In daily life, licorice is used as an element to add flavor and is often used in throat lozenges, desserts, syrups, preserves, roasted seeds and nuts, tobacco, and of course many candies. In the field of alcoholic beverages, licorice is also used to flavor liqueurs such as port, stout, bitters, and licorice black sambuca. Koskenkorva Salmiakki liqueur from Finland is made from vodka and salted licorice. Licorice is also widely incorporated into cocktail recipes and provides plenty of inspiration for home whiskey cocktail enthusiasts.
Licorice itself is also a common and easily identifiable flavor in whiskey. Take the whiskey flavor wheel produced by "Whisky Magazine" as a reference. Licorice is generally classified in the woody zone. This type of flavor generally conveys a warm texture, such as Baking, herbs, old wood vs. fresh wood. If you taste flavors such as star anise, fennel, tobacco, fennel, cola, ginger, pepper, or obvious oak flavors when tasting a whiskey, then the liquorice flavor will often accompany it, giving a warm and sweet experience.
Where does the licorice flavor come from? There's not just one answer, depending on the conditions, we can find this pleasant flavor in a variety of situations:
The first is the influence of oak barrels. During the maturation process of single malt whiskey, the interaction with oak barrels is a key step in forming its complex flavor. It can be said that 70% of the flavor comes from the influence of barrels. The tannins and flavor substances in the oak barrels can be leached into the wine during the aging process. After the inner walls of some types of oak barrels are roasted, this contact surface will give the whiskey a unique spice flavor, among which This includes the licorice flavor. Of course, depending on the type of oak and the degree of carbonization, it will also bring flavors such as spices, vanilla, nuts, caramel, coffee, etc. These flavors combined with the licorice flavor will convey a warm and spicy image. Generally speaking, Spanish oak barrels such as those used to age PX Sherry will more easily bring out the flavors of toffee, fig, coffee and licorice in whiskey.
Cognac barrels are another whiskey aging barrel with a more common licorice flavor. On the one hand, Cognac barrels are mostly made from Limousin oak. This kind of oak grows in central France. It has loose texture, more pores and is breathable. The characteristics of wood with good properties allow the cognac barrels to be fully extracted by whiskey more quickly during the maturation process, such as eugenol and other lactone compounds, which will bring complex and subtle spice aromas. Considering the dryness Cognac can be aged for 50 years or more, and the age of Cognac barrels is often higher, which will further strengthen the "barrel flavor" of the old oak barrels themselves and make the aroma of licorice deeper.
In addition, port and Madeira, which are fortified wines like sherry, will also bring obvious spice flavors to the corresponding barrel-aged whiskey, as well as the roasting brought by rum barrel aging. These flavors Often accompanied by licorice flavor.
The raw materials and wine-making process will also affect the production of licorice flavor. Chemical reactions during fermentation and distillation of different varieties of malt, rye, and other grains may also produce licorice-like compounds. Some distilleries in Scotland use some peat made from withered and decayed heather. Heather has a sweet herbal flavor, closer to the aroma of licorice. This special heather peat may also give whiskey a flavor during the distillation process. Elegant licorice aroma, like the Highland Knights of the Orkney Islands, which uses peat containing a large amount of heather. When the peat is burned for roasting the malt, it will also add a sweet flavor.
If we expand our horizons to bourbon and rye whiskey, the licorice flavor will be more common and occupy the C position. Take rye whiskey as an example. Due to the characteristics of rye itself, it often produces a spicier flavor with licorice and other spices when it is made into liquor; while bourbon whiskey will have a spicier taste due to the content inside the newly fired American oak barrels. Vanillin is given a typical vanilla flavor. This vanilla flavor sometimes presents a sweetness similar to licorice. For example, many barrel-strength wines such as Alica and Weifenghuang have the rich expression of licorice and plum.
