On the other hand, a high-end potato vodka will (apparently) have vaporized potato oils and various other aromatic stuff in there along with the ethanol. So that would impart some taste (as well as using good water).
Dave Arnold (trust me, an expert) has a story, from when he helped run the technical program at the French Culinary Institute, about procuring and diluting potable lab alcohol to 40% ABV and then (IIRC) triangle-testing it with other vodkas. The upshot: while 'animats isn't right about whiskey, he's pretty much dead-on about vodka. It's best thought of as an industrial product.
Re:Lab-Made Whiskey, Lab-Made Wine
by kevinmchugh on Tuesday November 06, 2018 @05:03PM
(#18395292)
Relatedly, Arnold has said he prefers lab grade ethanol to everclear for infusion and redistillation purposes. The lab grade stuff apparently is much more neutral tasting.
Bourbon is still made by fermenting grains, distilling them (often in pot stills), and aging for a few years in new oak barrels. But bourbon is often sold to other labels and blended, which is what Frank-Lin does. A lot of the "heritage" is bunk.
Any single malt scotch, on the other hand, is produced at a single distillery, sometimes using the same methods and stills they've used for a century or two. Many of the distilleries let you visit and see the whole process.