Furthermore, dilution reduces the "prickle," allowing the palate to focus on the sweetness and texture rather than the burn.
Over years of aging, two significant things happen to the alcohol: alcohol in whisky
The liquid is heated in copper stills to separate and concentrate the ethanol. Yet, the silent protagonist in every dram is alcohol
When a connoisseur raises a glass of whisky, they often speak of notes of vanilla, hints of peat, or the sweetness of sherry casks. Yet, the silent protagonist in every dram is alcohol. It is the vehicle for flavor, the agent of preservation, and the physical body of the spirit. It is the architect of the spirit's soul
Alcohol in whisky is far more than an intoxicating agent. It is the architect of the spirit's soul. From the moment it interacts with the grain, through the years it spends extracting flavor from the oak, to the moment it hits the glass, ethanol dictates the texture, aroma, and longevity of the whisky.
Whisky is not just stored in wood; it breathes through it. When "new make" spirit is placed in oak casks, the high alcohol concentration acts as an aggressive solvent. It leaches vanillin, tannins, and wood sugars from the oak.