![]() The esters are the very thing that give the whiskey its particular flavour, texture and mouthfeel. Non-Chill Filtered WhiskeyĬertainly having a tumbler full of gorgeously translucent whiskey is better looking, but does removing the esters remove any taste? Well, some purists would say yes. While that may be desirable when you’re playing pétanque on the Riviera, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to their single malt back at home. These esters, basically fatty proteins, cloud when water or ice is added to the spirit - think of the French aperitif Pastis and you get the idea. Ok, that’s fine, but why remove them? The answer is simple: aesthetics. The chill filtering process is a refining process that removes what’s known as long tail esters.Įsters are formed during the whiskey’s fermentation, at the stage of whisky production in which the yeast converts the sugar glucose into ethanol. So, why would you subject a perfectly good whiskey to a chemical process that, many feel, affects the taste of the drink? Well, there is no right answer. Higher strength whiskeys (above 46.3 ABV ) are less volatile and therefore easy to manage when it comes to change in temperatures. The chill filtering process is only used in whiskeys of 46 ABV (alcohol by volume) or less. The actual filter used is a secret closely guarded by the distillery it can be anything from paper to metal to incongruously, crushed seashells and even earth. In chill filtered whiskey, the liquid is filtered at this low temperature to create a perfectly clear, limpid drink. Floc makes the whiskey cloudy which, to the naked eye, is just not very pretty. ![]() As the spirit cools down, or chills, the impurities clump together (much like sediment in a bottle of wine) and cause flocculation (floc). This process removes any impurities (such as fatty acids) that might have occurred during the spirit’s barrel ageing. But what exactly is chill filtered whiskey?Ĭhill filtering is when the distillery cools the spirit to 0° C or lower. ![]() In fact, non-chill filtered whiskey is very much a thing, and to chill or not to chill is a question that apparently has no answer. Well, whiskey drinkers, that’s who don’t want to chill. Who doesn’t want to chill? It’s a great pastime, lovely and indulgent and in these days of not having enough time to ourselves, a bit of a luxury. Chilling - assuming you are not talking about anything that goes in a fridge - is good. ![]()
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