Post #315525 by DemeraraDrinker on Thu, Jun 28, 2007 2:47 PM

Martiki is right here. Tequila is often aged in old bourbon barrels. But it is still Tequila. It may have some flavor accents that are similar to bourbon, but the agave is still there.

The way to look at distilling at a higher proof/lower proof...more flavor/less flavor is this: alcohol boils at a certain temperature (before water does thank God). If you're going for a very neutral spirit, you want basically pure alcohol vapor going into the condenser. Higher proof--more neutral. If you didn't get it pure enough, you distill it again to get a purer distillate. That's why vodkas sometimes brag about double or triple (or five time) distilled.

If you want more flavor and body (and sometimes congeners and fussell oils that might give you a hangover), then you want that alcohol vapor to take some other compounds up to be condensed, too. Water is usually one of those compounds. There are many others. Lower proof--more flavor.

I've always wondered what give Pisco that funky (in a good way) flavor (and maybe Cachaca, too)...distilling at 80 proof (or low proof) fills in some blanks on that front.