N - like New Make
What is New Make?
New Make is the English term for the fresh distillate obtained after the second distillation in the Spirit Pot Still. This is the middle run, i.e. the heart of the distillation, in which the forerun as well as the after-run have been separated.
What other names are there for New Make?
In Scotland and most European countries, distilleries also use the terms "New Spirit" or "New Make Spirit" in addition to New Make. In U.S. distilleries, on the other hand, the terms "White Dog" or "White Lightning" are more common for the distillate that comes directly from the still. The name is derived from the clear "color" of New Make. Furthermore, in the USA, as in Ireland, the name "Moonshine" is common. This is also called "PoitĂn" on the Emerald Isle.
What is the alcohol content of the New Make?
At St. Kilian, the mashbill is collected from an alcohol content of initially 72 percent by volume down to about 59 percent by volume. These are the so-called "cut points," which can vary depending on the composition of the barley malt in the mash, the "mashbill," and whether mild (unpeated) or peated malt is processed. On average, the collected New Make then has an alcohol content of about 69.5 percent by volume.
Is the new make being diluted?
In the vast majority of cases at St. Kilian, the New Make is diluted with water to an alcohol content of 63.5% by volume before the wooden barrels are filled and the distillate can mature into whiskey.
Why this crooked number?
The filling strength for casks of 63.5 percent alcohol by volume (111 UK proof), which is mostly used in the whisky industry, is now considered the uniform industry standard at many distilleries. This rather odd number stems from extensive research in Scotland, which showed that an alcohol content of 63.5 percent by volume achieves the best compromise between quality and speed of maturation as well as economic aspects, such as storage, handling and management of the casks. In Scotland, this gives a constant maturation time and a more balanced taste of the matured whiskey.
What all is included in the New Make?
In addition to the main fractions ethanol and water, New Make also contains various chemical compounds that contribute - directly or indirectly - to the aroma, taste and mouthfeel of a matured whiskey. These include, for example, various esters, higher alcohols (so-called fusel oils) and phenolic compounds.
What are esters?
Esters are chemical compounds formed by the reaction of an acid with an alcohol. Simplified, esters can be thought of as a two-component adhesive. Component 1 (= acid) combines with component 2 (= alcohol) and hardens as a mixture (= ester) with the displacement of water. The esters are largely responsible for the fruity odor and taste of a New Make. They are formed primarily during alcoholic fermentation, but also during distillation and years of aging in wooden barrels.
What are fusel oils?
Fusel oils are generally alcohols that have more than two carbon atoms (ethanol has two carbon atoms) in their structures. They owe their name to their oily consistency. Fusel oils are also known as fusel alcohols. This is derived from the German word for bad liquor, fusel. Fusel oils are formed from amino acids during fermentation. In small quantities of less than 300 mg/l, they lend whiskey a desirable character and contribute to the aroma and flavor of the matured spirit either by themselves or in combination with acids as esters.
Do phenols also come from fermentation?
Yes. During alcoholic fermentation, the yeast also forms phenolic compounds that are released into the beer-like liquid, the wash. On the other hand, clearly noticeable amounts of phenols, which are noticeable through their smoky, medicinal, iodine-like, tar-like or brackish aromas, are formed during the kilning of the green malt over peat smoke.
What color is the New Make?
The New Make is a clear, colorless liquid and is purely visually indistinguishable from water. It is only through aging in wooden barrels that New Make gains color. After a minimum storage period of three years in wooden barrels and compliance with other legally prescribed conditions, the matured New Make may then be called whiskey in the EU.