Not to confuse "wood alcohol" with "barrel aged".
Although IMO, some of that Double Wood Balvenie single malt tastes close to my perception of wood alcohol.
There is the key question.....most people starting out will avoid grains, as the wood alcohol that the mash produces is greater....so in laymans terms, if you use fruits of any kind , you are simply distilling wine.
So your mash, before its boiled is already a consumable product, with a low volume of poisons......which is why some wines produce that bitchin' hangover.....and is why you pick up the "taste" of apricots, cherries or berries...The Germans call it Shcnapps....North Americans call it Moonshine.
The grains have almost no taste, and in the commercial distilleries in Canada, we use predominately unsprouted wheat.
Sprouted wheat is the " malt" in some whiskies, particularly in Ireland and Scotland.
Even Grey Goose uses wheat, but it's charcoal filtered three times, which is another process to purify.
Using a Hydrometer, that costs about 45 bucks the alcohol amount is measured.....actually the water level is measured, and then it's cut down with distilled water to acquire the desired " proof" or percentage, also regulated by the government.
Aging in oak is a whiskey method,it is almost characterless in body when it comes out of the still, using sprouted or unsprouted grains....it is basically just Vodka....and ready to take on the aromas and infusions of aged or charred oak....
The evaporation over the years is a loss through the wood, over time, and referred to as the " Angels Kiss"
Whiskey is something I know very little about....other than drinking it in large amounts.
All of the above info I have provided is just acquired useless knowledge, and in no way should be viewed as a guideline....distillation is an art form taking years of experience, as well as trial and error methods...and an L-63 Excise Tax permit should always be obtained from CRA.
