I also absolutely love a Jim Beam or Wild Turkey and ginger ale highball. If I'm drinking the hard stuff, most times that's what I'm drinking.
I agree, ginger ale makes a difference especially with the canadian blends.
Ain't no bourbon coming out of Canada. Bourbon is one of only three purely American whiskeys, along with Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels-style charcoal filtered) and rye. If it's not from Kentucky, it's not bourbon.
I can't Basil Hayden's enough. Woodford Reserve, Maker's Mark, and Baker's are also excellent, and if you're looking for high-test, Booker's is that piff, although it gives me the hiccups as often as not. Knob Creek is pretty good and widely available. Even the most expensive of those bottles shouldn't cost more than $50, with Basil Hayden's running about $30-35.
As for serving, whoever said not to adulterate the flavor of bourbon is right. Neat, a couple of rocks, or branch water with bourbon. Mixing bourbon is like mixing tobacco into your weed. People do it, but that doesn't make it OK.
And you drink it differently than scotch. None of that "breath in, sip, swallow, breath out, then tell the next dude how peaty/oaky/etc. it is" bullshit. It's simple: sip, swallow, repeat as necessary.
I also absolutely love a Jim Beam or Wild Turkey and ginger ale highball. If I'm drinking the hard stuff, most times that's what I'm drinking.
I agree, ginger ale makes a difference especially with the canadian blends.
Ain't no bourbon coming out of Canada. Bourbon is one of only three purely American whiskeys, along with Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels-style charcoal filtered) and rye[/b] . If it's not from Kentucky, it's not bourbon.
I also absolutely love a Jim Beam or Wild Turkey and ginger ale highball. If I'm drinking the hard stuff, most times that's what I'm drinking.
I agree, ginger ale makes a difference especially with the canadian blends.
Ain't no bourbon coming out of Canada. Bourbon is one of only three purely American whiskeys, along with Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels-style charcoal filtered) and rye[/b] . If it's not from Kentucky, it's not bourbon.
CANADIAN RYE is great
True, but rye whiskey was invented in America. Still, while bourbon must come from Kentucky and Tennessee whiskey must come from Tennessee, rye whiskey just needs to be made from rye.
I also absolutely love a Jim Beam or Wild Turkey and ginger ale highball. If I'm drinking the hard stuff, most times that's what I'm drinking.
I agree, ginger ale makes a difference especially with the canadian blends.
Ain't no bourbon coming out of Canada. Bourbon is one of only three purely American whiskeys, along with Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels-style charcoal filtered) and rye. If it's not from Kentucky, it's not bourbon.
I can't Basil Hayden's enough. Woodford Reserve, Maker's Mark, and Baker's are also excellent, and if you're looking for high-test, Booker's is that piff, although it gives me the hiccups as often as not. Knob Creek is pretty good and widely available. Even the most expensive of those bottles shouldn't cost more than $50, with Basil Hayden's running about $30-35.
As for serving, whoever said not to adulterate the flavor of bourbon is right. Neat, a couple of rocks, or branch water with bourbon. Mixing bourbon is like mixing tobacco into your weed. People do it, but that doesn't make it OK.
And you drink it differently than scotch. None of that "breath in, sip, swallow, breath out, then tell the next dude how peaty/oaky/etc. it is" bullshit. It's simple: sip, swallow, repeat as necessary.
I also absolutely love a Jim Beam or Wild Turkey and ginger ale highball. If I'm drinking the hard stuff, most times that's what I'm drinking.
I agree, ginger ale makes a difference especially with the canadian blends.
Ain't no bourbon coming out of Canada. Bourbon is one of only three purely American whiskeys, along with Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels-style charcoal filtered) and rye. If it's not from Kentucky, it's not bourbon.
No shit sherlock.
I was saying that ginger ale is especially good with the canadian type whiskeys, as with bourbon.
I also absolutely love a Jim Beam or Wild Turkey and ginger ale highball. If I'm drinking the hard stuff, most times that's what I'm drinking.
I agree, ginger ale makes a difference especially with the canadian blends.
Ain't no bourbon coming out of Canada. Bourbon is one of only three purely American whiskeys, along with Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels-style charcoal filtered) and rye. If it's not from Kentucky, it's not bourbon.
No shit sherlock.
