375 - The Science of Whiskey Maturation with Ale Ochoa of TX Whiskey

Bourbon Pursuit

Whiskey is an amazing product. It's a testament of blending science and nature to create something that didn't exist naturally. And during that process from grain to bottle, you can manipulate a multitude of variables to create a brand new type of whiskey or some flavor nuance that hasn't been discovered. TX Whiskey is a growing brand and they have some strong pedigree of people working to shape their whiskey profile. We're joined by Ale Ochoa who is their whiskey scientist. She analyzes, studies, and makes suggestions on what to do with finished whiskey at TX but also has an influence during every step of the process. We talk about how she landed her dream job after college at TX what how she is learning about particular barrel placements in the warehouses and finishes.

Show Notes:

• Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks cocktail culture of the spirits industry
• Was there ever an influence of whiskey in your family?
• What was it about whiskey that made you focus your college studies on it?
• Did you choose the title of Whiskey Scientist?
• Have you had any discoveries or big takeaways with aging in Texas?
• Does the fermentation process have a different effect in Texas?
• Can you talk about the wood and cooperage you're using?
• How are you determining when to pull sample lots?
• Do you have a hypothesis of what will happen to barrels and oak aging in different locations?
• Why did you decided to get into the finished barrel category?
• So what barrel finishes did not work?
• Are you blending both of your warehouse locations together or keeping them separate?
• @txwhiskey
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