WHISKEY/WHISKY
The fundamentals for whiskey production are fairly common throughout all of the
whisky-producing areas. Grain arrives at the distillery where it is ground into
meal where it is roasted; yeast is added as well as some type of water to form
mash. The grains which may be used include corn, wheat, rye and barley. After
cooking it is cooled and goes to fermenting vats to become beer, ale, or “wash.”
The wash is then distilled, which removes impurities and increases the alcohol by
volume. Water is added to reduce the proof of the resulting whiskey. Following
distillation, the “New make spirit, white lightening or white dog” is allowed to
mature in wood casks and is then bottled.
Please note the two spellings and their historical connections but as with many
things the practice is not always followed in labeling, descriptions or training
materials.
American – Whiskey
British – Whisky
Irish – Whiskey
Scots – Whisky
Canadians – Whisky
History of American Whiskey
In colonial America rum was the drink of choice. This was mostly because little
grain was grown on the east coast of North America. Also, due to trade with the
Caribbean, sugarcane molasses was plentiful. America’s first still was operated on
Staten Island, New York by William Keith in 1640. Whiskey production in America
didn’t take hold until the mid-1700’s migration of immigrants from Ireland,
Scotland and Germany into Pennsylvania, western Maryland and the Carolinas
where cereal grains were grown.
In 1971, the American Congress enacted a tax on Whiskey to raise money to pay
off debts related to the Revolutionary War. Small farmers, located mainly in
Pennsylvania, who distilled and consumed whiskey in prodigious quantities,
resisted the tax by attacking the federal revenue officers who tried to collect it.
The rebellion grew until July of 1794 when about 500 armed men attacked and
burned the home of a regional tax inspector.
The following month, President George Washington issued a congressionally
authorized proclamation ordering the rebels to return home and calling out
militia from four neighboring states. Washington ordered 13,000 troops to into
western Pennsylvania to quell the uprising. Many Americans were horrified by
the overwhelming use of governmental forces use to quell the whiskey rebellion
of 1794. They feared it might be the first step away from democracy towards
absolute power. To others, the most significant outcome of the rebellion was
that national authority had triumphed; winning against its 1st rebellious adversary
and winning the support of the state governments to enforce federal law within
the states. What had been the 1st significant threat to the existence of the new
nation became instead the first successful use of the national authority enforcing
the federal law over the individual states, reinforcing the concept of a federal
republic.
Prohibition arose from the sincere belief among many Americans, mostly white
Protestants, that drinking, especially among the millions of newly arrived
immigrants in the cities, posed a threat to law and order. In 1917, with the U.S.
entering World War I, most people accepted temporary prohibition as a measure
to help the war effort. The grain used in liquor production would be devoted to
food production.
But after the war, Prohibitionists staged a drive to ban liquor permanently. The
Eighteenth amendment and the federal enforcement law, the Volstead Act, were
pushed through the House and Senate by a canny Washington lobbyist named
Wayne B. Wheeler. After passage, the Republicans were staunchly dry but he
Democrats were divided over prohibition. Most new immigrants were Democrats
and they couldn’t understand why something that their ancestors had done for
hundreds of years should be forbidden. Thousands of jobs were lost as breweries,
distilleries, and wineries were closed.
Because of prohibition, liquor went underground. Liquor was on everyone’s
mind: people were curious and drinking became more attractive now that it was
illegal. Saloons operated as speakeasies and by the late 1920’s the country had
more speakeasies than it ever had saloons. Women who would never have
considered entering a saloon were now patronizing speakeasies, sitting at bars
and enjoying the new “cocktail.” The cocktail came into popularity during this
time when poorly made illicit liquor had to be mixed with fruit juices or something
else simply to make it palatable.
Cocktail
The term surfaced at the turn of the 19th century and stems from the English pub
term for the spigot on a barrel = cock. The last of the liquor drawn from spirit
barrels, cock-tailings, were thrown together in a common receptacle. Patrons
would ask for the cocktails. So the dregs were asking for the dregs.
The term bootlegging came into general use in the Midwest during the 1880’s to
denote the practice of concealing flasks of illicit liquor in boot tops when going to
trade with Indians. Bootlegging became part of the American vocabulary during
prohibition. As we know prohibition came to an end, and the Eighteenth
Amendment was repealed in 1933.
