Barrel Ageing - Mongolian Oak

From what I can understand, this is the same (or very similar) type of oak known as Mizunara, which is probably most famous for imparting the unique flavors found in Japanese whisky, especially Suntory's products.

Different oak (genus Quercus) species and subspecies create different flavors when aged since they do contain different flavor and aroma compounds on a chemical level. Mizunara (Quercus Mongolica subspecies Crispula) is noted for its floral, creamy, sweet, sandalwood scents and flavors, and it can be found most prominently in the products from the aforementioned Suntory, Yamazaki 12 probably being the most famous and easiest available (which is sort of a joke to say as it is not that available these days). Another specific type of oak, Irish oak (Quercus Petraea), has been used in whiskey production as well, namely Midleton's Dair Ghaelach; the wood imparted lots of baking spice character, especially cinnamon and nutmeg, that is similar to European oak (Quercus Robur) that is used for other European continental spirits and wines but also notably different in its strength and the sweetness it brought.

These first two, Irish and Mongolian, have not to my knowledge been used in the production of beer, though it wouldn't surprise me if some Japanese craft breweries had explored using ex-Japanese whisky casks, and if so, I'd love to hear about it. Same goes for ex-Dair Ghaelach casks, as that is one of my favorite whiskies of all-time. American oak (Quercus Alba) is of course the most famous in beer since it is the one used in bourbon production. It's the classic vanilla, toasted coconut, caramel, burnt sugar flavors that you find in bourbon-aged beers.

Sorry that was long-winded. As to whether or not virgin Mongolian oak casks, charred or not, have been used for beer, I would assume no as it is rare even for virgin American and European casks to age beer, but again, I'd love to be proven wrong. Do seek out Japanese whisky that has aged in Mizunara to get a taste for what it can do as opposed to Scotch or bourbon (there are some niceties in the differences of the aging of these spirits that I am skipping over here instead of making this even more unnecessarily lengthy, but please ask any other questions that you're curious about, and I'll answer to the best of my ability). Anyone that has more knowledge of the Japanese whisky scene and especially the Japanese beer scene should please speak up, too!

 

Great coverage!

Only thing I can think to add is that there seem to be some distilleries in Scotland and some wineries in Europe showing interest in using the Mongolian Oak barrels so I'd predict we may someday see a beer aged in Mongolian Oak barrels (probably first by the Belgians for Lambic aging).

Also, as a betting man I'd guess this interest is triggered, at least in part by the successes of Japanese whiskey distillers, but also in part by fans of barrel aged beers and fans of Bourbon since demand for those beers and for Bourbon have only been going only up for the last 8-10 years. Producing more Bourbon creates a demand more new empty barrels. Aging more beers in used barrels creates a demand for more used barrels.

The Scots probably have been hit with, or are anticipating when contracts expire, increases in the price of used Bourbon barrels (which must be made with new American Oak that can only be used once) and the wineries that have wanted new American Oak for use with their wines are probably finding it harder to source affordable new barrels.

(Who says the world economy isn't "intertwingled?" )

 

This is taking it a bit off topic, but I don't see to much more exposition coming, have any of you tried anything from goodwood brewing in louisville, ky? I don't love much of their stuff but their premise is that all of their beers are aged on different woods and brewed with that intention in mind. It's definitely an interesting window into the flavors that wood lends. Would be cool to see the same beer aged on different oaks.

 

I've actually been doing some light reading and inquiry about mizunara barrels, as I've had some whiskies finished in them recently. A few things I've come across:

1.) It's a tough wood for coopers to work with- it has a high moisture content, is porous and prone to leaking.
2.) Usable wood can only be harvested from trees that are a minimum of 200 years old, and beyond that it is also tougher to find trees that have grown straight enough to be usable.
3.) For the above stated reasons, it is in short supply in Japan, and even companies like Suntory are only able to source about 200 casks per year.

Sounds like these would be very rare and expensive casks to acquire, so I wouldn't expect to be able to get my hands on many, if any. Anecdotally, I have also had some express the opinion that it can impart some more brash oak flavors short term, with longer term aging being more preferable to extract the most desirable flavor profile. Suntory's Yamazaki 12 or 18 and Hibiki are probably the ones you'd want to look into to get a true feel for the flavor profile. I have heard of Bowmore (Islay Scotch) and Glendalough (Irish) finishing whisk(e)y in these barrels too. I currently have a bottle of the Mizunara finished Glendalough 13, and have enjoyed bottles of Hibiki in the past, when it still carried the 12yr age statement. I have not had it since the age statement was dropped, but will have to revisit soon.

Like the others, I have never heard of this relatively new and unexplored oak being used to barrel age beer.

