45: John Angus Explores the Science and Chemistry of Spirits Flavor

This podcast explores the science behind whiskey flavor with John Angus, a chemistry expert who creates infographics about distilling. Angus discusses his journey into the spirits world, which began with valorizing organic waste from breweries and distilleries. He explains how cask finishing impacts whiskey flavor, detailing the unique compounds imparted by different cask types like port, sherry, rum, and more unconventional options like Calvados and coffee. The conversation covers angel's share, the loss of ethanol and water in barrels, and how humidity and temperature affect evaporation rates in different climates like Jamaica and Scotland. Angus emphasizes the importance of documentation for small distilleries to maintain consistency and build compelling brand stories. He also hints at a forthcoming book aimed at industry professionals.