A discussion of how individual grains affect the flavour of whisky, how these are affected by still type, and tools the blender uses. All illustrated using examples of Canadian whisky and spirtis distilled in Canada.

1. AGAINST THE GRAIN
Don Livermore – Master Blender Hiram Walker & Sons
Twitter & Instagram @cdnwhiskydoc
Dave Broom – author World Atlas of Whisky; Whisky: the Manual
Twitter: @davebroomwhisky Instagram: @davewasabi
Davin de Kergommeaux – author Canadian Whisky Second Edition:
The New Portable Expert - Twitter & Instagram: @davindek
Tales of the Cocktail 2017
Friday, July 21, 2017 12:30 – 2:00
#totc2017 #againstthegrain @jpwisersca

2. 2
Canadian
Whisky
Flavour
Wheel

3. BARLEY:
GRAINY, BREAD,
MALTY, NUTTY,
CARAMEL
RYE:
CLOVE, GINGER,
CINNAMON, SPICY,
FLORAL
GRAINS
CORN:
SWEET, SOFT,
CREAMY, FRUIT
3
WHEAT:
BREADY, CREAMY,
PASTRY, SHORTBREAD

4. PLANT FIBRE
- Outer bran layer (Cell wall)
- Germ
4
Diagram Source: Positioning of Lignocellulosic Components in Plant Cell Wall. http://intechopen.com
Chart Source: Chemistry of Cereal Grains P.Koehler and H. Weiser, German Research Centre for Food Chemistry
Component Corn Rye Wheat Barley
Starch (%w/w) 65.0 60.3 59.4 62.7
Protein (%w/w) 8.8 9.4 11.3 11.1
Fat (%w/w) 3.8 1.7 1.8 2.1
Fibre (%w/w) 9.8 13.1 13.2 9.7
Lignin (%w/w) 1.4 2.1 2.0 1.9
Lignans (ug/100 g) 23 770 76 205
Component
levels depend on
species and
processing (hull
removal)
Lignan
Smaller chains, oligomeric
Larger chains, polymeric

5. LIGNIN
And
LIGNIN
BY-PRODUCTS
OH
CH2OH
O
CH
O CH
H3CO
CH2
OH
R
CCH
O
OH
H3CO
O
C
HOH2C
CHO
H
CH
O
H2C
CHHC
HC
O
CH
OCH3
O
CH3O
H
HOH2C
HC
HC
HOH2C
O
O
C
O
C
H
OCH3
CC CH2OH
CH2OH
H3CO
CH
CH2OHOC
OH
H
C
H
H2OHC
O
R
Guaiacol
416 ppb
OH
OCH3
CH2
CH3
4-ethyl
guaiacol
219 ppb
OH
OCH3
Lignin
OH
OCH3
CH3
Creosol
129 ppb
OH
CH2
CH3
4-ethyl
phenol
24 ppb
OH
OCH3
CH
CH
CH
Eugenol
200 ppb
HEAT
Cooking
Distillation
POT
DISTILLED
Rye
Increase of
lignin
derived
compounds
compared to
corn
Smoky
Burnt
Wood, leather -spice
Spicy sweet smoke
Clove
Smoke creosote bacon
5
CH3
CC
H3C
C
C C
C
Lignans
Basic Structure
Hundreds of known lignans

6. GRAIN
QUALITY
GRADE 2
TEST
WEIGHT
54 lbs/ bush
HEAT
DAMAGE
0.2%
DAMAGED
KERNELS
5.0%
BROKEN
KERNEL –
FOREIGN
MATERIAL
3.0%
MOST IMPORTANT TEST:
VISUAL PERCEPTION – Should not have a musty, sour, or
commercially objectionable foreign odor; or it is rejected
6
- LOCAL GRAIN SAMPLE PRIOR to OFF-LOAD
- RYE - Front, middle, back
- Southern Ontario
- Western Canada

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COOKING/
MASHING
HAMMERMILL
FINE FLOUR COOKING-
72°C
BREAK
DOWN
INTO
SUGAR
INCREASE
OF TEMP.
7
GELATINIZATION
OF STARCH
67oC
75oC
85oC
5 INGREDIENTS
TO WHISKY
Grain Flour 
Corn, rye barley,
or wheat
Malt  Enzymes
Cold Water 
Great Lakes
Sour Mash
Nitrogen

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FERMENTATION
CORN MASH
RYE MASH
YEAST BUDDING
8
39 Fermenters
190,000L
YEAST PRODUCES
Ethanol
CO2
Fruity
Floral
Green – Grass
Soapy
Sulfur
GRAINS FERMENTED
SEPARATELY
CORN MASH
- 3 days
- 15% abv
RYE / BARLEY/ WHEAT
MASH
- 2.5 days
-8% abv