I was saying that ginger ale is especially good with the canadian type whiskeys, as with bourbon.
I also absolutely love a Jim Beam or Wild Turkey and ginger ale highball. If I'm drinking the hard stuff, most times that's what I'm drinking.
I agree, ginger ale makes a difference especially with the canadian blends.
Ain't no bourbon coming out of Canada. Bourbon is one of only three purely American whiskeys, along with Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels-style charcoal filtered) and rye. If it's not from Kentucky, it's not bourbon.
No shit sherlock.
I was saying that ginger ale is especially good with the canadian type whiskeys, as with bourbon.
Haha! I'm not going to get into a pissing contest about your writing skills. If that's what you meant, then I agree completely.
I also absolutely love a Jim Beam or Wild Turkey and ginger ale highball. If I'm drinking the hard stuff, most times that's what I'm drinking.
I agree, ginger ale makes a difference especially with the canadian blends.
Ain't no bourbon coming out of Canada. Bourbon is one of only three purely American whiskeys, along with Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels-style charcoal filtered) and rye. If it's not from Kentucky, it's not bourbon.
No shit sherlock.
I was saying that ginger ale is especially good with the canadian type whiskeys, as with bourbon.
Haha! I'm not going to get into a pissing contest about your writing skills. If that's what you meant, then I agree completely.
Me neither, I'm just off work and feel like being pissy.
Oh, one more thing since your a wizard of spirits, bourbon can only be made from the waters of Kentucky limestone. Not just from Kentucky.
I also absolutely love a Jim Beam or Wild Turkey and ginger ale highball. If I'm drinking the hard stuff, most times that's what I'm drinking.
I agree, ginger ale makes a difference especially with the canadian blends.
Ain't no bourbon coming out of Canada. Bourbon is one of only three purely American whiskeys, along with Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels-style charcoal filtered) and rye. If it's not from Kentucky, it's not bourbon.
No shit sherlock.
I was saying that ginger ale is especially good with the canadian type whiskeys, as with bourbon.
what bout Ginger Beer?
Ginger beer is good with a great rum. But I wouldn't mix bourbon with anything but a little ice or a splash of water.
So when i got to my Local Likker Sto', I copped some WoodBridge, and the clerk told me to just put it in the freezer instaed of diluting it w/ ice cube/water.
I did that, but i felt wierd, cause like most spirits the aromas "open Up" at room temp right?
Oh my gosh is it ever! I don't like sweet alcoholic drinks, but this is an exception.
that sounds delicious, but the amount of sugar in that drink would have me out of comission for days.
Yep, you'd either have to get some homemade ginger beer that is more about the ginger than sugar, or some of the health food store brands that cost $$$.
Oh my gosh is it ever! I don't like sweet alcoholic drinks, but this is an exception.
that sounds delicious, but the amount of sugar in that drink would have me out of comission for days.
Yep, you'd either have to get some homemade ginger beer that is more about the ginger than sugar, or some of the health food store brands that cost $$$.
Dark N Stormy
Ginger Beer w/ Dark Rum. Im a Goslings Bermuda Rum fan.
IN the recent history of whiskey, bourbon would seem to have had a lot going for it. It???s homegrown, for one thing. Grass-roots acceptance counts for a lot when you are battling for shelf space. Bourbon has always been right up there with college football, Nascar and canned beer ??? the sort of whiskey that anyone can order without fear of being labeled effete or snobbish.
Yet, awareness is not always enough in the whiskey business. The days are long gone when ???Dallas??? ruled the airwaves and J. R. Ewing made bourbon and branch a household term. When bourbon distillers looked up 20 years ago they saw the market moving in two directions, both away from them. Affluent drinkers were exploring the wonders and complexities of single malts while younger bar-goers were turning to vodka and rum.
The dive in sales forced bourbon producers to accept that the whiskey market had changed. They might not be able to compete with vodka, but to avoid permanent relegation to the dusty back shelves of liquor stores, bourbon producers would have to find a way to attract the budding connoisseur class.
Enter the small batch, the single barrel and the special selection, marketing terms for what the industry calls high-end and superpremium bourbons. These whiskeys are chosen to emphasize complexity and even elegance, a quality that has rarely been associated with bourbon and a word that no doubt panics bourbon marketers who still favor the rural look of bib overalls, boots and gimme hats (that effete snob thing).
