Rancio.. huh?

[mitchshrader]

OK, I'm ignorant. I hope to be less so soon..

Rancio. It means 'what?'.. something that'd otherwise be a nasty thing but isn't? Must? Mold? Antique? Rancid?

The reason why, I've seen it used to describe antique cognacs.. and just LATELY I saw the same word used to describe a particular taste in an aged single malt scotch I like..

And, I'm *very fond* of the heavily sherried, Macallan 18, which has a taste I call 'old wet dog'.. certainly an antique musty flavor that doesn't sound very nice but is truely wonderful.. (take my word for it, ok?) ..

ANYway, I'm trying to figure out if 'rancio' is a word used to describe a Single flavor, that'd be common to many ancient boozes.. or is it directly associated with cognac and sherry casks, a wine based thing, that'd NEVER be found in a bourbon casked spirit? Say, rum or single malt..

wherefore art thou, rancio?

 

[NorCalCigarLover]

rancio: A style of wine, usually fortified wine or vin doux naturel, that involves deliberate maderization and/or oxidation. It is made primarily in France and Spain.

 

[mitchshrader]

right, and I guess my question is more a technical tasting inquiry than a pure definition of the term..

I want the meaning as applied to the flavour, and however the original wine tastes it's the meaning as it applies to cognac, and *possibly* scotch..

When they are speaking of rancio, all right, it's a flavor associated with wine... but is it that musty antique taste that's common to Macallan 18, and Aberlour 15, that I call 'old wet dog' ? A truly vile way to describe an impression of age and damp musty old warehouses.. but unfortunately that IS what it reminds me of. . I love it.

I must get some cognac that has definite impressions of 'rancio' and taste it. I *think* that taste in scotch is the sherry casks..

 

[NorCalCigarLover]

My experience has been that a materized wine will taste very similar to a Sherry or "Madera" wine. It isn't always a bad thing as I've had a couple of very old Chardonnay's that developed into a maderized profile, and these were properly aged under optimal conditions.

A wet newspaper, cardboard or wet dog is usually characteristic of a wine that is corked and is considered a flawed wine. Another taste/smell profile is that shows up occasionally is that of bandages or Brett. While Brett is often times considered a flaw in a wine some people do like it while others cannot tolerate it at all. I happen to like some Brett which I have found in a few Italian varietals.

I *think* that taste in scotch is the sherry casks..

That "taste" that I have found in some Scotch was explained to me as Peet, which I didn't find all that appealing at the time.

 

[mitchshrader]

yeah, peat is the primary marker for scotch, and what most folks think of first.. but it's only one style.

the highland, less peaty (if at all) scotches are more like light canadian whisky, not so much cask influence and gentle flavors..

and the sherried (aged in sherry casks) malts are rareish now, and DRANK mostly, the small fraction that's available is less than the number of people who like em...

'good scotch' is roughly at 60$ a bottle, average, here.. and good sherried scotch is double that.

Which is why I'm trying to find out anything possible about that taste I'm chasing, cause right Now, it costs a LOT of money to taste it..

any recommendations on spirits that would be obvious candidates for 'rancio' flavors? I'd sure like to get some tongue time on the research..

 

[Robbmt]

Rancio -- imparted from aging in oak barrels (usually 10+ years before this becomes prominent)

Think: rich loamy earth, undergrowth, mushroom, old cigar box, leather, chestnuts.

Nice deep basal flavor that gets registered on the back of the tongue and throat and deep deep in the nose.

Usually in the XO group.

 

[mitchshrader]

Well, if it's oak, it might be in anything.. if it's oak and WINE, it might be in anything that touched wine at one time..

and so far, i've not found it mentioned in any purely bourbon casked malt spirits..

so, i'm still trying to define it as it applies to tasting notes. I guess I'm just going to have to buy more booze, and conduct some Scientific Research.