Significant emphasis, perhaps not surprisingly, can often be placed on the colour of a whiskey with many using it as a descriptor to tell us what flavour to expect. However, reliance on colour can also be somewhat deceptive when it comes to what to expect taste wise.
Traditionally darker colours are associated with richer, complex, and more mature whiskeys compared to lighter colours which are perceived as less mature and mellower. A general assumption can be that a darker whiskey will represent one which is older with a more intense tasting experience. This is not always the case though, and it can be rather more complicated than this.
When trying to determine how colour affects the tasting experience of a whiskey, it’s important to take a step back to how a whiskey gets it colour. The original spirit from the stills is clear and only after maturing in oak casks will the colour that we all know, and love start to appear. The most commonly used types of casks or barrels are American barrels produced from white oak (Quercus alba) and European oak casks (Quercus robur).
At Midleton for example, the American white oak cask is often used, which has a capacity of approximately 200 litres. Previously used to age bourbon, they impart distinctive flavours and aromas such as vanilla, honey, coconut, and spices. This contrasts to a Sherry butt, also used by Midleton, which has a capacity of approximately 500 litres and imparts notes of dried fruit, cinnamon, and fruit cake (Christmas cake).
The previous contents of a cask, such as those used to age bourbon or sherry, can have a significant effect on the final colour of a whiskey. For example, sherry casks tend to give a whiskey more of an auburn-like look. From these casks the whiskey then starts to take on its colour and flavour.
On occasions a cask can be used several times meaning that the wood isn’t as active, thereby leading to a lighter colour and less intense flavour on the whiskey. Factors such as wood type, cask type, or the number of times a cask has been used all play a huge role in the colouring and tasting process. To ensure a quality depth of flavour, the Irish whiskey act states that by law, Irish whiskey must be matured for a minimum of three years in wooden barrels.
Our advice would be that seeing is not always believing, it’s the taste that counts!
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