The earliest bootleggers brought illicit liquor in from Canada and Mexico but the
practice continued at significant levels into the 1950’s. After prohibition,
individual states were given the right to control distribution of alcohol within their
borders. In some states, certain counties were declared “dry” where the sale and
consumption of alcohol was illegal. Bootleggers ignored the laws and supplied
drinking residents in those areas. The second key reason bootlegging survived,
particularly in the Southern Hill country, was to avoid the federal taxes. This lead
to creation of a national sport. Federal agents tried to stop this tax avoidance by
destroying the distribution system. To outrun the law enforcement vehicles
bootleggers converted ordinary street or “stock” cars into souped-up racers.
Disagreements between bootleggers as to who had the fastest car led to Sunday
afternoon races on oval tracks. This led to the formation in 1947 of the National
Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The fame and fortune of NASCAR racers
like Richard Petty can be traced back to a couple of good old boys racing their
loads of bootleg whiskey across hills of Tennessee.
Towards the end of the 1980’s, American distillers watched the rise in popularity
of single malt scotch from the Highlands and islands of Scotland. Fortunately they
understood the public’s desire for greater quality and their willingness to pay for
it. This has led to ultra-premium whiskies from Tennessee, single-barrel and
small-batch bourbons from Kentucky and Pennsylvania. American distillation has
reached a high point where it can compete on a top quality level from whiskies all
over the world.
American Whiskey
American whiskey is commonly divided into six categories: Bourbon, Tennessee,
Rye, Wheat, Corn and Blended Whiskey. The categories are mainly motivated by
differences in the type and amount of grains used during the mashing but there
are also differences in storage time. There are two yeasting processes used in
American whiskey production:
Sweet Mash (Yeast Mash) – the addition of all or almost all freshly
developed yeast to the mash and is allowed to ferment 36 to 50 hours and
fermenter can be refilled almost immediately when empty.
Sour Mash (Yeasting Back) – at least one quarter of the fermenting mash
must be stillage (mash from a previous distillation) with the new mash. It
is fermented from 72 to 96 hours. When emptied, the fermenters are
sterilized and left for 24 hours before used again. (Think of this process like
using sourdough starter)
Bourbon Whiskey
 The name Bourbon comes from Bourbon County, Kentucky, although
Bourbon can be made anywhere in the US, most are produced in Kentucky,
and/or are associated with the state of Kentucky. (example: Jim Beam,
Kentucky Straight)
 Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.
 Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.
 Straight Bourbon – bourbon made of grain mixture that is at least 51%
corn, aged in new charred oak barrels and has been aged for a minimum of
two years, may (but is not required to) be called Straight Bourbon.
 Bourbon aged for a period less than four years must be labeled with the
duration of its aging.
 If an age is stated on the label, it must be the age of the youngest whiskey
in the bottle.
 Bourbon may not be introduced to the barrel at higher than 125 proof
(62.5% alcohol by volume)
 Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by
volume)
Small Batch Bourbon – These are bottled form a “batch” of barrels that
have been mixed prior to the bottling. Examples are Baker’s, Booker’s,
Basil Hayden’s, Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark, and Woodford Reserve.
Single Barrel Bourbon – These are bottled from one “single” barrel of
bourbon. Elijah Craig 18 year old, Blanton’s, Elmer. Lee, Henry Mckenna,
Evans William’s Vintage.
Tennessee
Tennessee whiskey is closely related to Bourbon but there are a few differences;
Tennessee whiskey must be produced in the state of Tennessee and is always
filtered through sugar-maple charcoal (the Lincoln County Process). The filtering
process usually takes 10 days to complete. Tennessee whiskey was recognized as
a separate style by the US government officials in 1941.
There are only two active Tennessee Whiskey brands:
 Jack Daniel’s (Jack Daniel Distillery)
 George Dickel Whiskey (George Dickel Distillery)
Rye and Wheat Whiskey
Only a small amount of Rye whiskey is bottled as Straight Rye Whiskey – most of it
is used in blending to add character to other whiskies. To be called Rye whiskey,
the spirit must be made from at least 51% rye, distilled at less than 80 percent
and stored in new, charred oak barrels for at least two years. Rye whiskey is
slightly more powerful and bitter than Bourbon. Most current Rye whiskies are
made in Indiana and Kentucky. (Rye whiskies were originally the most common
types made, and are making resurgence in the market).
Wheat Whiskey must be made from at least 51 percent of wheat and are quite
uncommon.
Examples of Rye Whiskey:
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Wild Turkey Straight Rye Whiskey
Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 year
Sazerac Rye Whiskey
Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
Old Overholt Rye Whiskey
Corn
This type of American Whiskey was developed due to the abundant supply of
corn, and is a predecessor to Bourbon. As the name suggests corn is the main
ingredient; the mash must consist of at least 80 percent corn. Another difference
between Corn Whiskey and Bourbon is that Corn whiskey does not have to be
aged in wood. If Corn whiskey is to be aged, any maturation (time in barrel) must
be done in either un-charred barrels or used Bourbon Barrels (which impart less
flavor).