If you love whiskey but haven???t thought of bourbon as being in the same league as a good Scotch, Irish and even, these days, rye, you owe it to yourself to give it another try. A well-made, well-aged bourbon offers a gorgeous spectrum of flavors, beginning with a distinctive sweetness that can, depending on the distiller???s aim, turn spicy and peppery with clear fruitiness, or mellow into a creamy caramel toffee with highlights of citrus.
Confidence bred of success has led distillers to pay more attention to their best whiskeys. Meanwhile, microdistilleries all over the United States are getting into the act. While they have not yet made their presence felt on a national scale ??? whiskey takes a lot of time ??? it???s easy to anticipate their eventually making a mark.
Clearly, the producers??? efforts to improve quality, coinciding with the rebirth of the cocktail culture, have been a big success. The resurgence in spirit sales in the United States has been led by the high-end brands, said David Ozgo, chief economist for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade group, and that is especially true of bourbon.
From 2002 to 2006, sales of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey rose by 12.23 percent. In the same period, sales of high-end whiskeys ($20 to $30) rose by 27.62 percent and sales of superpremium bourbons (above $30) rose by 60.52 percent.
Sales are one thing. The Dining section???s tasting panel recently evaluated 25 bourbons strictly to answer another question: How good are these whiskeys, anyway? The short answer is, very good. For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Pete Wells, editor of the Dining section, who has written extensively about drinks, and Ethan R. Kelley, the spirit sommelier at the Brandy Library in TriBeCa.
To begin, let???s get our nomenclature straight. While many people believe that bourbon must come from Kentucky, it???s not true. Bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States as long as two federal conditions are met. First, the blend of grains from which the whiskey is distilled must be at least 51 percent corn. Second, the whiskey must be stored in charred new oak containers. If it is aged in the oak containers (federal regulators do not seem to like the word barrel) for two years or more it qualifies as straight bourbon whiskey.
Bourbon is not Tennessee whiskey, like Jack Daniel???s, which is essentially made like bourbon until it is filtered through charcoal, at which point it becomes Tennessee whiskey. Bourbon is also not corn whiskey, which by law cannot be stored in charred oak containers. A whiskey can be distilled 100 percent from corn, but if it so much as kisses those charred oak containers it becomes bourbon.
While these laws may seem rigid, they leave a lot of room for creative distilling. Once you???ve got your 51 percent corn in the blend of grains (which distillers call the mash bill), you???ve got important decisions to make. Most distillers probably use 65 percent to 75 percent corn, blended with some proportion of rye, wheat or malted barley, and each grain provides different characteristics. The corn offers the sweetness and lush texture that are the basis of so many bourbons. Wheat adds a mellow roundness, while rye provides a spicy, peppery fruitiness and a dry quality. Barley can add a creaminess and a grainy sweetness.
Producers must also decide how long to age their whiskeys. Younger whiskeys tend to be more aggressive and fiery. Aging tames the whiskeys, rounding off raw edges and bringing out a smooth complexity.
Younger and older whiskeys have their attractions, but with bourbon long-term aging is particularly beneficial, at least in my opinion. I loved the smoothness and the added complexity in some of the older bourbons we tasted, but the combination didn???t always sit well with Ethan.
???I don???t know if bourbon was designed to be so elegant and proper,??? he lamented, though not unhappily.
We all noted the wide range of flavors in these bourbons, from creamy chocolate and fruity to grassy and herbaceous. ???It was not the full frontal corn assault that once dominated bourbon,??? Pete said, noting that the flavors in some bottles seemed beyond the realm of what might be acceptable in bourbon.
The bourbons we tasted ranged in price from $14 to $120, and while a $20 bottle, Jim Beam Black, was our best value, there was some correlation between price and quality.
The most expensive bourbon, the 16-year-old A. H. Hirsch Reserve, was something of an anomaly. It was among the last batches of whiskey distilled at Michter???s Distillery in Schaefferstown, Pa., which closed in 1989.
The name Michter???s lives on as a brand, but it is distilled in Kentucky (Michter???s U.S. 1 Bourbon did not make our cut). The A. H. Hirsch is a fine whiskey, smoky and complex, but the $120 is mostly for its rarity.
