Accelerated Aging of Alcohol Spirits

Abstract

Alcoholic spirits may be artificially aged under highly pressurized carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide may form carbonic acid, which may cause various esters to form in the presence of wood as well as to mellow the flavor when no wood is present. Wood may be pretreated with ozone, which may extract lignin which may further convert to vanillin during pressurized CO2 treatment, giving a vanilla note. After processing with pressurized CO2, a post-treatment of ozone may be given to the spirit, which may cause a mild oxidation and further mellowing of the spirit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 treating a distilled spirit by a method comprising:
 introducing said distilled spirit into a first pressurized vessel; 
 introducing pretreated charred wood pieces into said first pressurized vessel; 
 pressurizing said first pressurized vessel with carbon dioxide to a first predetermined pressure; 
 applying heat to said first pressurized vessel while being pressurized for a first predetermined time; 
 degassing contents of said first pressure vessel; and 
 applying ozone to said contents of said first pressure vessel to create treated distilled spirits. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 pretreating charred wood pieces by:
 receiving said charred wood pieces in a second pressurized vessel; and 
 applying gaseous ozone into said second pressurized vessel for a second predetermined time to create pretreated charred wood pieces, said second pressure vessel being pressurized to a second predetermined pressure to create treated wood pieces; and 
 
 adding said treated wood pieces to said first pressurized vessel with said distilled spirit. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , said second pressurized vessel being the same pressure vessel as said first pressure vessel. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 heating said first pressure vessel to at least 80 F while maintaining said first predetermined pressure. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 causing a reflux heating/cooling cycle to occur during said heating said first pressure vessel. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 introducing ozone into said first pressure vessel after returning said first pressure vessel to atmospheric pressure and before removing said treated distilled spirits from said first pressure vessel. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , said degassing comprising at least one of:
 ultrasonic agitation;   mechanical agitation; or   vacuum assistance.