Blended American Whiskey
The blended American whiskey should not be confused with the blended Scotch
Whiskey. Blended American whiskey only contains 20 percent of Rye and
Bourbon whiskey; the remaining 80 percent are made up of a neutral massproduced industrial spirit. As a result, American blended whiskey is very cheap. It
is also much lighter than for example Tennessee and Bourbon whiskies.
Irish Whiskey
The Irish are credited with being the first producers of whiskey around 400500AD. Irish whiskey is often made from a combination of malted Barley and
other grains like corn, rye, wheat and oats (although some are 100% Barley). The
malt is usually dried in closed kilns which do not allow any smoke to come in
contact with the barley, thus no smoky flavor in the malt. It is most often triple
distilled, removing impurities and increasing the alcohol by volume. It is often
light in character with very clean, fruit and floral flavors and aromas. Irish
whiskey must be produced in Ireland and matured for not less than 3 years in
seasoned, used, barrels. Quite often though they see 7-9 years of aging.
Examples include Jameson and Bushmills.
There are four fundamental kinds of Irish whiskey:
 Single Malt Whiskey: made from 100 percent malted barley in a pot still in a
single distillery. Bushmills leads the way in this category.
 Grain Whiskey: continuous stills make this light whiskey of wheat or corn.
 Blended Whiskey: a marriage of single malt and grain whiskeys. Jameson is
a prime example.
 Pure Pot Still Whiskey: made from malted and unmalted barley in a pot still.
Redbreast is the classic.
Canadian Whiskey
Most Canadian whiskies are blended multi-grain liquors containing a large
percentage of rye and corn, and are typically lighter and smoother than other
whiskey styles. By Canadian law, they must be mashed, distilled and aged in
Canada, then aged in oak casks (no greater than 700L capacity, i.e. Small), for not
less than three years. As not one grain accounts for more than 50%, producers
can use any cereal grains, including barley and wheat. Canadian whiskies are
often offered to guests who order a “rye.” The use of rye is not dictated by law,
but is often referred to, and legally labeled as “Rye whiskey.” One thing that
separates Canadian whiskies apart from other whiskies is that blending is their
strong suit; most Canadian whiskies are blended from at least 10 or more
whiskies. Examples include Crown Royal, Canadian Club, or Pendelton (which is
produced in Canada, but finished in Oregon with Hood River spring water).
WHISK(E)Y TASTING:
As usual, the best way to find flavor and identify differences is to put several
whiskeys next to each other. If you taste a Scotch next to bourbon, or a bourbon
next to a Canadian, or an Irish next to a Scotch, it’s a heck of a lot easier to figure
out how they differ than if you just drink one at a time and wonder. So we’ll try it
in our instructive flight. And once you’ve settled on those differences, put a few
island whiskies next to some inland whiskies. Or place a higher-proof single barrel
bourbon up against a more common whiskey and see what makes each one tick.
Again, it’s a lot easier to spot flavors when there are identifiable differences
between each whisky or whiskey in front of you.
All the while you’ll test them to see if they are:
 Clean, dirty or hot
 Dry, salty, tangy or slightly sweet
 Smooth, spicy or aggressive
 Gentle, powerful, briny or earthy
 Fruity, floral, vegetal and/or herbal
 Rich or thin
 Soft, sharp or burning
It should be clean and dry and not bitter and not sweet.
Some of Ivar’s American Whiskey Selections
(See your bar manager for information on products not listed here)
Jack Daniels Black (Tennessee)
Best known for its smooth flavor, Jack Daniels is charcoal mellowed and aged in
proprietary white oak barrels for a rich amber color, distinctive flavor and finish.
Jim Beam (Kentucky Straight)
Aroma of vanilla & Caramel notes. Opens with a light caramel an vanilla flavor
and later a slight woody char. Finishes long, crisp and clean with a gentle snap.
Maker’s Mark (Small Batch Bourbon)
The nose offers a clean, distinctive oak character with fruit and vanilla with a fullbodied taste and no hint of bitterness. Finishes long with a lingering taste and
creamy hints of fudge.
Knob Creek (Small Batch Bourbon)
Aroma of toasted nuts, grain oak with a rich, sweet, woody, full-bodied, almost
fruity taste. The finish is long and glowing.
Basil Hayden (Small Batch Bourbon)
An aroma of spice, tea and hint of peppermint with a spicy, peppery, honey, lightbodied and gentle bite. Finish is dry, clean, brief.