Naturally, the bourbon industry wants to capitalize on the cocktail craze, which is fine, but anybody who makes a mixed drink of our No. 1 bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle???s Family Reserve 20-Year-Old, needs some remedial shaking and stirring. This is clearly a sipping whiskey of wonderful complexity, which would be wasted in even the finest mint julep or bourbon punch. The same goes for our No. 2, the fruity and chocolate-and-caramel-flavored Vintage 17-Year-Old.
If mix you must, I would suggest our No. 3, the brisk, spicy Knob Creek, which tastes as if it has a rye component. It might be the perfect whiskey for one of those cocktails that seem to be at home with either rye or bourbon.
Some of the biggest names in bourbon did not make our list. Wild Turkey just missed. It was good bourbon, but the panel did not find it distinctive enough in this company. We also liked the Van Winkle???s 10-Year-Old, which we thought would be great for cocktails. Maker???s Mark did not come close.
While the rules do not require it, most bourbons do, in fact, come from Kentucky. One that does not is the Hudson Four Grain Bourbon, distilled by Tuthilltown Spirits in the Hudson Valley. We liked it v
ery much but left it off the list because it is virtually impossible to find.
Each of us also had a favorite or two that did not make the list. Ethan liked an Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old and an Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10-Year-Old. Pete liked the Eagle and the Wild Turkey. Florence liked the Elijah Craig and the Virginia Gentleman, an old brand that has the distinction of being distilled in Kentucky then redistilled in Virginia. I very much liked a Corner Creek Reserve 8-Year-Old and Bulleit.
The strongest bourbon in the tasting was Wild Turkey, at 101 proof. The final strength of a whiskey is another choice that distillers must make.
While the just-distilled whiskey can be as high as 160 proof, those pesky federal laws mandate that it must be watered down at least to 125 proof before entering those charred oak containers.
By the time it is bottled, it can be as low as 80 proof, so producers have a lot of room to find just the right strength. If you find a bourbon that seems too strong, do what the producers do and add more water. Or ice.
So when i got to my Local Likker Sto', I copped some WoodBridge, and the clerk told me to just put it in the freezer instaed of diluting it w/ ice cube/water.
I did that, but i felt wierd, cause like most spirits the aromas "open Up" at room temp right?
I ain't into that. When you put liquor in the freezer, it has a significantly different mouthfeel, if you know what I mean. And you're right on the aromatics???that's the principal behind the shape of a brandy snifter (hand warmth releases aromatics).
Still, I didn't know that you could distill bourbon outside of Kentucky. in that article.
Read your history, not till 1964 does "the man" say what is and isn't bourbon.
History of Bourbon
Bourbon is America's native spirit, but with a history and tradition steeped in the cultures of the earliest settlers. This unique American product has continually evolved and been refined over the past 200 plus years. Among the first settlers who brought their whiskey making traditions to this country were Scotch-Irish of Western Pennsylvania. Although whiskey was produced throughout the colonies (George Washington was among the noted whiskey producers of the time), these settlers of Pennsylvania are where bourbon roots began.
To help finance the revolution, the Continental Congress put a tax on whiskey production. So incensed were the settlers of Western Pennsylvania that they refused to pay. To restore order to the ensuing "Whiskey Rebellion" of 1791 to 1794, Washington was forced to send the Continental Army to quell the uprising. This turned out not to be as easy as Washington thought it might be. To save the government from a potentially embarrassing political situation and to avoid further troubles with the very tough and stubborn Scotch-Irish settlers, Washington made a settlement with them, giving incentives for those who would move to Kentucky (at that time part of Virginia). The significance of this is that the early whiskey was made primarily from rye, this was about to change with their move and "Bourbon" would be born.
The Governor of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, offered pioneers sixty acres of land in Kentucky if they would build a permanent structure and raise "native corn". No family could eat sixty acres worth of corn a year and it was too perishable and bulky to transport for sale; if it were turned into whiskey, both problems would evaporate.
This corn based whiskey, which was a clear distillate, would become "bourbon" only after two coincidentally related events happened. The French, having at that time their own territories in North America, assisted in the War of Independence against the British. In acknowledgment of this, French names were subsequently used for new settlements or counties. In the Western part of Virginia, the then county of Kentucky, was subdivided in 1780 and again in 1786. One of these subdivisions was named Bourbon County, after the French Royal House. Kentucky became a state in 1792 and Bourbon one of its counties.
