System and Method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the storage of alcoholic beverages, and more particularly to a system for storing alcoholic beverages, comprising (i) a rigid and airtight outer container, and (ii) a wooden barrel for holding alcoholic beverages, the wooden barrel being placed inside the outer container, wherein the outer container is formed from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for storing alcoholic beverages, and in particular, to said system and method capable of reducing the loss of alcohol during aging.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Whiskies and similar distilled spirits typically need to be aged for many years in designated barrels. For example, in the United States, "straight whiskey" must be stored in new charred white oak barrels for at least two years, while all whiskies bearing the "Scotch" label must not only be distilled in Scotland, but also aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 3 years or more.

[0003] Oak barrels (and other wooden barrels for other distilled spirits, for example) are permeable to air that diffuses into the barrel during aging, as well as to water and alcohol that diffuse out of the barrel and evaporate into the surrounding atmosphere. This alcohol / product loss is commonly referred to as the "angel's share". The loss can be substantial, with products aged over long years potentially losing up to 50% of the liquid volume of the product.

[0004] To ensure the product meets the required standards, it is necessary to use wooden barrels, and as frequently noted, specific types of oak barrels. In particular, the flavor of aged distilled spirits is highly dependent on the complex interactions between alcohol, compounds in the wood, and air or oxygen. Due to the need for oxygen to diffuse into the barrel, it is generally not feasible to simply paint or coat the outside of the barrel with an impermeable coating.

[0005] It has been proposed to place the barrel inside an outer container that is impermeable to alcohol. Theoretically, alcohol and water can still diffuse out of the barrel, and oxygen can still diffuse into the barrel, so the maturation process is not affected, but the atmosphere inside the container becomes saturated with alcohol, reaches equilibrium, and further loss is prevented. For example, US3001877 describes placing a wooden barrel upright inside an outer container made of a material that is impermeable to vapors from distilled spirits. Preferred materials disclosed are mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, with stainless steel and aluminum being preferred.

[0006] While such containers are impermeable to alcohol vapor, they tend to be heavy and expensive. Furthermore, due to the possibility of flammable high concentrations of alcohol and the risk of leakage or rupture, it is necessary to minimize the risk of sparks or other ignition sources around the barrel. This is difficult with metal barrels that must be grounded and moved carefully. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for storing, in particular for aging, alcoholic beverages, without the disadvantages of the prior art, while preventing or reducing the "angel's share."

[0007] Therefore, in the first embodiment of the present invention, a system for storing alcoholic beverages, (i) A rigid and airtight outer container, and (ii) A wooden barrel for holding alcoholic beverages, the wooden barrel being placed inside the outer container, Includes, The outer container is characterized by being formed from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). We provide the system.

[0008] In particular, a characteristic feature of this invention is that the outer container is rigid, airtight, and made of either PET or PEN.

[0009] PET and PEN are polyester compounds. Both can be molded into large rigid containers using processes such as blow molding (specifically, by injection stretch blow molding).

[0010] Generally, PET is a polymer obtained from terephthalic acid (or dialkyl terephthalate) and ethylene glycol units. Commercial production typically involves the reaction of dimethyl terephthalate, more commonly terephthalic acid, with monoethylene glycol. Comonomers may be present as needed. For example, 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid or isophthalic acid may be used as part of the terephthalic acid, or other diols may be used as part of the ethylene glycol. However, the PET used in the present invention preferably contains terephthalic acid (or dialkyl terephthalate) and ethylene glycol-derived units, such as at least 80 wt%, for example, at least 90 wt%, of the total mass of the polymer.

[0011] Preferred PET polymers for the present invention may exhibit a dissolution peak temperature of 225°C–255°C when the sample is heated at a rate of 10°C / min, as identified during the second thermal scan of procedure 10.1 of ASTM D3418.

