© Mathew Lyons
A team from Edinburgh Napier University’s Centre for Timber Engineering has helped to develop the world’s most efficient whisky barrel, developed to retain the so called ‘angel’s share’ – the portion of volume that is lost to evaporation.
Up to a fifth of a cask of whisky can be lost during maturation. The university project developed cutting edge technology to create a whisky cask that minimises loss through evaporation during the all-important maturing process which should be at least three years, but can take decades.
Professor Abdy Kermani said that after working with experts at drinks giant Diageo, waste through evaporation is being reduced significantly. “We were approached by Diageo to have a look at the ‘angels’ share’. We worked using the existing cask and improved that so that the reduction was at an absolute minimum.”
A Diageo spokesman said: “High quality oak casks are crucial in the maturation of quality Scotch whisky, with the interaction of the spirit and the cask as the whisky matures having a vital influence on the final whisky.
“We put a lot of effort and investment into how we prepare and manage our casks to ensure we produce the highest quality Scotch Whisky. The focus of the work with Napier University was new research into the maturation process designed to optimise the use of the traditional oak casks we use to mature our Scotch whiskies.
“We also invested £10 million in a new state-of-the-art cooperage to create the best possible environment for our skilled coopers to craft our oak casks.”
Rosemary Gallagher, of the Scotch Whisky Association, said: “Scotch derives a lot of its colour and flavour from the cask. The new spirit is filled into oak casks which being permeable allow air in and some evaporation takes place, leading to the ‘angels’ share’. This interaction between the air and the spirit is essential in creating the final flavour profile.”
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