Bourboic Praise

Just as there is a Scotland, there is also a Bourbon - a county in Kentucky, so named to give thanks and praise for the French Monarchy's support during the Revolutionary War. Within Bourbon County there are no operational distilleries, no legal stills anyway (In fairness - my perception of the southern still economy is based on Dukes of Hazard reruns, not fact). The legal designation of Bourbon is set by mostly non-geographical criteria, including:

• Whiskey must be distilled in the US
• The Whiskey must be 51% corn
• Must be aged for at least 2 years in new charred oak barrels
• Cannot be distilled to greater than 160 proof & must be bottled at least 80 proof
• Only water can be added after the whiskey is distilled (no caramel colors)

The difference between Scotch and Bourbon is what they are distilled from: Scottish whisky is distilled from the locally grown barley, Bourbon is made from the native grain of the Americas, corn. Although the legal standard is 51% corn, most Bourbons are going to use closer to 2/3 corn in their mash with the remaining grain comprised of rye, barley and occasionally wheat depending on the distiller.

Corn determines Bourbon’s taste but it is the aging of the whiskey in charred oak barrels that adds depth to the drink. Originally, oak planks were heated over a small fire, to help keep wood wood pliable, aiding the cooper in the barrel making process. Whether through trial and error, accident or innovation distillers eventually learned that by letting the inside of barrel burn or char added a breadth of flavor to the whiskey, in particular vanilla.

Vanilla is complex, comprised of 100s of different compounds, including its primary flavoring component, vanillin. Vanillin is not exclusive to the Vanilla Orchid it is present in other compounds including oil of clove and wood pulp. Charring oak extracts soluble agents, including vanillin from the wood, after a few years in a charred barrel the whiskey evolves a caramel, spicy, vanilla-ee taste.

While Scotch is very distinct, it can be seen and valued as dry, manly and as comfortable as plaid- it is so distinguishable that it is hard to mix with other potables - there aren’t too many cocktails other than the Rob Roy (Scotch, vermouth & bitters shaken over ice). Bourbon’s spicy nuances, combined with the inherent sweetness of corn liquor lend itself well to mixed drinks and cocktails: The Old Fashioned, the Mint Julep, The Manhattan and Whiskey Sour just for starters.

Good but not great (and expensive) Bourbons can be used in cocktails but for those who like their drinks neat, there are real good sippin’ whiskeys. Unlike Scotch’s single malts, Bourbon is made from a mixture of different grains and cannot offer such a distinction for its premium whiskeys, instead there is a somewhat confusing choice of terms to designate top-notch selections:

• Single Barrel – Whiskey is pulled from a single barrel, it is cut with water to reach the desired consistency. Neither blended or mixed with other whiskey from the distiller - What goes into the barrel is what comes out years later.
• Small Batch – Some distillers are inclined to believe that a single barrel can produce widely differing whiskey and prefer to blend different barrels to create a more uniform product. Perpetual award winner Buffalo Trace and personal favorites Knob Creek and Woodford Reserve (Warning: They were the official Bourbon of W's second inauguration) all use this small batch technique for their whiskeys and all 3 are really good consistently. Really, Really good.

Those are whisky/whiskey basics – This week’s 2000 word introduction doesn’t cover Rye, Tennessee or Canadian Whiskey, moonshine, taxation, Shay’s Rebellion and other endlessly fascinating aspects of distilling, so we will revisit the subject in more detail as questions arise.