What is meant by ‘Making the cut’ and OC blue whisky price?

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In the distillation process, the ethanol is distilled and collected from a liquid mixture of water and ethanol. The principle used in the distillation process is that ethanol and water have different boiling points. Therefore they can be distilled at different temperatures. 

There are also congeners in the liquid mixture. There are three phases in the process: Heads, Hearts and Tails. The heads phase contains the congeners with a lower boiling point than ethanol and some ethanol. The hearts is the spirit like whisky. The tails phase contains the congeners with a higher boiling point than ethanol and some ethanol. There is a considerable amount of ethanol in the heads and the tails along with the congeners. 

The process of making the cut between the heads, hearts and tails is called ‘Making the cut’. When a cut is made from one phase to another the output changes and it is collected in a different receiver. In the end, the heads will be in one receiver, the hearts in another receiver and the tails in the third receiver. 

How do you know when to shift from one phase to another? The experienced distillers do it by tasting the alcohol. The percentage of alcohol in the distilled spirit can be used to judge when to make the cut. Though the smell and the taste are the most reliable method used to determine when to make the cut.

Making the cut

During distillation when the liquid mixture begins to boil it is the beginning of the heads phase. A small sample of the distillate can be collected to taste. It will have a sickening smell of solvents. As the liquid boils this smell will disappear and will start to take and mild flavour of whisky. This flavour will increase and become pronounced and highly concentrated. The flavour of whisky is evident.

As the liquid mixture boils further the flavour of whisky will change to a sweet, smooth and pleasant flavour. As the phase progresses the flavour will remain sweet and pleasant. At the end of the hearts phase the flavour will have a harsh bitterness. The harness and the bitterness are the beginning of the tails phase. During the tails phase the bitterness becomes more intense.

As the liquid mixture is continuously heated and the tails phase progresses the bitterness disappears giving way to sweet-tasting water. This is called the ‘Backins’. The tails and the heads can be used in the next run.

Officer’s Choice whisky

Officer’s Choice (OC) is an Indian whisky brand that offers premium whisky called ‘OC blue whisky’. It is a fine blend of Scotch malts and select Indian grain spirits. The OC blue whisky price is just right for what it offers.