Why Are Some Whiskeys Clear? Here's What To Know Before You Take A Sip

Though many of us have come to appreciate the unique amber qualities of a nice whiskey, that's not actually its inherent color. The light brown instead comes from aging this spirit in varying degrees of charred oak barrels. This translucent quality is common with un-aged spirits, which come out clear and often have a more distinctive grain-based flavor profile. Generally called clear or white whiskey, this style of spirit is also known by monikers like corn and white dog whiskey. This type of spirit is made in ostensibly the same way as barrel-aged. That means it is distilled down from milled corn, or wheat, but instead of aging further, it's pretty much immediately bottled for sale. 

Since the barrel aging process is what gives whiskey its color and oaky flavor — one may wonder what sets it apart from other clear, neutrally flavored spirits. Un-aged whiskey is often misunderstood to be interchangeable with moonshine, which, simply put, is actually just an illegally distributed version of white whiskey. To properly categorize this spirit, it comes down to tight regulations that govern the way it is distilled along with the alcohol content in the finished product. Interestingly enough, to officially call a spirit whiskey, there are mandates that require the beverage to come into contact with an oak barrel. To keep this style of whiskey translucent, its time in said barrel is of course, very short lived. Though various distilleries go about this their own way, generally the liquid merely touches the inside of the barrel and is immediately poured back out again.

The charred wood in barrel aging rounds off the jagged edges of this spirit, creating a smoother result. Those who enjoy a sipping whiskey might find that white varieties are a bit too sharp and are better suited to a mixed drink or cocktail. White whiskey is understood to have a powerful, almost fiery flavor, allowing for the grain to become a central highlight. Depending on your preference, however, this may be a nice addition to your collection. Due to this whiskey's intense flavor, it is likely to outlive the barrel aged varieties you may be used to regularly sipping from within your home bar collection, leaving you to wonder how long alcohol lasts until it goes bad. 

This liquor makes for a great addition to riffs on classic cocktails alternatively. For one, you could try it in a white Manhattan, which is based on the classic designed in the 1870s. This spirit also performs well in drinks with complex flavors like a white whiskey margarita, otherwise called The Lincoln. This drink combines the biting proclivities of clear whiskey with margarita ingredients to give it a balanced flavor that anyone can enjoy. If you are wondering where to get your own, you don't only have to rely on small-batch whiskeys from micro-distilleries. Popular, larger brands, such as like Buffalo Trace and Eda Rhyne, also offer this translucent spirit. One may assume that you might be able to score this style of whiskey at a cheaper price thanks to its shorter processing time, but that's simply not true. Due to its novelty, this liquor can actually run the same if not higher prices compared to standard aged whiskey.