9. Large number of products excreted; although in low
concentrations it affects overall quality of the beverage
Ethanol + CO2
Most abundant
Glycerol
Maintains cellular tolerance
Produce when yeast is stressed
Organic and Fatty Acids
110 acids
Decrease pH in fermentation
Soapy aromas
Higher Alcohols (fusel oils)
40 higher alcohols
fruity
Esters
90 esters
Flowery, or fruity aromas
Carbonyls
200 carbonyls
Grassy (aldehydes), stale, buttery (diacetyl)
Sulfur Compounds
H2S – rotten egg
SO2 – burnt match
Mercaptans – burnt rubber
YEAST CELL
Esters
↑sugar ↑esters
↓O2 ↑esters
↑temp ↑esters
↑mixing ↑esters
↑nitrogen ↓esters
Higher Alcohols (HA)
↑temp ↑HA
↑mixing ↑HA
↓nitrogen ↑HA
↑O2 ↑HA
↑sugar ↑HA
↑yeast ↓HA
Organic Fatty Acids
↓O2↑ FA
↑temp ↓FA
↑ yeast ↓FA
↑nitrogen ↓FA
Sulfur
↑Time ↑S
↑O2 ↓S
↓Growth Factors (aa) ↑S
↑ lightly kilned Malt ↑DMS
(aa in malt converted by yeast to
DMS)
↑ Temp ↑S
↑nitrogen (early) ↓S
Carbonyl
Compounds
↑ temp ↑ aldehydes
↑ yeast concentration ↑aldehydes
↓O2↑ aldehydes
↑infection ↑aldehydes
YEAST EXCRETION BY-PRODUCTS

10. DISTILLATION
BEER STILL
COPPER
COLUMN
STILL
FIRST PASS
- full bodied
whisky
- Grain character
- Yeast character
(fruit, floral,
green grass,
soapy)
- 70% abv
COPPER TRAYS
Salts out sulfur to
copper sulfate
COPPER CONDENSER
Alcohol boils at 78°C,
Water boils at 100°C
10

11. Nose: Dark rye spices dominates the nose that is reminiscent of
cloves and ginger. There are underlings of dried fruits, raisins, and
green apple.
Body: Full and complex
Palate: Freshly harvested rye cereal with hints of ginger and white
pepper. It is balanced with green apples, pears and English toffee
and vanilla
Finish: Lingering
rye spice
COLUMN DISTILLED RYE
WHISKY
FLAVOURING
WHISKY
11

12. Nose: Ripe cherries, gourmet breads, malt, cereal, with
caramel and toffee notes
Body: Round and complex
Palate: Creamy, bready, dried fruits, orange honey, and
cereals.
Finish: Citrus peel and herbs
COLUMN DISTILLED WHEAT
WHISKY
FLAVOURING
WHISKY
12

13. Nose: Citrus peel, pine needle, lilac, subtle nuts and spice
Body: Complex
Palate: Fresh cut hay, herbal tea, lilacs, undertone of melon
Finish: Lingering dryness
COLUMN DISTILLED BARLEY
WHISKY
FLAVOURING
WHISKY
13

14. Nose: Sweet cherry, apricots, boiled vegetable, and subtle
pepper, roses
Body: Sweet and smooth
Palate: Green apple, unripe fruits, white pepper and subtle
herbs
Finish: Lingering grass
COLUMN DISTILLED CORN
WHISKY
FLAVOURING
WHISKY
14

15. Double
Column
Still • Double
Distilled
• SECOND PASS
- Light base whisky
- Strips grain and yeast
character
- 94% abv
• WE ARE BREWERS AS
WELL AS DISTILLERS
15

16. DD
DOUBLE DISTILLED
BASE WHISKY
Light
Smooth
Diluted to 58% - 76% abv in cask
Delivers a quality component
around casks
- Barrel Type
- Age
- Finishing
Supports or complements the
structure of the whisky
- small grains
- distillation type
16

17. POT
DISTILLATION
HEATING
COIL
Inside Copper Pot
Still
COPPER POT
STILLS
Heads removes green
grass notes, body retains
fruity, floral, and grain
notes, tails removes
soapy notes
17
LYNE ARM ANGLE
The lyne arm will change the
amount of non-ethanol
components that make it into
the distillate.
- ANGLE UP the vapours
fight up hill and cool
down slowly
- lighter smoother
taste
- PARALLEL the vapours
cool moderately
- ANGLE DOWN vapours
cool quick the less
volatile substances
will condense and
flow down into the
condenser along with
the ethanol vapors
- the distillate a far
more flavorful,
‘fuller’, taste.

