Fat Washed Failure
- Jeffrey Lavallee
- Dec 12, 2024
- 3 min read
12 Dec 24
Some time ago a coworker introduced me to the concept of a ‘fat-washed whiskey’. I was somewhat ashamed that I’d never heard of it considering my interest in the water of life. How did I miss it…then he explained it to me. “Say that again…” I was dumbfounded when he told me what it was. I was intrigued, if somewhat dubious.
So, since then I started the website and was looking for something to write about. I then recalled our conversation. Turns out, this has been around for a long, long time. You’re welcome to mock my naivete.
So, what ya do is you get some canning jars or something with a wide mouth and pour in an amount of whiskey (specific directions in the link below). Then you take your desired fat and melt it. Measure the fat to ensure you have the right molarity (that word is literally the only thing I learned in chemistry class). Put the lid on the jar and gently shake and agitate the jar for an hour. I did this while watching tv. Vigorous shaking isn’t needed. Once that’s done, let it rest at room temperature for an hour or so and then put in the fridge for at least 24 hours. You will see the fat has solidified into a big blob at the top of the whiskey. Get a fork to poke and remove that fat (now you see the importance of a wide-mouth jar). Find a coffee funnel or any funnel that will hold a coffee filter. Carefully strain the remaining whiskey through the coffee filter to ensure all the large pieces of fat are filtered out. Aaaannd ‘enjoy’.
I took a bottle of Maker’s Mark Bourbon and divided it into three equal parts (The advice I got was that a high proof whiskey works best with the fat.) The first part was plain Maker’s that allowed us to compare the other two. The second part got a bacon fat wash. The third part got a Kerrygold Irish butter wash.
I put ‘enjoy’ in quotes because I found no enjoyment in ruining my whiskey. It was disgusting. I’m willing to admit that I’ve done something wrong, but I don’t think so. I carefully measured to be sure I was doing it right.
The bacon bourbon was unquestionably vile. I didn’t feel the need to be sure that I was nauseated with another taste of it. The butter bourbon wasn’t good by itself, but it was okay in a Hot Toddy. You could make some butter bourbon at the start of cold/flu season to have on hand just in case you needed that well-known medicinal tincture.
“Mouthfeel” is an important characteristic in the whiskey world. Some whiskies are ‘watery’, others slightly more viscous. Mouthfeel is a common reference for the professional tasters. Given that I am merely an enthusiast, I don't tend to notice a significant difference among whiskies. But I noticed the difference once the fat was in there! It had the mouthfeel of Slime, the children’s toy that came out in the ‘70’s - don’t ask me how I know.
One of the positives that was mentioned with the butter washing is that you also get whiskey-flavored butter to use in cooking. That sounded great! Some bourbon butter on a baked potato with a good steak - delicious. That’s not how it turned out. The butter ruined the bourbon and the bourbon ruined the butter. We chucked it.
And the entire time I was wishing I could just have my whiskey back! It’s the first thing that bacon has ever ruined. The bottles have been sitting on the counter for about a month. I’m hosting a whiskey tasting in a few days. I plan on pawning them off on my soon-to-be erstwhile friends. I’ll never see them again and I’m pretty sure I won’t survive ‘Unfriend Day’.
But, don’t take my word for it, give it a shot and see what you think. Perhaps your fat washing will be a big hit among your family and friends. If you do it, send me an email and tell me how it went. Best of luck!
Bonjou!
Our friends at Whisky Advocate do a good job showing you how to ruin your whisk(e)y.