PROCESS FOR REDUCING ETHANOL LOSS WHILE DEVELOPING DESIRABLE ORGANOLEPTICS DURING WOODEN BARREL AGING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE

摘要

An alcoholic beverage is aged in a wooden barrel after the barrel is covered by a film having an oxygen transmission rate of at least 50 cc/m2/day and an ethanol transmission rate of less than 30 g/m2 /day. The beverage acquires one or more specific flavor components in an amount of 50%, 75%, or 100% relative to amounts of one or more of the same flavor components in a control alcoholic beverage aged in a wooden barrel without the film thereon. Covering the barrel with the film reduces the angels' share evaporative loss, while allowing the beverage to develop desirable flavor components during aging. In another embodiment, the process reduces angels' share evaporative loss while achieving organoleptics indistinguishable from a control.