18. Congener Boiling Pt. (oC) Odour
Acetaldehyde 21 ripe fruit / green grass / pungent
Dimethyl Sulfide 37 garlic, green vegetable
Methanol 65 solventy
Ethyl Acetate 77 fruity green apple
Diacetyl 86 buttery
Propanol 97 alcohol, yeast, slight apple
Furfural 103 cherry, almond
Iso-Butanol 117 winey
Amyl Alcohol 128 banana
Amyl Acetate 149 pear oil
Ethyl Lactate 154 strawberry
Ethyl Octanoate 166 apple, pear
Ethyl Decanoate 207 apricot
Ethyl Palmitate 215 waxy, fruit, creamy balsalmic
4-ethyl phenol 218 smoky, phenol, bacon
b- Phenylethanol 220 roses
Creosol (4-methyl guaiacol) 221 spice, clove, leather
Phenylethyl Acetate 232 roses
4-ethyl guaicol 235 spicy – clove, sweet smoky vanilla
Ethyl Caprate 243 pineapple
Phenyl Ethyl-Hexanoate 263 waxy
Ethyl Laurate 269 soapy
POT DISTILLATION CUTS Green
Grass
Fruity
Floral
Spice
Soapy

19. Nose: Green apple and pear drops dominates the nose.
Roasted rye spices such as ginger, cloves, and cinnamon are
in the background which is balanced by caramel, vanilla, and
toffee.
Body: Full and complex
Palate: Initial impression of green apples, pears, and citrus
complemented by roasted dark rye bread, white pepper and
spices.
Finish: Lingering rye
spice and dried fruit.
POT DISTILLED RYE WHISKY
FLAVOURING
WHISKY
19

20. Nose: Green apple and fresh citrus peels, cereal, with
caramel toffee notes
Body: Full, dry, and complex
Palate: Initial grassy – herbal spices, ripe fruits, lilacs,
and dry oak
Finish: Lingering peppery zest
POT DISTILLED BARLEY WHISKY
FLAVOURING
WHISKY
20

21. Nose: Fruity – chocolate, bready, cherry, with subtle hints of
lilac
Body: Mouth coating
Palate: Herbal, citrus peel, hay, with undertones of spice
Finish: Lingering grassiness
POT DISTILLED WHEAT WHISKY
FLAVOURING
WHISKY
21

22. MATURATION
LOCATION
Pike Creek
(most southerly part of Canada)
Natural environmental
conditions dictate
aging process
(hot summers cool winters))
16 WAREHOUSES
480 ft. X 200 ft. X 20 ft.
Stack 6 pallets high
600 barrels per row
TOTAL 1.6 MM BARRELS
22

23. WAREHOUSES
REACTIONS IN
A BARREL
Colour
Subtractive
Reaction –
removal of
sulfur
Wood Extracts
Oxidation
23

24. ANGEL’S
SHARE
REACTION
Green apple
Acetaldehyde + O2  Acetic Acid
Ethanol + Acetic Acid  Ethyl Acetate + water
ETHYL ACETATE
INFLUENCED BY TEMPERATURE
24

26. Structure
Of
Oak Wood
26

27. BUILDING
BLOCKS
OF WOOD
O
O
O
CH2
O
O
O
O
HO
HO
CH2
O
H
H
O
H
H
O
O
O
CH2
OH
OH
O
O
O
CH2
O
H
H
O
H
HH
H
O
O
O
CH2
O
O
O
O
HO
O
CH2
O
H
H
O
H
H
O
O
O
CH2
OH
OH
O
O
O
CH2
O
H
H
O
H
HH
H
O
O
O
CH2
O
O
O
O
HO
O
CH2
O
H
H
O
H
H
O
O
O
CH2
OH
OH
O
O
O
CH2
O
H
H
O
H
HH
H
H
H
O
R
HO OH
O
O
HO OH
O
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
O
O OH
O
O
HO
O
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
O
OH
OH
Arabinose
Linkage
CH2OH
R
H
H
H3CO
O
HO OH
H
H
COOH
H
H
H
O
Galacturonic
Acid Linkage
OH
CH2OH
O
CH
O CH
H3CO
CH2
OH
R
CCH
O
OH
H3CO
O
C
HOH2C
CHO
H
CH
O
H2C
CHHC
HC
O
CH
OCH3
O
CH3O
H
HOH2C
HC
HC
HOH2C
O
O
C
O
C
H
OCH3
CC CH2OH
CH2OH
H3CO
CH
CH2OHOC
OH
H
C
H
H2OHC
O
R
Cellulose
- 40 – 50%
- 10,000 dextrose units
- “bricks to a wall”
Hemicellulose
- 15 – 25%
- 6 types of sugars (xylose
mainly in oak)
- 200 units long
- “loose bricks”
Lignin
-10 – 20%
- Not a carbohydrate
- “mortar to the bricks”
Other
- Neutral Detergent Solubles (NDS)  Water, Tannic acid, wood lactones, oil resins, minerals 27

