Optimization of roasting processes and extraction of secondary metabolites combined with accelerated aging of whiskey

Thanks to its participation in the Industrial Research Chair on Maple Technologies (CRITA) under the umbrella of the Biomass Technology Laboratory, the Distillery team has received the necessary research and development support to implement new concepts for producing alcohols and spirits. Initially, the university team, in collaboration with the Distillery stakeholders, tested all syrups with flavor defects to assess their potential impact on maple-based spirit production. This segment is functional and will be implemented when the distillery decides to transition to an industrial permit allowing the purchase of downgraded maple syrup. 

Concurrently with this research, the team also focused on developing a new type of whiskey-like alcohol using premature aging technologies. Thus, the spirits produced will be selectively aged to achieve organoleptic equivalence to spirits aged 10, 15, or 20 years. As part of this project, the Distillery team will attempt to scale up the technologies developed with support from CRIBIQ, NSERC, and the CRITA team at the LTB (Université de Sherbrooke).

The funding will partly facilitate the acquisition of necessary equipment for trials and the production of the first batches of accelerated-aged maple "whiskey". Note that the term "whiskey" is used here for lack of a better term, as the alcohol is made from maple. The beverage will be named at a later stage.