Have you ever wondered why whisky is spicy? A spirit that burns through as it goes down your throat and system, before settling in as a base for your stomach lining? Spicy flavours only embolden the taste of the usquebaugh, with cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, clove, and allspice adding warmth, colour, and complexity and bringing out its aroma and flavour.
While all whisky isn’t necessarily spicy—some can, in fact, be downright sweet and honeyed—most connoisseurs of the spirit prefer that their drams have a bite. The demand for cinnamon-flavoured whiskies in India, like the Fireball and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, prove this particular proclivity, although the concerned group tends to particularly favour Rye whisky — the spiciest of them all.
Spicy whiskies are typically punchy and bold but can have more wooden and earthy undertones. There are a number of factors which determine why whisky is spicy, and today, we’re deep-diving into them all.
Why whisky is spicy: Here’s all you need to know
Type of cask
The type of cask used in the ageing process of the whisky plays a big role in determining its spice levels. For oak cask staves, for instance, the spicy character tends to originate in its outermost charred and deeper toasted layers.
The spiciness in whisky can be credited to 4-vinylguaiacol, which is a breakdown derivative of lignin in the oak wood, and a congener produced during fermentation by distiller’s yeast. However, for whiskies with clove as the dominant spice, it’s the presence of eugenol, a phenolic compound, which gives it its unique flavouring.
However, the quality and species of oak and the life-cycle stage of the cask also differentiate the level of spice that is produced. The spice flavour in new oak barrels will largely differ from those that are refilled or rejuvenated.
For instance, when bourbon is matured in new American white oak barrels, the resulting liquid ends up extracting high levels of oak lactones from the heartwood, which introduces a spicy flavour to the usquebaugh.
Type of grain
The type of grain used in the distillation process also determines the level of spice in a whisky. For instance, rye whiskey is required to use at least 51 per cent rye, along with malted barley and other grains in its mash bill to give an all-round spicy flavour. However, certain distillers add a higher percentage of rye in their whisky to give that dash of extra spice.
What are the common spicy notes in a whisky?
The spicy notes in a whisky can range from familiar ingredients like nutmeg, ginger and aniseed to the hot and peppery undertones of chilli, black, white or cayenne or warming tinges of cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, clove and saffron.
