Wood barrel aging of fermented and distilled beverages has been in use for centuries. It is currently accepted that the wooden barrel was invented by the Celts around 900 B.C while inhabiting the Danube River area in central Europe. By noting the obvious flaws of clay pots for wine storage; the Celts, who were both talented wood-workers and metallurgists, created the first wooden barrel. After migrating to the Irish Isles, where grape cultivation was difficult, the first whiskey was born by the oak barrel aging of the distillate of fermented grains. Since then the practice of oak wood aging has had a tremendous impact on spirits manufacturing and has made its way around the world; notably as bourbon in the United States, tequila in Mexico, rum in the Caribbean, and many other regionally specific spirits. Significant strides have been made to characterize the desirable flavors imparted by oak. Some of the top contributing aroma compounds include: guaiacols (smoky), cresols (barn, medical), eugenols (clove), furanones (caramel), lactones (coconut, peach) and vanillin (vanilla). One of the most important discoveries was that of cis and trans-methyl octalactone, so called whiskey lactones. Both compounds are highly concentrated in oak wood as well as oak aged spirits and elicit a coconut-like odor. The above mentioned compounds, as well as some less-studied odorants that impart wood-like or incense-like notes, will be discussed.

Historical perspective and modern day flavor significance of oak wood aging of distilled spirits

245th National Meeting (2013)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.