Potato-based spirit gains ‘complexity’ after being cask-aged, scientists find

A distillery in Angus has put a potato-based spirit to the test after maturing it in a cask for 10 years – with scientists saying the ageing process has given it “a lot of character and complexity”.

Arbikie Distillery worked with chemists at Heriot-Watt University to analyse the aroma of its experimental spirit, which was designed to test the effect of ageing on non-grain-based tipples.

The spirit, which was made using “wonky” potatoes grown on the Arbikie estate, was aged in a bourbon barrel for ten years.

The results showed maturing the sprit in casks increased its aromatic and flavour complexity, compared with an unaged spirit.

Kirsty Black from Arbikie Distillery said: “Vodka is the most widely recognised potato-based spirit.

“It’s typically distilled to a very high level of purity and bottled without maturation, meaning it can go from still to shelf in just a short period of time.

“We wanted to explore whether ageing potato spirit in a cask, drawing on Scotland’s deep expertise and heritage in maturation, could allow a different side of that raw material to emerge, and create a distinctive, new spirit style.”

Arbikie, which was the first distillery in Scotland to produce potato-based vodka, gave the result to Dr Ruaraidh McIntosh and Dr David Ellis at Heriot-Watt’s Institute of Chemical Sciences for analysis.

Dr McIntosh said: “We conducted chemical and sensory analysis on the potato spirit and found that ageing it in a cask really does impart a lot of character and complexity.

“We carried out nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on the potato spirit, which is akin to taking its chemical fingerprint.

“It identifies all the compounds present and doesn’t rely on human perception, which is subjective and can be unreliable.

“We also held a sensory panel, with ‘tasters’ asked to identify aromas.

“Alternative crops for spirits like potatoes could result in undesirable or unexpected aromas and flavours.

“We found that the Arbikie potato spirit shared many of the characteristics of the distillery’s whisky made in the same type of casks.”

Dr Ellis said using alternative crops for producing sprits could help protect the industry from the effects of climate change.

“The cask is a crucial factor in determining the spirit’s eventual characteristics,” Dr Ellis said.

“Finding alternative crops for our spirits industry will help guard against climate change.

“Barley is one of our main crops, and we don’t know how it will respond to changing temperatures.

“The drinks industry should be investigating alternative crops so that we can withstand crop failures or scarcity.

“The result could be another uniquely Scottish spirit.”

Arbikie Distillery has already released several spirits made from alternative crops, including pea-based gin and vodka under its Nadar brand, alongside a range of rye grain whiskies sold under the Highland Rye label.

Ms Black said: “Partnering with Heriot-Watt helped us understand the spirit at a molecular level, which is crucial if we’re serious about innovation and resilience.

“This research shows the potential of alternative crops when combined with proper maturation, and the next step is to apply that knowledge more widely as we plan for a changing climate.”