AMERICAN WHISKEY

REGIONS OF PRODUCTION

1. Maryland and Pennsylvania

The Maryland and Pennsylvania regions of USA are home to few of the finest rye

whiskeys - Baltimore rye, Maryland rye and Pennsylvania rye. Ryes of this region are

complex, bittersweet, fruity, and spicy, almost with a peppermint palate. This region has

some famous ryes like Mitcher’s, Old Overholt and Rittenhouse Rye to its credit.

2. Virginia

The whiskeys of the Virginia region are known for a big body, a sweetish, magnificently

flavorful palate, and a mature, smooth finish. They are Bourbons in style, but a little

higher than some in malt and lower in corn. Virginia is home to the two famous brands -

Virginia Gentleman and Mount Vernon Whiskey.

3. Kentucky

1By far the most versatile whiskey producer in the USA. It is believed that the rye

whiskey was born here. Fine bourbons and ryes come from the regions of Frankfort,

Lawrenceburg, Bardstown, Loretto, Louisville and Owensboro in Kentucky. Some of the

more famous brands of this region include Evan Williams, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam,

Maker’s Mark, Early Times and Wild Turkey.

4. Tennessee

It is not well understood that the whiskeys of the Tennessee region represent a style of

their own. Whereas Tennessee whiskeys are exclusively equated with the sour mash

process, it is not necessarily so. Fine whiskeys come from Lynchburg and Tullahoma in

Tennessee. This region is home to famous brands like Jack Daniel’s and Lem Motlow.

MAKING AMERICAN WHISKEY

1. Grain Buying and Processing

The basic ingredients of American Whiskey are: corn, rye and barley malt. To insure the

finest grain for producing its whiskey, the manufacturer receives samples of grain from

various growing areas. The samples are today tested in laboratories variously for quality.

Only if the grain meets the specifications, will it be purchased.

Buying the best grain is only the first step to quality. Now it must be processed with care.

After grinding, the corn is mixed with water and the mixture brought to a boil. This

process is called mashing and is necessary to extract starch from the grain. During the

mashing process the rye and barley malt are added to the mash at just the right

temperature to insure a smoother tasting final product.

2. Fermentation

After further cooling, the enzymes in the ground barley malt convert the starch in the

mash to sugar. This converted mash is then sent to the fermentation tank where it is

joined with yeast. Here the sugar is converted to alcohol and traces of flavor are

developed. This is the beginning of the whiskey. Another major factor determining the

final taste of the whiskey is the yeast strain used in this fermentation. To maintain

consistency in taste, the same strain of yeast is always used.

3. Distillation

The fermented grain mash, which is now called a beer, is then distilled to remove the

whiskey from the ‘beer’. All distillers use a live steam column still. Here the ‘beer’ is

exposed to steam and the whiskey is vaporized and sent to a thumper and then to a

condenser. The condensed vapor is a new whisky which has undergone one distillation.

This new whisky is then pumped to the cistern room where it is reduced to a designated

proof and prepared for barreling.

4. Cooperage

When the barrels are formed, the staves are heated to help them bend, and the heat

caramelizes some of the wood sugars and tannins within each stave. This toasting stage

of cooperage forms the red layer, which not only helps give color to the whiskey, but also

imparts some extra flavors. After the barrels are formed, their interiors are then charred

over open flame creating a layer of charcoal over the red layer. When the whiskey is in

the aging houses, it filters through that

charcoal as it expands and contracts with seasonal temperature changes, or in certain

cases, by artificially raising and lowering the temperature in the warehouse. Both the red

layer and the charred interior add flavors to the whiskey.

5. Warehousing

This barrel, filled with the new whisky, is moved to a warehouse to mature. Aging the

whiskey is important only insofar as how long it takes whisky to mature. Maturing is

brought about by cycling, which is the expansion and contraction of the

whiskey into and out of the ‘red layer’ behind the char in the barrel. Raise the

temperature and the whiskey, lower it and the whisky contracts. This is one cycle.