Although Evan Williams, in 1783, might have been the first commercial distiller in Louisville, Bourbon is sometimes considered to have begun with the Reverend Elijah Craig from Bourbon County. The legend goes that he was a might thrifty and used old barrels to transport his whiskey to market in New Orleans. He charred the barrels before filling them, thus after his whiskey made the long trip to market, it had "mellowed" and taken on a light caramel color from the oak. Being from Bourbon County he started calling the whiskey "Bourbon". Interestingly today, there is no whiskey produced in Bourbon County.
In 1964, a congressional resolution protected the term "Bourbon" and only since then has the product been defined. The basic elements of Bourbon are that it must be a minimum of two years old, distilled under 160 proof, and be made from a mash of at least 51% corn. It must be aged in charred new oak barrels. Though the law does not stipulate origin, 99% of Bourbon Whiskey comes from Kentucky. Most consider the unique limestone spring water found in Kentucky the only water with that "just right" combination of minerals suitable enough for the finest Bourbons.
I'dl like to get this thread popping again
Jim Beam Black is my go to shooter
Evan Williams 1999 is my special occasion bottle
Woodfrod Reserve has a sick nose but is middle of the road for taste
I am contemplating the bold ass booker's or the supposedly watered down Basil Hayden
Whisky stones or no dice
I made old fashions with some raer orange bitter recently and it was scrumptious
the canadian poor selection and high prices make me want to go stateside
I am contemplating the bold ass booker's or the supposedly watered down Basil Hayden
e
Booker's is huge. Talmbout give you the hiccups huge. Whoever told you Basil Hayden is watered down needs a proper face-punching. It's smooth as hell and dangerous as a result, but its got great flavor and at 80 proof is just as strong as your average spirit. It's my go-to for sitting down with a bottle.
I suggest signing up for the Makers Mark Ambassador club http://www.makersmark.com/AmbassadorRegister.aspx
I got some pretty cool business cards from them last year, a picture of a special barrel with my name and inscription on it and this year I got a ice ball tray. Makes large ice balls that chill the drank with very little dilution.
I'm a big fan of Willett Bourbons. Some can be pricey, but even the 4 year has a nice complexity. Might be difficult to find in much of the country, but worth seeking out.
I am contemplating the bold ass booker's or the supposedly watered down Basil Hayden
Booker's is huge. Talmbout give you the hiccups huge. Whoever told you Basil Hayden is watered down needs a proper face-punching. It's smooth as hell and dangerous as a result, but its got great flavor and at 80 proof is just as strong as your average spirit. It's my go-to for sitting down with a bottle.
fusked with the RAER EAGLE over xmas for a second time around - the first being with some fellow strutters a while back which was a pleasant drinking experience.
Comments
Ain't no bourbon coming out of Canada. Bourbon is one of only three purely American whiskeys, along with Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels-style charcoal filtered) and rye. If it's not from Kentucky, it's not bourbon.
I can't
As for serving, whoever said not to adulterate the flavor of bourbon is right. Neat, a couple of rocks, or branch water with bourbon. Mixing bourbon is like mixing tobacco into your weed. People do it, but that doesn't make it OK.
And you drink it differently than scotch. None of that "breath in, sip, swallow, breath out, then tell the next dude how peaty/oaky/etc. it is" bullshit. It's simple: sip, swallow, repeat as necessary.
I heart bourbon.
CANADIAN RYE is great
True, but rye whiskey was invented in America. Still, while bourbon must come from Kentucky and Tennessee whiskey must come from Tennessee, rye whiskey just needs to be made from rye.
Well I had the chance to try bourbon for the first time last night and Woodford is what I had. I really enjoyed it! Strong stuff, but great tasting.
So I'll co-sine on bourbon now.
i love all of you too. (no-ayo)
No shit sherlock.
I was saying that ginger ale is especially good with the canadian type whiskeys, as with bourbon.
what bout Ginger Beer?
Haha! I'm not going to get into a pissing contest about your writing skills. If that's what you meant, then I agree completely.
Me neither, I'm just off work and feel like being pissy.
