What does "Chill-filtered" mean?

Whisky 101 @ Pennsic War 40.  Photo courtesy of Michael O'Halloran

Whenever I give a class
on whisky, someone always asks a question I am not prepared for.  This past August I gave a class at Pennsic War 40, and of course this class was no exception. 

The question asked was, “What is chill-filtered and what does it do to the taste?”  I was on a strict time schedule and had to focus on my course outline, so I never fully answered the question.  I apologize for the delay. 

Chill-Filtering is a process where the temperature of the spirit is reduced to 32^oF (0^oC) degrees and passed through a fine filter.  The cold creates an environment that that makes it easier to remove some of the compounds produced during distillation.

A whisky that has not been chill-filtered will get hazy or cloudy if its temperature is lowered (e.g., if ice or cold water is added).  By chill-filtering, the distiller removes particles from the cask it aged in and other compounds in the whisky which cause it to go slightly dull or cloudy when chilled. 

However, many feel that those compounds also contribute to a whisky’s character and flavor.

So why do they do it?  For the most part, it’s for aesthetics.   Whisky companies are in the business of selling their product.  Modern drinkers are used to seeing their beer and whisky without any haze or cloudiness.   Therefore, the assumption is that cloudy whisky is unappealing and will hurt sales. 

But just as some producers are proud to claim that they chill-filter, there are others that are similarly proud to claim that they do not.   Most of the time it is boldly printed on the label, but don’t be afraid to read the front and back labels before purchase.  

As an aside, bottled whiskies over 46% alcohol by volume (ABV) are largely not chill-filtered as the spirit generally remains unclouded at this alcohol level.

Personally, I’m not one to turn down a free glass of Scotch, regardless of filtration.  Its all about the taste, isn't it?  However, when I looked over my inventory of whiskies I noticed that none of them were chill-filtered.  This was not done intentionally, so I’ll have to research (drink) some and get back to you on it. 

Sláinte

What is so important about age and whisky?

“The influence of maturation in the creation of a good whiskey cannot be overemphasized.  Indeed, some authorities consider that a whiskey acquires up to 80% of its final character in the cask.  The cask cannot make a bad whisky good, but it can make a good whiskey great.” –Whiskey, edited by Charles MacLean, DK Publishing.

One of the things you will notice on the label of many whisky bottles is an age statement.  Common ages include 10, 12, 15, 18, 21, 25 and 30.  The age statement is simply the amount of time the whisky you are drinking aged in a barrel.  For the majority of us, the age is an important factor when considering whether to purchase a particular bottle or not. 

Personally, I find that the longer a whisky has aged, the more it suppresses the “rough” or “in your face” alcohol feel you get when you smell and taste the whisky.   This allows you to more easily pick up the aromas and flavors imparted by the wood the barrel is made from.  It can also be said that those same aromas and flavors are strengthened by their continued contact with the wood over this greater amount of time.  It should come as no surprise then that the older the age statement, the more expensive the bottle is.

If a whisky has an age statement on the label, then all the whisky in that bottle must be at least that old (ex. a distillery combines 10, 15, and 18 year old barrels of whisky, the age statement on the label will say 10 years old.)  Since many blended scotches often contain un-aged whisky (less than three years in a barrel,) you will not see an age on the bottle. 

Whisky only ages in the barrel, not in the bottle.  So for all of you people who were gifted with a 10 year old scotch 10 years ago, you still have a 10 year old scotch on your hands, not a 20. 

Slainte

What is the difference between single malt and blended whiskies?

Basic Answer:

A)     Single malt is a whisky that is produced at one distillery, using only malted barley as the grain.

B)      Single grain is a whisky that is produced at one distillery, using grain that has not been malted.

C)      Blended whisky is a combination of malted and grain whiskies. 

Advanced Answer:

Single malt whisky is whisky from a single distillery made from a mash that uses only one particular malted grain.  It will contain whisky from many casks, and different years from that distillery. 

Pure malt is similar to single malt save that the blending involves single malt(s) from other distilleries.  This is also referred to as a “vatted malt.”  The key thing to remember is that it no grain alcohols are added to this.  I believe a blend of single grains is called a “pure grain,” or, “blended grain.”

Single barrel is when the whisky is sold from one particular barrel.  These are typically special bottlings that are labeled such and are numbered.  These can be fun as no two barrels will taste exactly alike.

Enthusiasts Answer:

A good friend of mine would often get angry with me when I used an adjustable wrench, instead of the correctly sized socket wrench, when we restored my 1967 Ford Mustang.  I argued that I didn’t have to crawl out from under the car as often when I had a tool that covered the several sizes I may encounter.  He argued that each individual nut, or bolt, had a corresponding wrench that matched it perfectly…and to stop being lazy and bring the toolbox closer to the car.

Single malt and blended whisky are the same.

A blended scotch is like my adjustable wrench.  The distiller has blended all of the characteristics I may desire all into one easy to carry bottle.  A single malt scotch is like the socket wrench.  It may not have all of the tastes of Scotland, but it does one particular taste better than a blended could hope for.

Many enthusiasts often progress from blended to single malts once they have developed their palate and have some more knowledge under their belt.  That is not to say that blends are inferior or are only for the uninitiated.  But once you know that you really like one particular characteristic, do you really want to stick with a whisky that doesn’t specialize in it?

Sláinte