Unheated and controlled warehouses, which most distilleries use, can seldom count on

more than two cycles per year (in spring and fall). The final product depends upon the

maturing period. Age is not a criterion for quality or taste in American Whiskey, but the

maturing process must be controlled so that the whiskey can be brought to maturity and

bottled before it passes prime time or ‘peak of perfection’. Careful grain purchases,

controlled production, fine quality barrels, and warehouses with temperature and

humidity controls all contribute their part towards the quality and taste aspects of the final

product.

TYPES OF AMERICAN WHISKEY

1. Straight Whiskey

There are three main types of straight American whiskey - bourbon, rye, and Tennessee -

and all three must be made in accordance with criteria laid down by law. Corn whiskey,

which can also be designated as a straight whiskey, differs from the regulations below as

it must be aged in either used, charred oak barrels, or new, oak barrels. Some of the main

regulations that differentiate straight whiskeys their blended cousins are listed as under.

Straight bourbon, rye, and Tennessee whiskey must be:

(a) Distilled out at less then 80 percent alcohol by volume (abv). The fact is, most

American straight whiskeys run off the still at between 62.5 and 70 percent abv, and by

keeping the proof low, the distillers ensure that more flavor stays in the whiskey. In

comparison, usually comes off the still at almost 95 percent abv.

(b) Aged for a minimum of two years in new charred oak casks. However, if the whiskey

is matured for less than four years, its age must appear on the label. Therefore, most of

the straight whiskey that appears on liquor store shelves is bound to be at least four years

old. Many people think that whiskey must be aged in American white oak barrels, and

indeed, all American whiskeys that we know of do spend their in that particular variety of

oak since the configuration of the grains make it ideal for holding liquid. But this is

merely the choice of the distillers, no specific type of oak is laid down by law.

(c) No coloring or flavoring may be added to straight whiskey. When it runs off the still,

it is clear - just like vodka - and it tastes similar to an eau de vie. But as the whiskey ages,

certain impurities, known as congeners, react with the wood and develop into the ‘flavor

particles’ in the spirit. The color of straight whiskey is mostly a result of the spirit

expanding into the charred wood during the warmer months and gaining color from the

‘red layer’ in the barrel.

Straight Bourbon whiskeys are the most versatile in taste, each one owing its peculiar

taste to the distiller and the area of production. The widest range of American whiskey

being straight Bourbon, some of the more famous brands are Virginia Gentleman,

Ancient Age, Old Crow, Old Taylor, Hill and Hill, Wild Turkey, Heaven Hill, Evan

Williams, Maker’s Mark, and Jim Beam

2. Blended Whiskey

1

Blended whiskey, as against straight whiskey, is flavorful straight whiskey that has been

blended with flavorless neutral grain whiskey. Further, blended whiskeys can have other

flavorings and/or colorings added. Many top-name brands of American whiskeys - Sunny

Brook, Nichols, Barton Reserve and Kentucky Gentleman - are sterling examples of the

blender's craft, and should be enjoyed in their own right.

3. Bottled-in-Bond

Just about 100 years ago much of the whiskey being sold as ‘straight whiskey’ was

anything but. So much of it was adulterated in the name of greed - flavored and colored

with iodine and tobacco - that a bunch of reputable whiskey distillers spearheaded the

formation of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. The Bottled-in-Bond Act stated that

distillers could store their barrels of straight whiskey in governmentally supervised

warehouses for a period of at least four years. After the aging period the government

would certify that this same straight whiskey would be bottled at 50% abv and vouch for

the aging period.

To this day, some consumers tend to look on the term as an endorsement of quality,

although any straight whiskey bottled at 100 proof that doesn't bear an age statement

(denoting a minimum of four years in the wood) is of a similar caliber. The only

difference that might occur is that bottled-in-bond whiskey must be the product of one

distillation season, whereas bottles without an age statement may be a product of

mingling straight whiskeys of differing ages to achieve consistency. The age on any

bottle of American whiskey denotes the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle; older

whiskeys can be and often are added. Old Grand Dad, Rittenhouse Rye, Very Very Old

Fitzgerald and Old Charter are some of the better known bottled-in-bond whiskeys.

