Whiskey's Complex Chemistry

Whiskeys contain hundreds of compounds, including fatty acids, esters, alcohols and aldehydes, in a wide range of concentrations. The most important flavors in a whiskey come from the raw materials, the distillation process, and the maturation. ¹ Chemist Thomas Collins and his team have identified about 4,000 unique compounds in 70 American whiskeys. ² Whiskeys come in different variants (scotch, bourbon, rye, and so on) but are all essentially produced with just three simple ingredients; water, grain, and yeast. As part of the process, distillate is transferred into charred oak barrels for aging, where flavors such as vanilla, coconut and butterscotch are extracted into the whiskey. ³