Plot bunnies should be shot and put in a pie!!

[AnyaKimlin]

Having posted my idea for a sit-com set in a VAD hospital on the Moray Firth Coast during WWI, I had a visit to a distillery today with my writer's group.

I had forgotten that the whisky that evaporates whilst in the stores is called the Angel's share and now I have an idea about an Angel Mafia doing deals with a distillery manager because they want a bigger share. As long as I spell it whisky it is uniquely Scots .

 

[tinkerdan]

The distilleries have actually been finding ways to stop the loss without changing the taste so maybe the Angel Mafia just wants their usual cut.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Is that for bourbon?

Most Moray distilleries I have visited still allow for it.

 

[Mouse]

What's a plot bunny?

 

[Pyan]

What's a plot bunny?

It's just a quasi-humorous name for a plot idea - much-loved by fanfic writers. When I was beta-reading Will/Tara fics, it was a common excuse for changing the plotline: "Sorry, the plot bunny needed a carrot..."

Urban Dictionary: plot bunny

 

[Mouse]

Ah right! Ta.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

It's used a lot by a variety of writers but yes it is just the inclining of an idea that burrows its way into your brain and won't leave.

 

[tinkerdan]

What I have known refers to Whisky aged in barrels in general.

Is that for bourbon?

Most Moray distilleries I have visited still allow for it.

But it seems to apply for anything aged in barrels for a period of time.

In warmer climate the Angel's share is a much higher percentage.

So some sort of Controlled environment might help to begin with.

The notion is to find something that will allow the proper aging without the usual loss through evaporation. Usually such attempts seem to hamper the flavor. I have heard of at least one method that was promising.

But some of these are 10 and 20 year agings.

 

[tinkerdan]

It seems that a plotbunny can be a plot that demands to be written no matter what.
or one that derails the original plot.

The second though; might be an affliction by definition of a plotbunny that is just one more plot born to the author who has too many plots to begin with and they all demand his/her attention.

People who suffer of plotbunnies require Elmer Fudd editors.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

But some of these are 10 and 20 year agings.

Some single cask Scotch goes as high as 75 years with 30-40 being more usual. Most single malt is 10 year + I am not aware of one that is under that.

A lot of the warehouses are over 100 years old and the casks for Scotch are reused whereas for Bourbon they are at present (although that may well change) are new each time. Scotch is aged in barrels that have been previously used for Madeira, Sherry, Bordeaux, Bourbon, Port etc

I understand Speyside Malt is more affected by controlling the climate than a more peaty malt would be. Personally, I don't like the peaty flavoured whiskies.

 

[tinkerdan]

So what is the longest aging time in the cask ?

I have heard of 100 year scotch but that refers to aging in a bottle.

The legal minimum seems to be 3 years in the cask.

My understanding is the Angels share refers only to the portion lost during the aging in the cask.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Yes. see also various east European beverages, brandy etc.
Angel's share is from the wooden cask and applies to anything alcoholic aged in casks.

 

[Vertigo]

So what is the longest aging time in the cask ?

I have heard of 100 year scotch but that refers to aging in a bottle.

The legal minimum seems to be 3 years in the cask.

My understanding is the Angels share refers only to the portion lost during the aging in the cask.

As far as Scottish whisky is concerned the time in the bottle is never counted. Unlike wine, once bottled whisky no longer changes (or matures) the age of a whisky is always the age of the youngest component in the blend. Even single malts are blends of different ages of the same malt and the youngest component (usually also the biggest) is always the age specified on the bottle, but there will almost certainly be old matured whisky added to give a consistent flavour. The only exception to this is 'single barrel' where, as the name suggests, only whisky from a single barrel is used in the bottle and typically in this case the actual barrel is identified on the bottle and, inevitably, each time you buy a bottle of single barrel it is almost certainly going to taste slightly different.

As I understand it with the really old matured whiskies - over 60 years say - the amount left in the barrel can be as little as 20% of the original. I was also told in a distillery I visited that these really old whiskies taste dreadful as all the flavour is so concentrated and they are only used for adding to blends as flavouring in very small quantities.

Oops, sorry drifting off topic there.

Back on plot bunnies , I find them a bit like ear worms; Once in your head they're impossible to get rid of.

 

[Darkchild130]

I've never learnt so much about whisky in such a short time. Still prefer vodka.

 

[Vertigo]

Comes of living in the Highlands and acquiring an expensive taste for whisky

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Some single cask Scotch goes as high as 75 years with 30-40 being more usual. Most single malt is 10 year + I am not aware of one that is under that.

A lot of the warehouses are over 100 years old and the casks for Scotch are reused whereas for Bourbon they are at present (although that may well change) are new each time. Scotch is aged in barrels that have been previously used for Madeira, Sherry, Bordeaux, Bourbon, Port etc

I understand Speyside Malt is more affected by controlling the climate than a more peaty malt would be. Personally, I don't like the peaty flavoured whiskies.

Heresy! I suspect most Irish whiskey () are peaty. And they still talk about the Angels' Share around here.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

No, only Scotch is peaty really. Most Irish is not. I had a Blind tasting of US, Scotch and Irish. Bourbon tastes very slightly soapy in comparison.
Bushmills and Teachers was my favourites before. After it was Jameson, which I not previously tried. Which is appropriate as Marconi's mum was of the Irish Jameson family and I was a Communications Engineer. I also lived once beside where his 1st wife (Irish Bea O'Brien) came from.

But I don't drink much at all. Maybe a small Sherry once a fortnight. Some years a whiskey on Burns' Night and some Stout and brandy over Christmas (left over from baking!).

 

[Vertigo]

Also I would say the differences between the different malts is almost more than the difference between an 'average' malt and any other whiskies; Irish, American, Japanese or Welsh!

And of the Scotch whiskies is it only really the Islays that are really peaty, though, as it happens, I just picked up yesterday a Speyside I'd not tried before which is surprisingly (and deliberately apparently) quite peaty.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I'm sorry Springs I just don't like whiskies from the West whether that is Scotch or Irish.

There is a Speyside one that does use peat but for the life of me I cannot remember the exact school trip that one was I know you can light gunpowder with whisky of a certain strength. Think it is Glenfarclas that produces a 67% proof one to sell.

I had a 16 year old one yesterday which is a first.

Anyway the Archangel Frank wants a bigger share. There is a certain distillery near Grantown that has this row of perfect houses and is just beautifully built. Before they sold the houses off you never saw anyone or any movement when you went past - perfect place for a creepy story.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Any alcohol. 100 degrees proof meant that the water wasn't enough to stop gunpowder igniting.

I'd always assumed that 100 degrees is about 50% Alcohol. Wikipedia says

The term originated in the 16th century, when payments to British sailors included rations of rum. To ensure that the rum had not been watered down, it was "proved" by dousing gunpowder with it and then testing to see if the gunpowder would ignite. If it did not, then the rum contained too much water and was considered to be "under proof". Gunpowder would not burn in rum that contained less than 57.15% ABV. Therefore, rum that contained this percentage of alcohol was defined to have "100° (one hundred degrees) proof"

But perhaps some other spirit the ratio is closer to 50%, or it's just a very rough ratio I was told long ago. Anything more than 40% Alcohol though is pretty savage I think.

I've never seen 100 degrees proof spirits either!