4. Tennessee Whiskey

Whiskey that is filtered through giant vats of sugar-maple charcoal becomes a much

smoother product. This process, known as the Lincoln County Process or charcoal

mellowing, takes the rough edges off new whiskeys, which is very desirable.

Though a bottle of bourbon may bear the words ‘charcoal filtered’, the process is

different from the Lincoln County. Most bourbons are filtered after aging and before

bottling with activated charcoal. Some are filtered at room temperature, others are chilled

and then filtered, but the process is quick and meant solely to remove certain impurities

that affect the visual appeal of the whiskey. No flavor is imparted by activated charcoal,

but the process is carried out to remove the ‘chill haze’ or cloudiness. Tennessee whiskey

goes through the same quick filtration process after aging but it is filtered through sugar-

maple charcoal that just happens to add its own nuances to the end product. Jack

Daniel’s, Lem Motlow and George Dickel are some of the best known brands in this

category of whiskeys.

5. Sour Mash

Sometime after 1823 a Scottish distiller by the name of Dr. James Crow (creator of Old

Crow bourbon) perfected a method of making whiskey that involved draining the liquid

from the mash of fermented, cooked grains that were leftover from the primary

distillation. He then added a portion of this liquid to the mash of cooked grains and yeast

that would be used for his next batch. This not only brings the character of each batch of

old whiskey into the new mash, it is also used to control the acidity of the mash and

create an environment perfect for the new yeast.

Whether or not the words ‘sour mash’ appear on the label, every straight American

whiskey currently being produced is a sour-mash whiskey.

6. Straight Rye Whiskey

Just as Bourbon must be made from a mash that contains a of 51 percent corn (although

most contain over 70 percent), and the same applies to the rye content in a straight rye

whiskey - usually made with over 65 percent rye. Ryes are delicate, yet peppery, and far

different from either blended whiskies or bourbon. Some of the best known straight ryes

are Wild Turkey Rye, Old Overholt, Pikesville Supreme, North Brook and Jim Beam

Rye.

7. Small Batch Bourbon

These are rare and exceptional Bourbons married from a cross section of barrels in the

rack house. Fact is that different sections of a bourbon warehouse produce different

whiskeys - most of the buildings are between seven and 12 stories tall, and since the

temperatures differ on each level (progressively hotter toward the top), the whiskeys

mature at different rates. Distillers of small-batch whiskeys select barrels that have aged

into particular styles and mingle them together to achieve consistency.

8. Single Barrel Bourbon

These whiskeys are, like small-batch whiskeys, selected from prime areas of the

warehouse. However, in the case of single-barrel bourbons, the distiller doesn't have the

luxury of marrying one barrel with another to achieve a particular result. Each bottle of a

single barrel bourbon may differ slightly from the last if it came from a different barrel,

each master distiller selects whiskeys that have matured into a specific ‘flavor profile’,

and are, therefore, very similar to one another.

9. Vintage Bourbons

Evan William's Vintage Bourbon is the only Vintage-dated bottling on the market. It is also a "single barrel" bourbon. The only real difference here is that the distiller has chosen to note the date of distillation on the label, signifying that this is a special selection that is worthy of note.

American Whiskeys

America is one of the youngest distilling nations of whiskey (200 years old), but has grown into the largest spirits market.

Distilling and drinking was brought by immigrants who started using corn and other cereals, which they grew to feed themselves, their livestock and also to produce spirits.

The early settlers were Irish, Scottish and Dutch in 1700 who knew distillation and began distilling corn, rye, barley and wheat to produce crude forms of whiskeys, which were exported.

Pennsylvania and Kentucky became main areas where the production started. Whiskey became valuable commodity so much so that it was accepted as a form of

money during American Revolution in the 18th century. In 1780 the production soared. In 1791 first tax on whiskey was levied by George Washington to raise revenue for

the country. This led to a revolt in 1794 and the distillers started moving towards further west to

evade taxes. Volstead act was passed in 1919, prohibiting the production and sale of whiskey. The distillers started moving towards Canada and by 30’s the industry was

completely devastated. Prohibition changed the drinking habits of the Americans and the trend moved

towards white spirits and imported beverages. In 1933 the prohibition ended, the industry has been going steady since then.

