What's responsible for the 'omph' flavour in some booze?

[Strata]

Unearthed some seven year old marrow rum in the cupboard, it's still good but I'm wondering - it can't be that strong as it was made with bakers yeast and is extremely sweet yet tastes potent, with an almost ether aroma in the mouth, there's a similar kick with my wheat beers which doesn't crop up in wines or all barley brews.

Is there some sort of ester responsible? - it's not the flavour of ethanol - I spent an entertaining week doing lab trials of ethanol tasting ( and got paid for it too :) )

 

[critch]

im not sure what you mean by "omph" but im guessing you mean a potent alcohol taste, if so id go with fusel alcohols which normally occur due to too high a fermenting temp

 

[Strata]

Yeh it's that 'this is strong' almost spirit taste - I imagine the Pea Pod Burgundy scene in "The Good Life" as a classic example - it's a fault in many brews but in the marrow rum and some of my higher gravity wheat stuff it fits the flavour profile.