Oh, one more thing since your a wizard of spirits, bourbon can only be made from the waters of Kentucky limestone. Not just from Kentucky.
Ginger beer is good with a great rum. But I wouldn't mix bourbon with anything but a little ice or a splash of water.
I did that, but i felt wierd, cause like most spirits the aromas "open Up" at room temp right?
Oh my gosh is it ever! I don't like sweet alcoholic drinks, but this is an exception.
that sounds delicious, but the amount of sugar in that drink would have me out of comission for days.
Yep, you'd either have to get some homemade ginger beer that is more about the ginger than sugar, or some of the health food store brands that cost $$$.
Dark N Stormy
Ginger Beer w/ Dark Rum. Im a Goslings Bermuda Rum fan.
Bourbon???s Shot at the Big Time
By ERIC ASIMOV
Published: November 28, 2007
IN the recent history of whiskey, bourbon would seem to have had a lot going for it. It???s homegrown, for one thing. Grass-roots acceptance counts for a lot when you are battling for shelf space. Bourbon has always been right up there with college football, Nascar and canned beer ??? the sort of whiskey that anyone can order without fear of being labeled effete or snobbish.
Yet, awareness is not always enough in the whiskey business. The days are long gone when ???Dallas??? ruled the airwaves and J. R. Ewing made bourbon and branch a household term. When bourbon distillers looked up 20 years ago they saw the market moving in two directions, both away from them. Affluent drinkers were exploring the wonders and complexities of single malts while younger bar-goers were turning to vodka and rum.
The dive in sales forced bourbon producers to accept that the whiskey market had changed. They might not be able to compete with vodka, but to avoid permanent relegation to the dusty back shelves of liquor stores, bourbon producers would have to find a way to attract the budding connoisseur class.
Enter the small batch, the single barrel and the special selection, marketing terms for what the industry calls high-end and superpremium bourbons. These whiskeys are chosen to emphasize complexity and even elegance, a quality that has rarely been associated with bourbon and a word that no doubt panics bourbon marketers who still favor the rural look of bib overalls, boots and gimme hats (that effete snob thing).
If you love whiskey but haven???t thought of bourbon as being in the same league as a good Scotch, Irish and even, these days, rye, you owe it to yourself to give it another try. A well-made, well-aged bourbon offers a gorgeous spectrum of flavors, beginning with a distinctive sweetness that can, depending on the distiller???s aim, turn spicy and peppery with clear fruitiness, or mellow into a creamy caramel toffee with highlights of citrus.
Confidence bred of success has led distillers to pay more attention to their best whiskeys. Meanwhile, microdistilleries all over the United States are getting into the act. While they have not yet made their presence felt on a national scale ??? whiskey takes a lot of time ??? it???s easy to anticipate their eventually making a mark.
Clearly, the producers??? efforts to improve quality, coinciding with the rebirth of the cocktail culture, have been a big success. The resurgence in spirit sales in the United States has been led by the high-end brands, said David Ozgo, chief economist for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade group, and that is especially true of bourbon.
From 2002 to 2006, sales of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey rose by 12.23 percent. In the same period, sales of high-end whiskeys ($20 to $30) rose by 27.62 percent and sales of superpremium bourbons (above $30) rose by 60.52 percent.
Sales are one thing. The Dining section???s tasting panel recently evaluated 25 bourbons strictly to answer another question: How good are these whiskeys, anyway? The short answer is, very good. For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Pete Wells, editor of the Dining section, who has written extensively about drinks, and Ethan R. Kelley, the spirit sommelier at the Brandy Library in TriBeCa.
To begin, let???s get our nomenclature straight. While many people believe that bourbon must come from Kentucky, it???s not true. Bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States as long as two federal conditions are met. First, the blend of grains from which the whiskey is distilled must be at least 51 percent corn. Second, the whiskey must be stored in charred new oak containers. If it is aged in the oak containers (federal regulators do not seem to like the word barrel) for two years or more it qualifies as straight bourbon whiskey.
Bourbon is not Tennessee whiskey, like Jack Daniel???s, which is essentially made like bourbon until it is filtered through charcoal, at which point it becomes Tennessee whiskey. Bourbon is also not corn whiskey, which by law cannot be stored in charred oak containers. A whiskey can be distilled 100 percent from corn, but if it so much as kisses those charred oak containers it becomes bourbon.