Blanton’s (single Barrel Bourbon)
The nose gives off a spicy aroma of dried citrus and orange peels with a hint of
caramel and vanilla. Full and soft taste, marked by a mix of burnt sugar, caramel,
orange, and cloves. The finish is muted but well balanced with vanilla, honey, and
citrus.
Booker Noe (Small Batch Bourbon)
A big oak, vanilla, smoky charcoal aroma with an intense taste of fruit tannin and
tobacco. Finishes with tastes of fruit and nuts, long, clean and intense.
Woodford Reserve (Single Barrel Kentucky)
A nose of cream-toffee and honeycomb vanilla and other gentle oaky tones.
Subtle spices warm the palate for a sweet corn and toasty brown-sugared depth.
Finishes with a rye and oak dryness.
Dry Fly (Single Barrel, Single Malt)
Washington state wheat makes for a complex and interesting whiskey with notes
of fresh baked orange scones, cinnamon and Juicy Fruit gum and a short finish.
Bulleit (Kentucky straight bourbon)
Distilled and aged in small batches in charred American oak barrels. Aromas of
creamy vanilla, pickling spices and buttery pralines. The use of rye gives Bulleit its
spicy kick
Wild Turkey (Kentucky straight bourbon, 101 proof)
Distilled at a lower proof to seal in flavor, very little water added to cut proof, for
that out of the barrel taste. Aged in new deep charred white oak barrels.
Some of Ivar’s Irish Whiskey Selections
(Kiss me, I’m Ivarish)
(See your bar manager for information on products not listed here)
Jameson
The nose has a light floral fragrance, peppered with spicy wood and sweet notes.
Jameson offers a perfectly balanced taste of spicy, nutty and vanilla notes with
hints of sweet sherry and exceptional smoothness. I has an incredibly smooth
and mellow finish.
Bushmills
A nose which is light and fruity with a spicy aroma and vanilla notes, developing
into vanilla ice cream and crème brulee. It gently warms and provides a mouthcoating texture with a touch of honey sweetness. Finishes crisp and fresh with a
touch of spice.
Bushmills Black
Big, full, rich fruitcake aroma, intense Sherry sweetness developing into dried
fruits and raisins. The palate has a soft, silky texture and a nutty character. It
finishes with a lingering sweetness and a remarkable balance between Sherryseasoned casks and the smoothness of the spirit.
Some of Ivar’s Canadian Whiskey Selections
(See your bar manager for information on products not listed here)
Crown Royal
Rich and robust nose with slight hints of vanilla and fruit. A full, robust, and
perfectly balanced body. The palate is delicately smooth and creamy offering
hints of oak and the sweet flavor of vanilla. The use of corn gives Crown Royal its
sweet flavor.
Seagram’s 7 (classified as American sometimes)
The nose offers smoky, herbal and honey/maple elements and is a smooth
bodied, apricot flavored, buttery delight.
Canadian Club
The aroma is soft, round, full balanced and creamy with a full and smooth body.
The taste is spicy and creamy, with hints of vanilla and rich, mellow wood.
Finishes long and dry.
Black Velvet
Brown butter and roasted nut aromas. A brisk entry leads to a dryish light-tomedium body of light caramel, nuts, and reeds. Finishes with a dusty peppery hot
fade.
MacNaughton
A blend of whiskies, giving a smooth taste. Aromas of light toast, soft smoke and
all spice finished with a unique caramel flavor.
Seagram’s VO
Subtle sweet nose with a little bit of alcohol harshness. Very smooth start. Not
too much flavor, except some subtle grains, slight sweetness and a bit of oak.
Finishes with a charred oak flavor.
Rich & Rare (R&R)
Light bodied with a rich lingering finish. Toased nuts, caramel and a hint of
vanilla.
THE CHOICE OF WHISKEYS
Summary of Characteristics
Irish
Whiskey
Scotch
Whiskey
American
Whiskey
Canadian
Whiskey
malted
barley
peat
malted barley
corn (51%)
and other
cereal grains
rye and
other cereal
grains
Aging
minimum of
3 years in
seasoned,
used
oak barrels
minimum of
3 years in once
used sherry,
port, or
bourbon barrels
minimum of
2 years in
charred oak
barrels
minimum of
3 years in
re-charred
bourbon/
sherry barrels
Blending
all blended
single malt or
blended
straight or
blended
with
sour mash
all blended
Color
medium
varies on blend
and malt
dark
light
Taste
roundness
oiliness
sweet
dry, smoky,
earthy
sharp/
woody
bitter/vanill
a
clean
pure
Principal
Flavoring