Double Black Hopped Vodka

[Garry]

Has anyone tasted this yet?

Why is it called Vodka and not Whiskey?

[Garry]

OK, put the bottle in an oak cabinet for 3 years and it's whiskey 

So, has anyone tasted it? It sounds interesting.

[johnrm]

I had a sip.
I'm not a spirits man really, but it did taste different.
Some say you can taste hops, I didn't.

[armedcor]

Whiskey has to age for at least 3 years in oak casks to be legally called whiskey.

New distilleries have to create a revenue stream for the first 3 years, usually with products like this.

What about white dog and brands like Jack Daniels selling "white whiskey"  in the states? Is this an irish/Scottish law?

[armedcor]

That's real interesting. I was wondering why we didn't have anything like that available here!

[Garry]

Am I right in saying that you could call this whiskey. Just not "Irish whiskey".

[akavango]

It can't be called a whisky because it is a vodka, The distillation temp are different for a whisky and a Vodka and this one was distilled as a vodka.

I got a taste of the Dungarvan stout distilled as a whisky and this one other than the fact it won't have aged 3 years will in very much a whisky. I actually can't wait to get my hand on the finish product.

[Garry]

Thanks Al. I heard your interview with the Blackwater distillers and found it very interesting. I didn't know there were different temperatures for distilling vodka and whiskey. I must get out the books.

[Will_D]

Thanks Al. I heard your interview with the Blackwater distillers and found it very interesting. I didn't know there were different temperatures for distilling vodka and whiskey. I must get out the books.

AFIK: In every day distillation there aren't!
You boil the liquid and condense what comes off.

However: You can also enter the realms of vacuum distilation wherebye you manipulate the boiling point of the liquid by reducing th epressure above it.

[eanna]

The difference is more the number of distillations, a slight temperature difference of the vapour is a side affect of this. Whiskey would be distilled to below 80% alcohol in 2 to 3 distillations where vodka you're aiming for as pure as possible i.e. 96% or over 5 distillations.

[akavango]

Whiskey does get most of it's flavour right off the still, The barrel aging does add some oakiness and some colour but you can tell right off that It is a whisky.

The Dungarvan beer was taken off the kettle before it was finished boiling and therefore didn't have any hops before being moved to Blackwater distillery.
The Blacks had some hops in it and would have never been able to be called a whisky no matter how long you age it. You can find more info here http://blackwaterdistillery.ie/blog/

[eanna]

Is the 80% whiskey spirit then diluted with water to make it cask strength as 80% sounds a bit high?

Yes

After being diluted the vodka spirit is then vodka?

Again, yes.

And the Irish whiskey act 1980 really stipulates feck all about what is Irish whiskey. It has to be made 95% from grain so my interpretation is that whiskey made from hopped beer is still whiskey.

I had a sample of this Blackwater-Blacks vodka at the alltech gig and I thought it was quite delicious, grassy in a good way.

[Will_D]

The spirit from the second or third still runs is typically 80%.

This goes into the cask and no water is added.

Over the years the alcohol absorbs water from the atmosphere (Ethanol is highly hygroscopic) and also some evaporates. This is called the Angels share

After a long ageing process the whiskey achieves "cask strength" all by itself. Typically 55%

This is when it is diluted. SOme are blended and then diluted. Some Scotish distilleries bottle the cask strength at a HUGH price.

[eanna]

" 55 to 65% abv is the optimum strength to achieve a balance of barrel extraction and color, with lower tannins." -American distilling institute.

They do mention that higher abv can be used for previously used barrels.

Abv in the barrel can either increase or decrease, low humidity will cause the water to evaporate faster than the ethanol. A large change would not be typical.

Alcohol is hygroscopic, 100% alcohol will absorb water from the atmosphere back to 96% abv but it doesn't continue past that ratio.

[irish_goat]

Connemara have a very nice cask strength whiskey but you have to really like your peat.