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Analogy of the Snake


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The Analogy of the Snake

When I try to explain how I am different then the big distillers like JD

I usually respond by saying “They throw the whole snake into the bottle – I just take the heart of the spirit- or the heart of the snake”

I don’t know where I read or heard it – but the analogy of how to make cuts - that I learned - goes something like this.

Imagine the spirit run coming out of the coil like a snake coming out of the coil head first.

The first thing to come out is the teeth (methanol and acetone) these are pulled from the snake and discarded. This is the part of the snake that can hurt you.

Next comes the head of the snake – without the teeth not very tasty but not very dangerous. Cut off and save for later batches (you use your nose and taste to determine the head from the body).

For anyone who has butchered a real snake – the good meat is the long extension of meat (flaky like fish – a bit firmer – a cross between fish and chicken – dependent on how you cook it) between the head and the tail or the “heart of the spirit” for our purposes. The “ethanol run” that we are here for.

The ass end of the snake comes next - brackish and rich with propanol, butanol, fusels and a wet cardboard smell. The nose first - then tongue will identify the tail of the snake. Miniature oil slicks on the top of my 1 gallon collection jars show me the heavier alcohols. The tail is also kept for later batches (and contributes to the flavors of some spirits).

Can anyone point me to this “snake analogy reference? I don’t think I dreamed it up myself. It must have been out of a book or “Modern Marvels” episode.

Thanks

Nate

still173.com

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