(1) Powerful Phoenix Collection
It is a high-quality affordable bourbon produced by Heaven Hill Distillery. The previous generation of packaging was affectionately called "Fat Turkey" by enthusiasts due to its rounded bottle. It is popular among bourbon enthusiasts. Very popular.
The flavor of the wine has strong licorice characteristics from the beginning: the aroma is expressed as licorice-flavored cream, hawthorn cake, plum candy and banana pie, cinnamon rolls brushed with a layer of varnish, and brown sugar gingerbread. In the mouth, there are raisins sprinkled with cinnamon powder, salty olives with licorice, a burning and oily taste, tangerine peel sugar, and raw almonds. The finish is medium length, petrol, lit kerosene-soaked wood, warm banana oatmeal.
As a licorice-style bourbon whiskey of the same type, you can also choose the mid-to-high-end Four Roses Platinum Japanese Limited Edition. Its licorice style will be relatively refreshing and high-end, and combined with the distillery's special rock sugar flavor, it will make the wine full of transparency. If you have a wider budget, you can choose from the Alliga batch barrel strength series, which is also from the Haiwen Mountain Distillery. Remember to look for ones with an alcohol content of over 65%. The licorice flavor inside is as strong as concentrated syrup. The recognition will be clearer than ordinary wines, and the strong taste with the flavors of caramel and corn in the mouth will be unforgettable for a long time.
(2) Kavalan Solo Series Porter Barrel
This series is a single barrel selection, and there will be slight differences in flavor, but most of them will have a relatively rich licorice texture brought by the special old wood syrup style of Porter barrels. The aroma is mainly of thick preserved fruits, licorice and plum jam, shredded tobacco, molasses, berries, dark wood, and then leather, raisins and black chocolate. After a brief sour taste in the mouth, it is followed by a thick layer of licorice-flavored cream wrapped with nuts, wet tobacco leaves and orange-flavored gummy candies. The fat is as rich as pork breast brushed with honey, Nianjian syrup, ginger sugar, black tea, and tannins. It ends with sweet tobacco and maple shortbread.
There are also port barrel-aged malt whiskeys with a licorice feel, including Allen's bourbon barrel series, which have more flavors of traditional Chinese medicine shops, old bookcases, and dust; there is also a limited edition of Tobermory 12-year-old port barrels. The barrel is strong and brings a distinctly "dirty" Porter barrel style, such as sweet pasta sauce and beet soup, as well as licorice cocoa syrup and pickled olives.
(3) Pikesville 6-year-old rye whiskey
This rye whiskey released in 2015 by Haiwen Mountain (yes, it is from the same family as the Phoenix Reserve and Alica, which are also rich in licorice flavor). It is as impressive as a spice bomb. The wine is listed in the "Whiskey Bible" 》Won the honor of the second best whiskey in the world in the 2016 annual selection. The wine is made from 51% rye, 39% corn and 10% barley malt and bottled with an alcohol content of 110 Proof (ie 55% ABV). Compared with the licorice caramel popcorn of its peers, Phoenix Caramel, and the licorice salty cheese style of Alica, Paine uses a large proportion of rye to have a more complex spice profile. The smell feels like you have plunged into a spice shop, licorice olives , betel nut, pepper, cinnamon powder and dried longan and other aromas emerge one after another. After the entrance is brown sugar ginger tea, shredded tobacco and hot cocoa, licorice and red date cake, and gradually ends with cinnamon black tea.
This wine is difficult to purchase in China. As an alternative, Haywest's double rye and Michter's rye are also leaders in their respective price ranges. Their own distinctive licorice flavor can also bring drinkers Warm and cozy feeling.
There are also many wines that have licorice-type flavors, which are blended into their own wine characteristics to form different subtle differences, which will also bring slightly different subjective experiences to different drinkers, and this is also The fun part of browsing through the various whiskey styles. As for which whiskey has the best expression of licorice flavor, it depends on each eye, and I believe that all enthusiasts will have different answers.