28. BREAKI
NG
LIGNIN
BREAKING APART
LIGNIN DURING
BURNING
1
9

29. Sweet
Smoky
Green - mild
Smoky
Burnt
Sweet
creamy
Wood, leather
spice
Spicy
sweet
smoke
Roasted
peanut
Clove
Smoky
metallic
powder
Sweet
vanillin
Sweet
medical
phenol
Smoke
creosote
bacon
BREAKING APART
LIGNIN DURING
BURNING

30. BREAKING
HEMICELLUL
OSE
BREAKING APART
HEMICELLULOSE AND
CELLULOSE - BURNING

31. BREAKING APART HEMICELLULOSE AND CELLULOSE - BURNING
Ethereal
Caramel
Toffee
Sweet dried f
Nutty
Caramel
Sweet
Burnt
Caramel
Grain
Caramel
Cardboard
Caramel
maple
Cotton
Candy
Vinegar
Solvent
BREAKING APART
HEMICELLULOSE AND
CELLULOSE - BURNING

32. AGING CANADIAN WHISKIES AGING BARREL WOOD QUALITY (3 YEARS OLD)
TOTALEXTRACT(PPBEXTRACT/LAA)
DAYS
0 0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
200 400 600 800 1000 1200
MULTIPLE USE
AMERICAN
BOURBON ONCE
USED
NEW WOOD 4
MM DEPTH
CHAR
NEW WOOD 2
MM DEPTH
CHAR
32

33. JP
Wiser’s
18 Year
COLOR
Deep Autumn Amber
NOSE
Abundance of oak, floral with a hint of fresh pine
BODY
Full and robust
PALATE
Plentiful mature oak with hints of baked apple, spice and rich
caramel
FINISH
Deep and enduring smooth finish
33

34. 34
Colour: Luxurious Gold
Nose: Complex interaction of red apples, dried spices and honey, subtle
raisin bread, almonds and baked vanilla.
Body: Full and round
Palate: Red apples followed by fresh breads and barley malts; slowly opens
to a distinct oak character.
Finish: Warm, lingering rye spices
Length of Finish: 1:30 min
Empty Glass: Mature oak, subtle smokiness and roasted almonds
Gooderham
&
Worts

35. COLOR:
Deep Amber
NOSE:
Sour rye bread complements the ripe Bartlett pears, warmed honey, rich vanilla
and slight floral notes
BODY:
Complex and smooth
PALATE:
Heavy rye spices and white pepper unites with roasted walnuts, English toffee,
and subtle dark fruits
FINISH:
Warming
LENGTH OF FINISH:
2:00 min
EMPTY GLASS:
Ageing Warehouse
35

36. THANK
YOU
36

37. BARREL FINISHING
DIFFUSIONof flavour molecules from an area of high concentration to low concentration
Sherry (walnuts and raisins, prunes, dates, figs)
Oloroso Sherry (marmalade and Xmas pudding)
Port (fruity with spicy, sweet, chocolate)
Wine (variety dependent)
Rum (island spices, brown sugar)
CognacBrandy (Almonds, dried fruits)
Bourbon (dried fruits, caramel, vanilla)
Whisky spends most of its life in one cask, but then is put into a
different type of cask for a brief time before bottling.
The art of finishing whisky in barrels from different spiritwine
types is add a layer of complexity and aromas to the final
whisky
Held to the quality of the spirits or wine that were previously in cask
Unpredictable
Barrels dry out
Susceptible to bacterial contamination
Sour barrels
Storage of barrels
Size of Barrel
41

38. APPENDIX
37

39. DON
LIVERMORE
PHD, MASTER BLENDER
Born in rural Canada.
Moved to Windsor Ontario to work as a microbiologist at
Hiram Walker & Sons in 1996
Don also completed a MSC and a PhD in Brewing and
Distilling at Heriot Watt University.
Worked at Hiram Walker for 20 Years
@cdnwhiskydoc 38

40. DAVE
BROOM
AUTHOR, WHISKY WRITER, EDUCATOR
Dave Broom is a Glaswegian who gets paid to drink and write
about it. He’s been doing it for 30 years. No-one’s found him
out yet.
If you are vaguely interested his main outlet is
scotchwhisky,com
Twitter: @davebroomwhisky
instagram: @davewasabi
39

41. DAVIN
DEKERGOMMEAUX
AUTHOR - MODERATOR
Six years studying grain science– Guelph & Western
Universities.
Teaching & talking about whisky since 1998
Writes about whisky for various whisky and lifestyle
magazines.
New Canadian Whisky book coming October 3, 2017.
twitter & instagram: @davindek
40