Last updated: 14 February 2022
[Beers, wines, and liquors have distinctive tastes because they undergo different fermentation and flavour adjustment processes.]
Beer, wine, and liquor all have distinct tastes. And if you break those three down into smaller categories, more flavours are unlocked.
Just like how we develop personalities as we grow, alcohol develops its taste throughout its production process.
Alcohol is made through the fermentation of malt (barley, wheat, etc.) or fruit where the sugars and added yeast interact with each other to produce a variety of chemicals, including the flavouring substance – esters, that contribute to the flavour and aroma of the alcohol.
Any adjustments to the regular process, such as additional rounds of distillation, brewing temperature, type of yeast strain, ageing and storing method, can alter the taste of the final product.
Using beer as an example, ale yeast ferments better under warmer temperatures where more esters are produced, whereas lager yeasts prefer cooler environments resulting in lesser esters.
This is why there is a distinction in flavours between them and also why ales are more flavourful than lagers.
The fermented product is then distilled and aged if needed. The cask in which it is aged gives the alcohol additional flavours and aromas.
A brewer’s method of treating the grain during the malting process can significantly influence many of beer’s prominent flavours as toasting grains have a large effect on both aroma and colour.
For instance, toasted darker grains smell like candy floss due to the presence of maltol.
During toasting, amino acids and sugars from the malt react together in a caramelisation process called the Maillard reaction, resulting in the sprouting of all kinds of flavours, the most common being caramel, chocolate, and coffee.
For aged beverages such as whisky and brandy, the aroma comes from ageing fresh distillate in oak barrels used previously to store other wines, e.g. sherry.
As time passes, the alcohol in these barrels becomes infused with aroma and colour over a slow extraction process.
The distillation process of vodka typically aims to harvest the central fraction—where all fragrances, water and ethanol are evenly concentrated—out of the three fractions present over different boiling points.
The flavour obtained is a result of rectification by isolating a specific compound from a mixture at a sharp boiling point.
Similarly to vodka, gin is made from purified spirits obtained from a grain mash.
Though both are clear spirits and are similar to each other, vodka is usually tasteless while gin has the juniper berry as its main flavouring ingredient, with other botanicals and spices sometimes added for flavour.
Both these beverages are the result of fermenting the different parts of grapes from a variety of grapes which are then aged in oak barrels giving them their characteristic flavour.
A product of quality rice, clean water, koji mould, and yeast. They are combined in a highly refined fermentation process refined over the centuries.
Typically filtered, the result is a clear to slightly yellowish rice wine with approx. 15% ABV. It has mild flavour profiles ranging from light and crisp to richer, more substantial, fruity notes.
Get your best-tasting alcohol when you order online from Mr.Chow's liquor store now! Safely receive your favourite drinks in no time with our free liquor delivery.