While these laws may seem rigid, they leave a lot of room for creative distilling. Once you???ve got your 51 percent corn in the blend of grains (which distillers call the mash bill), you???ve got important decisions to make. Most distillers probably use 65 percent to 75 percent corn, blended with some proportion of rye, wheat or malted barley, and each grain provides different characteristics. The corn offers the sweetness and lush texture that are the basis of so many bourbons. Wheat adds a mellow roundness, while rye provides a spicy, peppery fruitiness and a dry quality. Barley can add a creaminess and a grainy sweetness.
Producers must also decide how long to age their whiskeys. Younger whiskeys tend to be more aggressive and fiery. Aging tames the whiskeys, rounding off raw edges and bringing out a smooth complexity.
Younger and older whiskeys have their attractions, but with bourbon long-term aging is particularly beneficial, at least in my opinion. I loved the smoothness and the added complexity in some of the older bourbons we tasted, but the combination didn???t always sit well with Ethan.
???I don???t know if bourbon was designed to be so elegant and proper,??? he lamented, though not unhappily.
We all noted the wide range of flavors in these bourbons, from creamy chocolate and fruity to grassy and herbaceous. ???It was not the full frontal corn assault that once dominated bourbon,??? Pete said, noting that the flavors in some bottles seemed beyond the realm of what might be acceptable in bourbon.
The bourbons we tasted ranged in price from $14 to $120, and while a $20 bottle, Jim Beam Black, was our best value, there was some correlation between price and quality.
The most expensive bourbon, the 16-year-old A. H. Hirsch Reserve, was something of an anomaly. It was among the last batches of whiskey distilled at Michter???s Distillery in Schaefferstown, Pa., which closed in 1989.
The name Michter???s lives on as a brand, but it is distilled in Kentucky (Michter???s U.S. 1 Bourbon did not make our cut). The A. H. Hirsch is a fine whiskey, smoky and complex, but the $120 is mostly for its rarity.
Naturally, the bourbon industry wants to capitalize on the cocktail craze, which is fine, but anybody who makes a mixed drink of our No. 1 bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle???s Family Reserve 20-Year-Old, needs some remedial shaking and stirring. This is clearly a sipping whiskey of wonderful complexity, which would be wasted in even the finest mint julep or bourbon punch. The same goes for our No. 2, the fruity and chocolate-and-caramel-flavored Vintage 17-Year-Old.
If mix you must, I would suggest our No. 3, the brisk, spicy Knob Creek, which tastes as if it has a rye component. It might be the perfect whiskey for one of those cocktails that seem to be at home with either rye or bourbon.
Some of the biggest names in bourbon did not make our list. Wild Turkey just missed. It was good bourbon, but the panel did not find it distinctive enough in this company. We also liked the Van Winkle???s 10-Year-Old, which we thought would be great for cocktails. Maker???s Mark did not come close.
While the rules do not require it, most bourbons do, in fact, come from Kentucky. One that does not is the Hudson Four Grain Bourbon, distilled by Tuthilltown Spirits in the Hudson Valley. We liked it v ery much but left it off the list because it is virtually impossible to find.
Each of us also had a favorite or two that did not make the list. Ethan liked an Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old and an Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10-Year-Old. Pete liked the Eagle and the Wild Turkey. Florence liked the Elijah Craig and the Virginia Gentleman, an old brand that has the distinction of being distilled in Kentucky then redistilled in Virginia. I very much liked a Corner Creek Reserve 8-Year-Old and Bulleit.
The strongest bourbon in the tasting was Wild Turkey, at 101 proof. The final strength of a whiskey is another choice that distillers must make.
While the just-distilled whiskey can be as high as 160 proof, those pesky federal laws mandate that it must be watered down at least to 125 proof before entering those charred oak containers.
By the time it is bottled, it can be as low as 80 proof, so producers have a lot of room to find just the right strength. If you find a bourbon that seems too strong, do what the producers do and add more water. Or ice.
Woodbridge Reserve......................R.I.F.
I ain't into that. When you put liquor in the freezer, it has a significantly different mouthfeel, if you know what I mean. And you're right on the aromatics???that's the principal behind the shape of a brandy snifter (hand warmth releases aromatics).