Types of American Whiskeys

Virtually all American whiskeys are Patent still. In 1964, 38th congress classified the American Whiskey on the following basis:

Variety of grains used in the mashProof at which the whiskey comes out of the still (less than 190 US proof)Proof at which it should be bottled (not less than 80 US proof)Length and manner of aging

Generic Whiskeys : these are of two types – Corn whiskeys and other grain whiskeys. Corn Whiskeys:

Made from a mash containing not less than 80 % corn.Distilled at 160 US proof.

Held in uncharred oak barrels at not more than 125 US proof.

Other grain Whiskeys: Made from a mash containing not less than 51% of the grain, after which the whiskey is named, the rest can be any other grain.Distilled at 160 US proof.Held in charred oak barrels at not more than 125 US proof.E.g.: Rye Whiskey – Minimum 51% Rye

Wheat Whiskey – Minimum 51% WheatMalt Whiskey – Minimum 51% Malted BarleyMalted Rye Whiskey – Minimum 51% Malted Rye

Straight whiskeys: Any whiskey in which none of the grains account for 51 %, and has been aged

for minimum two years in charred oak barrels (uncharred if corn is present in the mash)

Any of the above generic whiskeys if aged for two years in charred oak barrels (uncharred for corn) can be called straight whiskeys.E.g.: Straight corn whiskey, straight rye whiskey etc.

Blended Whiskeys: Any whiskey which has minimum 20 % straight whiskey, the rest 80 % being

either other whiskeys or neutral spirit or both. The straight whiskey in the blend should be at 100 US proof and the neutral spirit should be of minimum 80 US proof. The resultant whiskey will be called Blended Whiskey.

If a distiller decides to blend his straights, then he must label them as Blended Straight Whiskey, and if the blend is of one type of straight say rye then the whiskey is called Blended straight Rye Whiskey

If a blend contains 51 % or more of one type of Straight say rye, then the whiskey is called Blended Rye Whiskey.

Spirit Whiskey : it is the poorest type of American whiskey which contains minimum 5 % of whiskey of whatever type and whatever blend and the rest as neutral spirit

. Bottled in Bond:

Any of the straight whiskeys which are kept in government bonded warehouses for a minimum of four years and then bottled at 100 US proof can write ‘Bottled In Bond” on the label.

The straights must be from one distillery and product of one season or year.

Light Whiskey: It is defined as a whiskey distilled between 160 to 190 US proof and stored in

uncharred oak barrels at greater than 125 US proof.Light whiskeys are much less in flavor and are sharper than other whiskeys.E.g.: Four Roses Light and Crow Light.

White Whiskeys: These are uncolored whiskeys and only one brand surviving in the market

which is ‘White Duck’.

Bourbon Whiskeys: It takes its name from the Bourbon County in Kentucky and was first distilled

by Elijah Craig in 1798. The mash should have atleast 51 % corn, the whiskey should be distilled at

160 US proof and it should be aged in charred oak casks for a minimum of two years. In addition to this it should be made from the following two methods:

Sour Mash Process: it refers to a technique in which a part of previous fermentation is added to the next batch so as to start the fermentation and maintain continuity in flavor.

Sweet Mash Process: it is the opposite of sour mash process i.e. fresh yeast is added to start the fermentation.

Bourbon made with the former method are superior than the one made by the latter process.

Tennessee Whiskeys: It is very similar to Bourbon except that it has an extra step of filtration

through a bed of maple charcoal, which is also called mellowing. Alfred Eaton devised this process in 1925. The charcoal bed is about 10 feet deep and is made by burning maple. The filtration is a very exhaustive process and takes about 10 days to

complete. Thus the whiskey loses out its oils and gains a flavor of barbecued sugar maple.

This filtration is done before sending the whiskey to the barrels so that a cleaner whiskey goes in the wood.

Bibliography

Spirits – Tony Lord The World Guide to Whiskey – Michael Jackson