Is "A Distinctive Product of the United States Made from a Fermented

WHISKEY 101 Rye Whiskey: If corn whiskey is the Neanderthal ancestor of debonair modern bourbon, rye is the missing link in the evolutionary scale...Cro Magnon whiskey if you will. Straight rye whiskey must be made from a mash of at least 51% rye, and must be fermented in new charred oak barrels. Offering a sweeter flavor but still sporting a mule kick, rye is often an acquired taste, but one that is well worth acquiring. Rye is the trickiest of aii whiskey's to define. The reason for this comes from a historical naming convention for Rye produced in Canada. While you would assume Rye whiskey must be made predominantly from Rye mash, this is not always the case. Canada has distilled Rye for almost as long as the country has existed, and historically the majority of the mash was comprised of Rye mash. But with no actual rules in place the spirit is now produced with a mash sporting a corn to rye ration as high as 9:1. The only rule to label your whisky as Rye in Canada is for it to have some rye in it, and to possess the aroma, taste and character generaily attributed to Canadian whiskey... whatever that is. Bourbon Whiskey is "a distinctive product of the United States made from a fermented mash containing at least 51 percent corn, distilled at no more than 160 proof, aged at no more than 125 proof for at least two years in new charred oak barrels, and bottled at no less than 80 proof." Phew. We didn't know all that...we like it because it's sweet and brown. Finally Bourbon has no minimum aging period, but to call your product Straight Bourbon it must be aged for no less than two years (and can have no added coloring, flavor or other spirits added). Tennessee Whiskey For all intents and purposes, Tennessee Whiskey is straight bourbon made in the state of Tennessee. The people who produce this spirit, such as Jack Daniels, don't want their whiskey labeled as Bourbon, claiming that they are the only type of whiskey which puts the spirit through a charcoal filtering process. As a result they believe their drink deserves to be distinguished with a separate name. Other than that all Bourbon rules apply. Irish Whisky Irish whiskey is pretty much any whiskey aged in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland. Like Scotch it must be distilled to an ABV of less than 94.8. It must be made from yeast-fermented grain mash in such a way that the distillate has an aroma and flavor derived from the materials used. Finally, the whiskey must be aged for at least three years in wooden casks. As you can see, other than Canadian Rye, Irish whiskey has some of the most relaxed rules, which wiil create a larger diversity in the whiskeys produced. Scotch Whisky Since all whiskey is made from fermented grain mash, Scotch will obviously be no exception. To qualify as a scotch the spirit must be made from malted Barley, with many scotches using nothing more than barley, water and yeast. The spirit must also be aged in oak casks for no less than three years, and must have an ABV at less than 94.8%. Finally, you cannot call your drink Scotch unless it was made 100% in Scotland, from Scotland. WHISKEY 101 Whiskey, which defined means a distilled liquor made from a fermented mash of grains, is an exclusive club that lists bourbon, Tennessee, Scotch, Irish and Canadian whiskies as its members. Although all bourbon is whiskey, not all whiskey is bourbon. By law, to be called a straight bourbon whiskey, the mash bill must contain at least 51 percent corn, be distilled at no more than 160 proof and aged in new, charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years. Grain Combined together in different proportions, corn, rye and barley malt represent the unique bourbon mash bill recipe. All grains are grown in America, carefully sampled and tested before they are unloaded to assure that they meet each brand's stringent quality standards. Mashing The grain is ground into meal and combined with Kentucky limestone water and setback sour mash), a portion of previously distilled mash added to each batch. The setback plays an integral role in the mashing process to ensure consistent quality and flavor. Once the grain, water, and setback are mixed, it is heated. The temperature in the cookers is then lowered and ground barley malt is added. The malt converts grain starch into the sugars needed for the next step in the distillation process, fermentation. Fermentation When mashing is complete, the sugar-laden mash is cooled to the appropriate temperature and pumped into fermentation vessels. Setback is added again in a step called topping off to maintain the highest quality consistency. Finally, select yeast, which has been cultivated continuously since Jim Beam himself isolated it after Prohibition, is added. The strain of yeast is unique and produces some of the special flavor components that characterize The Small Batch Bourbon Collection®. Upon adding yeast, natural fermentation begins. This typically takes three to five days converting the sugar to alcohol in an unhurried natural process. The end result is called distiller's beer. Distillation The distiller's beer is transferred into the first distillation column, which is appropriately called the beer still. The distiller's beer enters the beer still and descends through perforated plates. Simultaneously steam rises from the bottom of the still up through the plates, stripping the alcohol from the beer, creating a vapor. The alcohol vapor leaves the top of the beer still and goes through a condenser that cools it into a colorless liquid called low wine. The low wine is delivered to the doubler, a second still, where it is heated and converted again to a vapor that is collected and condensed. The product of this second distillation step, called doubling, is called white dog. By law, white dog can be no more than 160 proof, or 80% alcohol by volume. Though it has a strong grainy flavor, it already has some of the aroma and flavor notes that characterize its specific brand. In the cistern room the white dog is reduced to 125 proof (or less depending on the product) with pure water. Aging By law, bourbon must be aged in a new charred oak barrel and cannot be entered into storage at higher than 125 proof. Barrels are filled with crystal clear whiskey/white dog and are stored in the rackhouses for aging. The temperature in the rackhouse cycles with the seasons, causing the bourbon to breathe in and out of the charred barrel. Each natural cycle in and out of the wood, and to the rich, red amber color and the distinctive taste and aroma of bourbon.

Load more