[0012] Generally, PEN is a polymer obtained from naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (or its ester) and ethylene glycol units. Comonomers may be present as needed. For example, dimethyl phthalate or terephthalic acid, or isomers of naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, may be used as part of the naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, or other diols may be used as part of the ethylene glycol. However, the polyethylene naphthalate used in the present invention preferably contains naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (or its ester) and ethylene glycol-derived units, such as at least 80 wt%, for example, at least 90 wt%, of the total mass of the polymer. The molded containers have good strength but are much lighter than metal containers of comparable size. They are also low-cost.

[0013] Furthermore, PET and PEN are not only impermeable to alcohol, air / oxygen, and water, but both also possess excellent chemical resistance, particularly to mixtures of alcohol, air, and water. Both PET and PEN are approved for food contact applications.

[0014] Therefore, the system of the present invention can obtain the advantages obtained by placing wooden barrels in metal or other containers to prevent loss of products, while at the same time avoiding some of the problems of the prior art and providing other advantages.

[0015] Furthermore, another advantage is that the container can be made transparent (to visible light) in at least part, either by making the entire container transparent or by incorporating transparent sections that form a "window." A notable advantage of this is that the sealed wooden barrel can be continuously observed. This allows for the observation of potential problems such as decay or mold growth.

[0016] This also means that, if desired, analytical techniques based on visible light or other radiation that can penetrate the container can be applied when it is desired to observe the vapor composition inside the container without opening it.

[0017] Typically, wooden barrels are oak barrels, and of course, these are the most common type of barrel used for storing whiskey and other beverages. A barrel can be any barrel typically used for storing distilled spirits. Often, they are characterized by their size. This invention is particularly preferred when the wooden barrel has an internal capacity of 150 to 275 liters. This volume is usually found in what is known, for example, as a "standard" barrel or a "hogshead" barrel.

[0018] Furthermore, generally speaking, smaller capacity casks have a higher surface area-to-volume ratio, which can lead to faster maturation. However, this comes at the cost of requiring a very large number of casks. Casks in the 150-275 liter range are considered to offer optimal conditions while also being within a range where PET and PEN containers that can accommodate them can be easily formed. A particularly preferred system is used for the storage and aging of distilled spirits, especially brandy, rum, or whiskey. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the wooden barrel is a barrel for holding distilled spirits, more preferably for storing brandy, rum, or whiskey. Most preferably, the wooden barrel is a barrel for holding whiskey.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the system, the barrel contains an alcoholic beverage, preferably a distilled spirit, and most preferably whiskey; that is, the system includes a wooden barrel containing an alcoholic beverage. Typically, the outer container is large enough to comfortably accommodate the barrel and, if necessary, allow for handling inside. (Barrels containing alcoholic beverages are heavy; if the container is "too tight," it becomes difficult to insert and remove the barrel.) However, containers significantly larger than the barrel are undesirable, as the additional capacity does not offer any special benefit. Most preferably, the outer container has an internal capacity 1.2 to 3 times that of the barrel's internal capacity.

[0020] The container may be any suitable shape that can accommodate the wooden barrel. For example, it may be similar in shape to a barrel, except for its larger dimensions, or it may be cylindrical or cubic, such as an intermediate bulk container (IBC). Generally, a "barrel-shaped" or cylindrical outer container is preferred.

[0021] To assist in inserting and removing the wooden barrel, the outer container is preferably, a. A body having an opening large enough to insert or remove a wooden barrel, and b. A lid or other cover that covers the opening to create an airtight seal for the container. is formed from. Typically, both the body and the lid / cover are made of the same material, whether it is PET or PEN. An airtight seal may be obtained by fitting the parts tightly together, or if necessary, by using a gasket or the like.

