under the tenacious eye of owner Rick Wasmund, been bottling some really interesting expressions - from a spanking single malt, the barley smoked using apple and cherry wood, through to a rye whiskey, with a wonderfully malty spicy character.    One of their latest endeavours is to bring the art of maturation straight out of their Virginia warehouses and into the homes of every would-be distiller/whisky enthusiast interested in the effects of wood on a new make spirit.  The bottom line here isn't to achieve perfection, but to have a bit of fun, play around and experiment.

Wasmund's Mature Your Own Whisky Kit (WMYOW) is now available in Europe for the first time (retailing at £120 from The Whisky Exchange and at its heart comes a miniature two litre charred American oak cask and two 75cl bottles of either the single malt new make spirit or, if you're so inclined, the same quantity of the rye new make.  Both new makes roll in at 62% and the cask is, according to Wasmund, 'of a medium char style'.

Well, we couldn't resist, so now the Caskstrength office has now become a little test haven for maturation.  Speyside dunnage-style it certainly isn't, that's for sure - and i'm pretty sure the view from our windows in Exmouth Market is of the local Post Office sorting office, not the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We plumped for the rye option and set to work ensuring the cask was going to be watertight, by first filling it with room temperature water, then spraying the outer surfaces regularly.  After a day, our little wooden beast was ready to go and we marked 'M Day' as Saturday 20st October.   We'll be monitoring the spirit regularly over the next few months, but by way of a first update one week after filling, the news is interesting.  

Wasmund's rye new make is very fruity, with some spiced notes, a hint of smoke (freshly cut green apples) and some fine citrus notes. As a control, we kept a small sample back to reference throughout the maturation experiment.  After a week in the warehouse with an occasional gentle rolling of the cask when we could remember, the spirit has already begun to evolve.  Gone is the initial fruity apple note, replaced with a lightly peppered meat, lots of charcoal and freshly sawn oak.  It is still youthful, immature and vibrant, but as expected, creeping in are the beginnings of what we were hoping to see.  The cask is clearly going to give this a lot of character in a short space of time, including colour, as you can see, taking on an initial light gold note.

One week, eh... If this was Scotland, that wouldn't even register on the maturation map yet.  In actual fact, it bodes well for our plans to re-use this cask for future experiments.  Because of its obvious dominance, putting something in as easily overpowered as a Scotch single malt would perhaps be foolish, without seasoning it prior to filling and this has thrown up all manner of possibilities - sherry, port, wine, peated whisky, rum, vermouth, cola?? who knows, but in any rate, the next few months will be a hugely fun-filled experience.

We'll be putting up regular updates on the rye on our Facebook page, including interim pics to show you the colour and tasting notes.  It's also been suggested that we could have some fun 'manipulating' the spirit to get more from the cask. Hmmm. Next week, Caskstrength are taking a jaunt across the Pyrenees in a very tasty Maserati GranTurismo, so perhaps I should sling the cask in the boot, for a little 'alpine agitation'? Or should we take a leaf from the Tuthilltown distillery and blast bass-heavy music through the cask? The sky's the limit here.

Hello... here comes the ultimate Maturation Playlist -  or if you like... Now That's What I call Maturation -  Volume One!! Watch this space...

Hot on the heels of this superb kit comes another equally interesting version from our chums at Master Of Malt.  The MOM MYOW kit (£99) includes a one litre kit and new make spirit made from malted barley. We'd love to see whether the results are similar to the rye kit we have.  If you decide to get either of these, please feel free to share the results with us -  we're pretty sure that no two whiskies will turn out the same.

The New Frontier In Gin - Burrough's Reserve

Desmond Payne -  Mr Gin

Here at Caskstrength, we're used to the importance of wood in developing the supreme character in a spirit. From lengthy maturation in an ex bourbon barrel, to short periods of extreme finishing in sherry, port or wine- the type of cask and its quality will of course have a profound effect on the spirit it holds.

Recently, there has been a trend for ageing more traditional white spirits in oak too - something we have cast a slightly quizzical eye over.  Just blithely sticking a spirit into an oak cask won't give you the results you're looking for- take our word for it.  We received a brilliant kit from the Wasmund distillery last October, which included a charred, unused two litre cask and enough new make spirit to start a small house fire.  It began to mature very quickly -  in fact after a month, it was beginning to take on a mellowed, round character.  

But after Christmas, things went quickly down hill, to the point that the spirit was virtually undrinkable, such was the power of the oak.  It now resides in our office and due to the fluctuating temperature, there is so little left in the cask,  the liquid resembling a very dark woody monstrosity.  

So subtlety is very much the key when it comes to using oak wisely, especially when your spirit is traditionally clear.  

Two companies put out aged gins last year: Master Of Malt aged its Ampleforth's gin for apparently six months in small 50 litre casks, with the results working out well.  Alongside them, French distiller Citadelle oak aged its excellent gin, releasing it in vintages and allowing consumers to experience the different subtleties between them.  

Both of these pioneering products have been followed up by arguably one of the biggest players in gin, a sign that what was previously seen as a relatively novel product is perhaps about to hit the mainstream.  

Burrough's Reserve is a brand new gin from the Beefeater distillery, which is situated near the Oval cricket ground (and a stone's throw away from Joel's house.)  It takes its name from the distillery's founding father James Burrough and is distilled using a tiny still (No.12) which looks positively cute next to the mammoth copper behemoths which impressively hiss away in the still house.  

But the real magic happens when master distiller and all-round ginmeister, Desmond Payne takes the spirit and places it into a specific type of cask- namely those previously filled with Jean de Lillet.  For those of you not familiar with this name, Lillet is the name behind one of the finest vermouths in the world, which was used in the famed Vesper cocktail, as consumed liberally by one James Bond. For Desmond, the idea of 'resting' a gin was an exciting prospect, but one which was fraught with pitfalls.  To age a gin in something that had an actual relevance with gin was his challenge, which meant not just reaching for any old used bourbon barrel or sherry hogshead.  Instead, he looked for a cask that would enhance the botanical balance in Beefeater and not dominate it - and the choice of Lillet casks was an inspired one.  If you haven't tried Lillet in a Martini or other gin cocktail, we urge you to get down to a retailer now and buy a bottle -  it is unlike any other vermouth -  and then you'll begin to understand its significance in the resting process here. 

What results is a gin that has taken on a slightly darker hue in colour and a spirit that Desmond hopes will be sipped neat, like a whisky or Cognac.  But what does it deliver on the nose and palate? We tried the gin both frozen down and at room temperature and the results were remarkably different -  the colder temperatures bringing out more of the citrus notes and classic gin botanicals.  But at room temperature...

Burrough's Reserve -  Oak Rested Gin -  Batch 01 - 43%

Nose: Immediate notes of vanilla custard, sweet creamy coconut, a touch of white pepper, Amalfi lemon zest, fresh pine and a softer, buttery biscuit note.  

Palate: The botanicals deliver wonderfully, with juniper leading the way, followed by a gentle spice note, more lemon zest and a little liquorice, then comes the oak influence, with more vanilla notes and a slight maltiness. 

Finish: Lingering notes of lemon zest, juniper and a creamy vanilla all coat the tongue, but leave the mouth feeling refreshed and vibrant.  

Overall: This works as a sipping spirit, without a doubt and the influence of the oak, is restrained and perfectly balanced.  Whether it will change the way we consume gin is debatable, but as a category defining moment, Burrough's Reserve has achieved a great deal in a short space of time.  My next plan is to try this at the heart of a Martini, where I think it will excel.