Whisky by Flavour - Cereal - Malt
Barley is a type of cereal grain and when malted it has a distinct flavour profile, it is also the grain type exclusively used to create single malt scotch whisky. Malt flavour notes will pick up on the grains’ aromas after germination of the barley and then the malting begins to create a liquid, it is this part of the process where the malt aromas are most intense. The thick dark liquid is sweet and nutty but also similar to toast and coffee on the palate.
In the production process, the flavours develop by malting the barley and creating a liquid form known as mash. This liquid form has a thick dense profile with sweet and nutty flavours. Malt can then be distilled as is the case of whisky or utilised to make beer or even carbonated non-alcoholic drinks.
The maturation influence is limited in order to ensure malt flavours are not lost in the final whisky, the flavours are developed before distillation and to maintain these malt flavours a less active refill cask would be best used. Ex-Bourbon hogsheads would be most common as they would add some vanilla and caramel which would combine with the sweet and nutty flavours from the malt whilst mellowing out the coffee notes.
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