Whiskey and outer space — two of my favorite subject of discussion — are to be united in a special way that may forever change the how we brew the godly nectar. Seeking answers to the ultimate question of whether or not whiskey distilled in space tastes better than its earthen brethren, Japanese distiller Suntory will transport five types of whiskeys to age onboard the International Space Station alongside a 40% ethanol control.
Suntory, for those of you who don’t know, is the world’s third largest distiller and the owner of Yamazaki, the distillery that created 2014’s best whiskey in the world – at least, according to Jim Murray, whiskey guru and writer of the Whiskey Bible (sorry Scotland). While the act may partially resemble a publicity stunt, the distiller worked alongside Tokyo University to study microgravity’s effects on the mellowing — the process by which whiskey matures and loses its bitter edge following distilment.
Stored in glass flasks rather than wooden barrels, the whiskeys will ride aboard the Japanese Kounotori 5 transfer vehicle on August 16. Considering that wooden barrels play such a integral role in imparting the beverage with its unique flavor profile, it may be ascertained that the freshly brewed samples will taste horrible. At least the samples’ age range vary from the freshly distilled to a 21-year single malt (which in all likelihood is already amazing).
Once the whiskeys reach the ISS, they will be installed within the Japanese Experiment Module for a period of two years, giving Suntory and its Tokyo University compatriots the opportunity to microscopically monitor the mellowing process and understand the exact underlying mechanics, something that’s surprisingly not fully understood yet.
With the enlisted help of Professor Shigenao Maruyama of the Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University and Professor Mitsuhiro Shibayama of the Institute for Solid State Physics, the University of Tokyo, the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Suntory hypothesizes that the “that mellowness develops by promoted formation of the high-dimensional molecular structure in the alcoholic beverage in environments where liquid convection is suppressed.”
The space experiments will be conducted to determine the effects of the convection-free state imposed by the microgravity environment of the ISS and compared to the fluid dynamics occurring on Earth. With less gravity suppressing convection, there’s a possibility that the low-gravity environment will accelerate the whiskey’s aging, causing a two-year batch to taste like a ten-year batch; not a bad prospect for pitching for investing in future space distilleries.
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