We're excited to announce that Episode 61 of All Things Whiskey Podcast is live now! On this episode Hosts Mike Outcalt and Devin Mitchell welcome Dr. Tom Collins - Jackson Family Wines Endowed Professor of Viticulture and Enology at Washington State University to talk about his research; the impact barrels have on wines and spirits, and how certain levels of dilution in spirits can make them smell and taste the same.  Dr. Collins is an expert in distillation practices which he has been studying in his chemistry lab since 2015 to determine how the char and toast levels inside barrels filter harsher components of whiskey and other spirits while aiming to understand the chemistry behind this process.  More recently Dr. Collins has studied a close link between the aroma and taste of whiskies to determine how a certain level of dilution can make whiskies smell the same and further dilution can make whiskies taste the same.  Additionally we discuss the demand for new barrels, used barrels, barrel alternatives, and sustainability initiatives around barrels in the spirits industry.  We then open up the conversation to talk about Dr. Collins' favorite whiskies, brands, spirits, and discuss the future of his research. Don't miss this episode - it is a great opportunity to learn about barrel, taste, and aroma science behind the spirits that we know and love. Thanks again to our guest Dr. Collins!  Cheers and enjoy! Support the show