Science of Smoke Studio Notes

9/15/18 SCIENCE OF SMOKE Dave Broom WELCOME Dave Broom was born in Glasgow and has spent his whole working life in the world of drink – from bottling line, to wine merchant, to real ale pub, to off licence, to Aussie wineries, to specialist spirits writing! Since then, Dave has written regularly about all spirit categories. Of his twelve books, two: ‘Drink: Never Mind the Peanuts’ and ‘Rum’ won the Glenfiddich award. His Whisky: The Manual was awarded Best Spirits Book at the Spirited Awards in 2015 and the ‘World Atlas of Whisky’ has been called “a landmark publication”. His most recent book, “The Way of Whisky: A Journey into Japanese Whisky’ appeared in 2017 and won the Andre Simon, John Avery Award. He is chief engineer for the go-to online site scotchwhisky.com, and writes for a large number of international titles. Dave has been involved with World Class since 2013, judging the Global Finals on a number of occasions as part of the World Class ‘gurus’ team’. JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK LABEL Johnnie Walker Black Label is the ‘Gold Standard’ of Blended Scotch Whisky. -Dave Broom 1 9/15/18 ORKNEY SKYE FOUR SPEYSIDE CORNERS HIGHLAND OF SCOTLAND • Diageo has over 10 million casks in storage • The largest holding of Scotch whisky in the world ISLAY LOWLAND • The only company to truly say they have whiskies from the four corners of Scotland CAMPBELTOWN MEET THE MAKERS Dr Jim Beveridge and the Whisky Masters Grain Milling Mashing Fermentation Distillation Maturation Blending WHISKY 2 9/15/18 THE PERFECT BLEND • Understanding how all liquids work in harmony • Balancing & matching flavors TASTING CAOL ILA GLENKINCHIE LAGAVULIN CARDHU TALISKER EARTHY FRESH CLYNELISH Iodine SMOKE FRUITS Fresh Apples Peat Smoke Pear Drops Kippers Cut Grass Bonfire Cinders Bubble Gum BENRINNES CAMERONBRIDGE ROYAL LOCHNAGAR PORT DUNDAS MORTLACH TROPICAL CREAMY Créme Caramel & RICH VANILLA Mango FRUITS Malted Milk Raisins Custard Figs Demerara Sugar SMOKE Smoke is the thread that runs through the fabric of Johnnie Walker whiskies. Always present, never dominant. 3 9/15/18 WHERE DOES SMOKE COME FROM? Kilning: the only point where smoke is applied FAMILY OF PHENOLS PHENOL GUAIACOL SYRINGOL (fee-nol) (Gu-i-a-col) (Si-rin-gol) medicinal, burnt, smoky burnt, smoky antiseptic, (discernible in (discernible in TCP taste only) aroma only) CRESOL XYLENOL Only the water soluble (Cre-sol) (Zy-len-ol) phenolic compounds in medicinal, Sweet, peat smoke can attach earthy peat, Medicinal to the moisture on the tar malted barley. UNDERSTANDING It is incredibly difficult to SMOKE balance smoke in a Blended Scotch Whisky 4 9/15/18 Grain Milling Mashing Fermentation Distillation Maturation Blending DECREASING INTENSITY OF SMOKE CONTROLLED & PROPORTIONED Smoke flavors must be integrated with care 10 9 Primary/Secondary Flavor Chart 8 • Flavors appear as we add 7 grain whisky 6 • As we lower intensity, we can increase 5 complexity 4 Intensity of Flavour of Intensity 3 2 1 0 Peat Malt Raisin Vanilla Green Apple Creaminess Dark Chocolate Lapsang Souchong 5 9/15/18 Smoke adds weight, length and texture to a whisky. Even a tiny amount of smoke -below what should be threshold, will add a quality to the finish of a whisky. It adds dryness as well, which means it can obscure sweetness, so again the most important thing is balancing smoke -in a blend, in a malt and in a drink. -Dave Broom •Even harder in a cocktail •Often used as a ‘blunt instrument’ -no finesse •Used for effect, for power UNDERSTANDING SMOKE SMOKE IN Interaction Vs Integration COCKTAILS •Interaction = smoke flavor pairing •Integration = smoking our own ingredients 6 9/15/18 FLAVOUR INTERACTION Dave Broom’s examples of Different Smoke Flavors found in whisky: SMOKE PHENOL MARINE ELEMENTS ELEMENTS ELEMENTS creosote, tar, bog myrtle, rock pools, oyster shells, wood smoke, bonfire, smoked fish, smoked ham brine, seaweed, fresh fish hickory, burning heather, spent fire, smouldering fire, soot, lapsang souchong tea EMOTIONAL CONNECTION Smoke is a cross cultural constant around the world FLAVOR INTERACTION Geographical Qualities of Smoke SCOTLAND: USA: Heathery, maritime Sweet and sugary JAPAN: charcoal, or ‘binchotan’, gentle smokes produced by hickory smoke burning peat - transports us to the smoke that perfectly complements the synonymous with BBQ pit. smoked salmon and delicacy of Asian gastronomy. mackerel. 7 9/15/18 DEMO TIME! MAPLE KOMBU HIGHBALL • 1¾oz Seaweed infused Johnnie Walker Black Label • oz Maple Syrup • 1bsp Malic Acid Solution • 3½oz Chilled Premium Soda Water FLAVOR INTEGRATION COLD SMOKER Outer Box KIT Inner Box Food Racks Dumpling Steamer Drip Tray Base Tray Cold Smoke Generator Door Cold Smoke Generator (fill with wood chips) 8 9/15/18 COLD SMOKER SETUP Box Dumpling Steamer Sugar Oats Muslin Rack Cold Smoker DEMO TIME! SMOKED CRANACHAN HIGHBALL • 1¾oz Johnnie Walker Black Label • oz Smoked Oat Syrup • 3½oz Chilled Premium Soda Water • Garnished with 3 Smoked Raspberries on a Cocktail Stick SOME WORDS FROM OUR EXPERTS The thing is, most bartenders use smoke as a special effect just for the smoke and not for everything else in the whisky, a blunt instrument. The whole point about a great smoky whisky is the complexity of the overall drink and how the smoke is just one element. Most people miss this point Deep tasting always. Look at what kind of ‘smoke’ pot is, what it evokes, how the smoke emerges on the tongue - it will do the same in your drink, what lies beneath what are the complementary and supporting flavours around the smoke. Dave Broom 9 9/15/18 SOME WORDS FROM OUR EXPERTS Smoke is an aroma that is often misused – start to understand how smoke can add a missing flavour, aroma, characteristic or “je ne sais quoi” to your cocktail, without the automatic placement of “cocktail under a cake dome for 15 minutes”. Smoke – just like any other polarizing aroma/flavour – can easily take over whatever it touches within seconds. The flavour profile of Johnnie Walker is exceptional because all the parts operate in unison – a harmonious balance of fruit, spice, earth and smoke. Think of how challenging it must be for Dr. Jim Beveridge and his team to develop this flavour profile – and use that same thinking when you develop yours. The sky is the limit, but make sure it’s delicious, and understand the different levels of smoke, different sources and different directions it can take. Lauren Mote 10.

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