[0022] To ensure that the wooden barrel is placed in the center of the outer container, one or more supports may be provided on the inner side of the outer container, and the wooden barrel can be placed on the supports within the container. An example in this regard is a shelf as shown in US3001877, which is suitable for barrels and containers placed horizontally. Alternatively, other forms of barrel stands can be fitted inside the container in any manner, so as to allow the container and the barrel to be placed on their respective sides while the barrel remains held in the center of the container. As already mentioned, the container, if not entirely transparent, may be fitted with a transparent window, which is also preferably made of PET or PEN material. This allows the enclosed wooden barrel to be kept under visual observation.

[0023] The outer container, in some embodiments, may be provided with one or more ports through which air or oxygen can be introduced into the container, particularly into the volume between the container and the wooden barrel. We also mentioned that the use of a transparent container allows certain analytical techniques based on visible light or other radiation transmitted through the container to be applied, if desired, when it is desired to observe the vapor composition within the container without opening the container. Alternatively or in addition, one or more ports may be provided through which a probe can be inserted into the container to perform analysis, or vapor can be withdrawn for ex-situ analysis.

[0024] In some embodiments, the outer container can withstand an internal pressure above atmospheric pressure. For example, such pressure may be up to 5 atmospheres. This makes it possible to provide high-pressure air / oxygen within the container that can accelerate aging. In some embodiments, the system may further comprise means for heating the barrel to a temperature above ambient temperature. This can also provide the possibility of accelerated aging. It can also reduce the amount of liquid that condenses inside the container (outside the barrel).

[0025] During the aging of alcoholic beverages, it is often desirable to extract samples from the beverage. A wooden barrel for aging alcoholic beverages may include a sampling hole and a stopper capable of closing the same. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wooden barrel is provided with a removable stopper for sampling, and further, the outer container includes a port or opening adjacent to the stopper so as to enable sampling of the alcoholic beverage without removing the barrel from the container.

[0026] The system of the first aspect of the present invention is used for the storage, and preferably the aging, of alcoholic beverages. Thus, in a second embodiment, the present invention provides a method for storing, and preferably aging, an alcoholic beverage, the method comprising: (i) a rigid and airtight outer container, and (ii) a wooden barrel for containing an alcoholic beverage, the wooden barrel being accommodated within the outer container, comprising, characterized in that the outer container is formed from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), storing the alcoholic beverage in the system.

[0027] Preferred features of the system used in this second aspect are as defined for the system of the first aspect. Typically, in this second aspect, the alcoholic beverage may be stored for at least 2 years, such as 3 years.

Claims

1. A system for storing alcoholic beverages, (i) A rigid and airtight outer container, and (ii) A wooden barrel for holding alcoholic beverages, the wooden barrel being placed inside the outer container, Includes, The outer container is characterized by being formed from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). The aforementioned system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wooden barrel is an oak barrel.

3. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the wooden barrel has an internal capacity of 150 to 275 liters and is preferably a "standard" barrel or a "large" barrel.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outer container has an internal capacity 1.2 to 3 times the internal capacity of the barrel.

5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wooden barrel is a barrel for storing whiskey.

6. The aforementioned outer container a. A body having an opening large enough to insert or remove a wooden barrel, and b. A lid to cover the opening so as to provide an airtight container. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, formed from the above.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein one or more supports are provided inside the outer container, and the wooden barrel can be placed on the supports within the container.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the outer container has one or more ports through which air or oxygen can be introduced into the container, particularly into the volume between the container and the wooden barrel.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the outer container is transparent or includes a transparent portion that can be used as a window so that the enclosed wooden barrel can be visually inspected.

10. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising an analytical apparatus using an analytical technique based on visible light or other radiation penetrating the container, which can be applied to observe the vapor composition inside the outer container without opening the outer container.

11. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the outer container is capable of withstanding an internal pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure.

12. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising means for heating a barrel to a temperature above the ambient temperature.

13. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the wooden barrel is provided with a stopper that can be removed for sampling, and the outer container further includes a port or opening adjacent to the stopper so as to allow sampling without removing the barrel from the container.

14. A method for storing, preferably aging, an alcoholic beverage, comprising storing the alcoholic beverage in a system according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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