 

Yeah, it's pretty hard-to-come-by for even the very deep pockets of Suntory, so that's why I doubt we will see many casks trickle down to the beer world until they are completely used up by the whisky industry, and at that point most if not all of the unique properties of the Mizunara will have been taken by the whisky, leaving little uniqueness behind and thus making it not all that valuable beyond getting the flavors of the spirit into the beer.

 

Funny enough, after reading this thread the other day, the wifey and I were at the pub over the weekend and another couple sits right next to us at the bar and the fella is looking for a unique whisk(e)y. Mind you, we're in a pub with one of the best Scotch selections in the city with a solid selection of others. I recommend Suntory. He agreed with my recommendation and seemed to enjoy it quite a lot. True story.

 

I also enjoy their products, and other Japanese whisky, but the pricing keeps me away unfortunately.

 

Mongolian is a bit different than Mizanura, which is more spicey. Mongolian oak is more earthy, cocoa like, with some nutmeg/cinnamon.

 

Keep in mind that unless you're also a big whiskey advocate, it may be difficult to tease out the influence of Mizunara from the liquid itself, given that, stereotypically speaking (specific examples aside), Japanese whiskey has a very different character from scotch, bourbon or Irish whiskey. Japanese producers are generally going for a different profile, and I would say that the standard Yamazaki lineup adheres to that stereotype. As a result, I don't think I'm qualified to say anything about unique qualities imparted by a different oak.

How does the limited availability square with the ready availability of Yamazaki 12 and 18?

 

I recently became aware of Squarrel Barrels, which use replaceable wood inserts in a metal frame to simulate barrel aging, and Mongolian Oak is one of the options, so I’m reasonably sure these beers exist on a small scale. Don’t know how closely they compare to real barrels in imparting the flavors, but it may be an avenue to explore.

No affiliation with the company, just saw their booth at GABF.

 

Couldn't say for sure, as I have no idea what production #s are on their end, but I wouldn't necessarily call those whiskies readily available either. I tend to only come across them around here in specialty shops or bars with knowledgeable staff and well-curated selections. It may be that there is actually a relatively small amount of it around and the demand is simply not that high. I think Japanese whisky is still somewhat of a niche market Stateside. I have actually read that these whiskies are becoming increasingly scarce in Japan and they feel a major shortage is imminent. So these may very well go whale status in the future.

Hell, there was a time when I could walk into one store and buy dusty bottles of Van Winkle (just killed one of the last plastic cap bottles this past year), Cantillon, and Bourbon County at once.

 

Interesting, first I've heard of these. Quick google search leaves me with a lot of questions and research to do when I have free time. When it comes to barrel aging, there are a ton of variables at play. Ratio of the surface area exposed to wood, time, temperature/climate, oxygen exchange, etc. Would have to look into how these Squarrels would impact all those factors. Seems more brewery/wine geared. My gut tells me distillers probably won't be too interested.

 

Distillers have experimented with these staves within the barrel for many years now with mixed results. Frankly I think using such processes to impart wood character to a beer is far different from extended barrel aging of the beer itself.

I see it as a shortcut for a brewer to jump on the barrel aging bandwagon.

 

Dogfish head brews a beer aged in Palo Santo wood vats. I found it very unpleasant-

 

That is exactly correct, and what Budweiser just did.

 

I think these would be aimed towards breweries rather than distilleries, and for those interested in imparting wood flavors over spirit/wine flavors. I see it as a chance to experiment with different wood types that are hard to source or not usually used in cooperage; an extension to an existing barrel program instead of a shortcut to starting one.

 

For present use you may well be correct. For at least 200 years major distilled spirits providers used such procedures to turn new make whisky into something sorta whisky like that they could make quickly and offer as a cheaper alternative to their fully aged product.

With beer I'm drawing a distinction between an aged product that uses oxidation to change the character of the beer and one that is using wood as a flavoring and marketing descriptor. An unaged beer flavored with staves, chips or other wood products can be produced relative quickly yet still be labeled "wood aged". Different woods have different flavors of course but a lot depends on how the wood is treated (split, chipped, charred, etc.) as well as when added and for how long.

Some current beer producers are simply following a fad which makes sense if it sells beer for them.

 

Many craft distillers are using smaller barrels to "speed up" the process to bring their whiskies to market. Although some of the chemistry takes time, a spirit distilled properly can result in a fine whiskey sooner. Mongolian oak is an interesting wood in that it quickly provides depth of flavors like leather normally associated with longer aging cycles. As for the Squarrel barrel we have customers in breweries, wineries and distilleries, both as aging barrels as well as finishing barrels. As an example of usage in a brewery, Peter Bouckaert at Purpose has used Squarrels with freshly brewed beers as well as finishing barrel aged sours. With whiskeys there are many factors at play and Squarrel allows you to control them more readily than a traditional barrel. (I started the first distillery in Fort Collins so I'm pretty familiar with the distilling and barrel aging processes).