My past week has been primarily absorbed with research, so this post will likely be brief (even though I have no idea at the current moment - nothing like booze-posting to highlight poor preparation). Despite my recent embrace of the Apple products and a new iPhone, I have actually spent less time this past week on the internet and utilizing technology than previously. However, I do have to say that the iPhone is quickly growing on me and you can expect an upcoming post geared to those of you who are still holding out against the evil. Nevertheless, I have not really gotten a break to focus on the blogging, so it's good to be back and I suppose there will probably be a few of these in short time.
While my main focus of this post is to rave about a great new whiskey I've had over the weekend, I first must tell you about my research. We used a dual-flow continuous culture system with gas measurement equipment attached. However, as one can imagine from 50+ years of data struggles with this set-up and its archaic predecessors, the gas measurement can be pretty difficult. My main function has been to monitor the fermenters for gas leakage and to solve these leakage problems as soon as possible during preliminary tests on the fermenter system. However, these leaks just can't be allowed to occur during true experimental testing and I am back to the drawing board as to methods to prevent leakage. The search continues...
About a year ago, my wife and in-laws purchased a whiskey crafting working with a local distillery: OYO. Apparently, their name is derived from the native American name for the Ohio River, but I think this is more marketing ploy than anything else. However, their whiskey is no ploy. After mixing up mash and talking through the distillery process, it was time to start tasting whiskeys. I learned more about whiskey flavors and their influencing factors in an hour than I have learned through years of heavy usage. Before I knew what I liked and didn't like, but after last Saturday, I learned what I taste in these favorite whiskeys, or what I don't taste. As it turns out, the water holds a large portion of the original flavor in whiskey and Irish whiskeys are distilled to high proof and leave a smoother taste while bourbons in the US are distilled to lower proof and have some of the stronger flavors which are intensified by absorption and escape of the liquor into and out of the brand new bourbon barrels. Fascinating stuff, and as I sat there listening to the guy talk, I realized over and over again how I knew this information already. What was different was that before, I had never realized how all of the pieces an parts of my knowledge fit together to make a whiskey product. This one workshop put all the puzzle pieces together and I realized that I would love to make whiskey and beer, while running a side-show bar, for the rest of my life. And for what it's worth - OYO makes some of the best whiskey I've ever tasted in my life, and I've had the gamut.
It's all about fermentation in the end, right? Some fermentation is just more toxic than others.
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