American whiskies are typically aged in new, charred oak casks whereas Scotch whiskies have to use recycled casks. For example, bourbon and Tennessee whiskies, by law, have to be aged in new casks; once those whiskies have completed their aging process, the cask can be shipped off to Scotland for re-use by Scottish distilleries. Scientists are still trying to understand the aging process, but it is known that at least three factors influence the final profile: 1) The alcohol mixture absorbs certain substances from the wood, 2) the original mixture of water, alcohol, and congeners interact to create different flavors, and 3) oxidation reaction between and the mixture and oxygen that has permeated through the barrel. To accelerate the “aging” of the whiskies, scientists have attempted to use unconventional methods such as sound vibration to increase the interaction between molecules in the casks.
The two most common types of stills are pot stills and continuous stills. Copper pot stills are used in the traditional method of distilling whisk(e)y, but they are slower compared to continuous stills, which allows a distillery to produce larger quantities at a quicker rate. Copper is used to construct stills because it can remove many of the unwanted chemical compounds that are a byproduct of the distillation process.
During distillation, the first and most volatile compounds that are produced from the process are called the foreshots. The foreshots, which have the lowest evaporation points, consist of compounds such as methanol and different ethyl esters. Following the foreshot is the middle cut; the middle cut is the purest and most sought after portion of the distilled alcohol. The last portion of the distilled spirit is the feints. Many aromas and flavor profiles in whiskies (e.g., fruits, tobacco, smoky aromas, etc.) are derived from a mixture of foreshots, feints, and the middle cut. During distillation, a distillery may combine foreshots and feints from different runs to get as much product as possible.
Depending on the type of whisk(e)y, brand new yeast or yeast from a previous batch of fermentation can be used. The latter process is called the sour mash process (think sour dough bread), which is typical of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey; hence the labeling of “sour mash” on the bottle. Sour mash whiskies are thought to have a sweeter and deeper flavor profile.
Different types of whiskies will use different types and proportions of grains (e.g., corn, wheat, rye, barley). Some whisk(e)y recipes allow for a mixture of several different grains, whereas others most follow strict legal regulations. For example, bourbons and Tennessee whiskies must be at least 51% corn by recipe, whereas single-malt Scotches must only use malted barley.