The absolute winter closure of the distillation period is the opening of the barrel of previous years during the last cauldrons, a custom forgotten for many years in some small monasteries and a few houses of petty small producers. So to see how the old season goes, let’s take our share on the occasion of the share of the Angels, bro!
If we look at the exceptional brandies of producers such as the famous Metaxa which have been established in the consciousness of consumers in the global spirits market and recall the history of Greek distilleries of the early 20th century we will remember that the production of aged spirits in Greece has a long tradition. The bottling of aged tsipouro, of course, as well as our own traditional distillate, took a long time to take place, since our legislation allowed it only in 1988. With the freshness of the young in their quiver and the tradition of many years on their backs, a new category of Greek spirits, this aged tsipouro, comes to keep us company on cold winter nights in front of the fireplace or in a cool sour in front of the sea on hot summer sunsets.
Oxidative aging of tsipouro is a process that has a lot of history, a lot of chemistry and several different parameters. Aging is as important to some spirits as the raw material itself. So the variety and quality of the marcs, the fermentation, the way of distillation, the filtration and of course the choice of the wood, its origin, its burning and its volume are important.
The distillate pulls from the aftertaste of the wood. Most often white oak is used, which burns slightly inside. It is a practice that caramelizes the natural sugars of the wood and gives the distillate a caramel butter aftertaste. Over time, other chemical processes take part in the whole process, resulting in a profound effect on the character and aftertaste of the distillate.
Distillates selected for aging usually have a high alcohol content, increased acidity and a high concentration of polyphenols. The tannins of wood add complexity and balance to the distillate. They give it a complex character with dominant characteristics of spices, dried fruits, honey, tobacco, chocolate, etc. In an aged tsipouro you can notice notes of honey, orange blossom, vanilla, ginger, clove, cinnamon, raisin and generally a light sense of aroma that sometimes refers to whiskey and sometimes to rum.
No barrel is completely sealed, as a result of which air circulates, which affects the distillate. Over the years, oxygen reacts with the ingredients of the distillate, resulting in more complex and special aftertaste. Through this process another remarkable fact occurs: A percentage close to five percent each year evaporates, resulting in long maturation spirits the loss is great. This percentage has been christened ‘angel’s share’ – it is the share that angels magically steal for their own pleasure. Warm climates but also those with high humidity percentages help this percentage to be even higher.
So characteristic features of a barrel aged tsipouro are the darker color, the reduction of alcoholic degrees by evaporation (Angel’s Share) as well as the reduction of the roughness of the flavor notes that it had in the beginning as an alcoholic distillate and their replacement with sweeter, woody, fruity and / or spicy taste characteristics that develop during the stay of the distillate in the barrel.
Of particular interest is the range of barrels used by Greek distilleries nowadays with the lion’s portion held by French and American but also several samples of Hungarian, Romanian oak as well as barrel passages where red vinification had preceded.
The minimum allowable aging of tsipouro is 6 months with producers usually choosing an average stay of 18 to 36 months, although in recent years many producers are betting on long-lasting spirits of 5 years or more, as well as the first samples of unfiltered singles on the horizon. barrel versions.
A big bet in the development of this interesting category of spirits is the homogenization of the product with the stabilization of the recipes, barrels, process, filtration and of course the packaging. But let us not forget that we are still at the beginning of the formation of a special product category. The aging process is a very good basis for storytelling, with the trend of artisanal distilleries and the revival of Moonshine in America to show the way and turn a blind eye to the Greek distillers. Japan’s approach to all levels of spirits production is a case study for their quality development.
The ever-improving image of aged tsipouro can be seen from the first results of their participation in international competitions. It remains to be established in the consciousness of the Greek public in order to strengthen the character of the local treaty necessary for the discrimination abroad. The truth is that several Greek bars have embraced this category of spirits in their infancy, as well as some iconic restaurants, giving an extra incentive to aging lovers to continue their research with an innovative mood.
Υ.Γ. Two classic recipes with aged tsipouro for the cold, which is time for two…
# For the common cold
Barrel Ponzi
Boil a shot of aged tsipouro with a teaspoon of petimezi.
# For the fireplace
GREEK OLD TODDY
60ml hot water
45ml aged tsipouro
1 to 2 teaspoons of honey
7.50 ml lemon juice
1 lemon peel.
1 cinnamon stick
Place the teaspoon of honey in the bottom of the glass, add the remaining ingredients and stir until the honey dissolves. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and 1 lemon peel. If we want to add intensity, add 3 cloves to the mixture.
Written by Andreas Diakodimitris