How to Identify the Many Flavors of Mint in Whisky

April 17, 2025 –––––– Jonny McCormick, , , ,

Mint is a multifaceted herb, with spearmint and peppermint being the best-known examples. Peppermint offers a stronger, more minty flavor, whereas spearmint is milder and more understated, seemingly closer to the plant where its flavor originates. It’s most commonly found in rye whiskey or high-rye bourbons, and once you tune into it, there’s no escaping the mintiness in a glass of either. But is it all down to just the grain?

Fermentation produces spicy mint notes from rye grain, but fresh discoveries suggest mint flavors can arise from another part of the whisky-making process, most notably the barrel. Researchers in Bordeaux demonstrated the presence of barrel-sourced volatile odorant compounds similar to those in peppermint oil as likely candidates for the mint notes in red wine. Turning to whisky, they analyzed samples of oak and whisky for terpenoid derivatives, namely the monoterpene, monoterpenol, ketone monoterpene, and C13-norisoprenoid chemical families. They looked for carvone, menthone, and pulegone in particular, compounds previously identified in whisky that are associated with peppermint, herbal, and spicy notes, with isomers of carvone smelling of mint and rye spices.

Not previously described in whisky, piperitone and mint lactones were found in even higher concentrations in whisky than in wine. The French researchers went on to suggest that the oak barrels were the likely source of the terpenoids and speculated that mint flavors are enhanced by the ongoing chemical reactions occurring inside the cask during maturation, making them easier for our senses to detect.

Drilling Down on Mint Flavors

Some people associate mint with folding a stick of spearmint gum into their mouth, popping a breath mint under the tongue ahead of a hot date, helping themselves to extra peppermint patties, or blissfully licking a scoop of mint chocolate-chip ice cream. For others, it may have more culinary connotations, such as the heavenly combination of mint and garden peas or the unbeatable pairing of mint jelly with a grilled lamb chop. After exploring the bustling souks of Marrakesh, Morocco, there’s nothing better than sipping mint tea and watching the world go by. Mint is a popular herb in Greek, Turkish, Persian, and North African cuisine, though wherever you travel, you will encounter wonderful local dishes that call for it.

Bartenders can’t do without it for adding flavor and garnish, not to mention the crème de menthe on the backbar for cocktails like the Grasshopper. Muddling mint in a Julep cup releases the oils from the leaves, and the finished cocktail showcases the natural affinity between mint and bourbon. And you can forget about making a Mojito, Moscow Mule, Whiskey Smash, or Southside if you’re fresh out of mint. Some things, it seems, are just mint to be together.