Still, I didn't know that you could distill bourbon outside of Kentucky.
Read your history, not till 1964 does "the man" say what is and isn't bourbon.
History of Bourbon
Bourbon is America's native spirit, but with a history and tradition steeped in the cultures of the earliest settlers. This unique American product has continually evolved and been refined over the past 200 plus years. Among the first settlers who brought their whiskey making traditions to this country were Scotch-Irish of Western Pennsylvania. Although whiskey was produced throughout the colonies (George Washington was among the noted whiskey producers of the time), these settlers of Pennsylvania are where bourbon roots began.
To help finance the revolution, the Continental Congress put a tax on whiskey production. So incensed were the settlers of Western Pennsylvania that they refused to pay. To restore order to the ensuing "Whiskey Rebellion" of 1791 to 1794, Washington was forced to send the Continental Army to quell the uprising. This turned out not to be as easy as Washington thought it might be. To save the government from a potentially embarrassing political situation and to avoid further troubles with the very tough and stubborn Scotch-Irish settlers, Washington made a settlement with them, giving incentives for those who would move to Kentucky (at that time part of Virginia). The significance of this is that the early whiskey was made primarily from rye, this was about to change with their move and "Bourbon" would be born.
The Governor of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, offered pioneers sixty acres of land in Kentucky if they would build a permanent structure and raise "native corn". No family could eat sixty acres worth of corn a year and it was too perishable and bulky to transport for sale; if it were turned into whiskey, both problems would evaporate.
This corn based whiskey, which was a clear distillate, would become "bourbon" only after two coincidentally related events happened. The French, having at that time their own territories in North America, assisted in the War of Independence against the British. In acknowledgment of this, French names were subsequently used for new settlements or counties. In the Western part of Virginia, the then county of Kentucky, was subdivided in 1780 and again in 1786. One of these subdivisions was named Bourbon County, after the French Royal House. Kentucky became a state in 1792 and Bourbon one of its counties.
Although Evan Williams, in 1783, might have been the first commercial distiller in Louisville, Bourbon is sometimes considered to have begun with the Reverend Elijah Craig from Bourbon County. The legend goes that he was a might thrifty and used old barrels to transport his whiskey to market in New Orleans. He charred the barrels before filling them, thus after his whiskey made the long trip to market, it had "mellowed" and taken on a light caramel color from the oak. Being from Bourbon County he started calling the whiskey "Bourbon". Interestingly today, there is no whiskey produced in Bourbon County.
In 1964, a congressional resolution protected the term "Bourbon" and only since then has the product been defined. The basic elements of Bourbon are that it must be a minimum of two years old, distilled under 160 proof, and be made from a mash of at least 51% corn. It must be aged in charred new oak barrels. Though the law does not stipulate origin, 99% of Bourbon Whiskey comes from Kentucky. Most consider the unique limestone spring water found in Kentucky the only water with that "just right" combination of minerals suitable enough for the finest Bourbons.
Jim Beam Black is my go to shooter
Evan Williams 1999 is my special occasion bottle
Woodfrod Reserve has a sick nose but is middle of the road for taste
I am contemplating the bold ass booker's or the supposedly watered down Basil Hayden
Whisky stones or no dice
I made old fashions with some raer orange bitter recently and it was scrumptious
the canadian poor selection and high prices make me want to go stateside
Booker's is huge. Talmbout give you the hiccups huge. Whoever told you Basil Hayden is watered down needs a proper face-punching. It's smooth as hell and dangerous as a result, but its got great flavor and at 80 proof is just as strong as your average spirit. It's my go-to for sitting down with a bottle.
I make a 'dry' version with GUS (Grown Up Soda) low sugar Ginger Ale, Goslings and big lime wedge.
http://www.makersmark.com/AmbassadorRegister.aspx
I got some pretty cool business cards from them last year, a picture of a special barrel with my name and inscription on it and this year I got a ice ball tray. Makes large ice balls that chill the drank with very little dilution.
About $40.
http://partysourceeq.com/2008/09/11/spirit-of-the-week-wild-willett-whiskey-barrels/
I love smooth so i think i'll go with that one first
however the bad reviews were from
the bourbon connoisseurs Soulstrut
http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=142&task=displaybottling
iRide