Whisk(e)y? Bourbon? ...what?

So maybe you've seen, but people cannot seem to agree on how to spell whisky. Some say whisky, some say whiskey. 

What's the deal?!

Well, much like all squares are quadrilaterals, but not all quadrilaterals are squares, all bourbons are whiskies, but not all whiskies are bourbons (same with scotch).

The general rule is...if the country of origin has an "e" in the name, use an e spelling whiskey. United States, Ireland come to mind, and look: whiskey. Scotland and Canada: no e, so whisky. Does it mean different liquids? Well, yes, but they are all whiskies. Remember, a whisky is a spirit distilled from a sort of grain: wheat, barely, corn, or rye. 

So is bourbon any good? There are many malt-whisky snobs that will say, "Filthy American whiskey is weak, uncultured,and a mere knock-off of Scottish whisky. These are also the same single malt snobs who will tell you blends are garbage.

Well they are incorrect. 

The history of bourbon is a much more recent invention because the US is a much younger country. European settlers brought with them the technical know-how of distillation and maturation into Kentucky in the late 19th centiry, the home of bourbon. There, the available grain was corn. Opportunity and desire came together and...ta-da! Elijah Craig is often credited with "inventing bourbon," but the process materialized in multiple places. Craig was the first to be credited with using charred oak barrels to mature his whiskey. As previously stated, scotch whisky often uses already-used American white oak bourbon casks to mature the scotch in. Bourbon uses the brand-new barrels. However, they char them to the darkness they feel is correct. The charring adds a significant flavor to the whiskey inside the casks itself. Bourbon gained popularity for its flavors, and also its price (way cheaper than cognac). One thing bourbon distillers do that is a unique invention is called the "sour mash." what that means is for every new fermentation (the germination of the grain in water with yeast), the distiller would take some old mash and add it to the new mash. Doing so keeps a consistent pH level across batches and keeps a more consistent product. Seemingly, the same strain of yeast from the dawn of the distillery could still be in use today in some form!

Bourbon vs. Scotch whisky...a tricky thing. What I am about to say next will be a very general comparison and in no way reflect any individual whisk(e)y and can be disputed SO DON'T GET MAD FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!

Bourbon tends to have more vanilla qualities, more cinnamon, and much sweeter, almost like candy (caramel, sugar). Scotch tends to be heavier, buttery-er, peppery, salty. 

Unlike scotch, bourbon does not age as well. The distillers go for "maturity" rather than a specific age marking (of course scotch goes for maturity as well, but scotch ages very well hence the Dalmore 64). Bourbon is much lighter because of the younger age. 

Preference is what it comes down to, really. I have had a bottle of Elijah Craig 12...so I will give it a review! 

Firstly, it's cheap. It was $25 when I bought it. That's a steal for any scotch, so already the price is noticeably different.

Color: Deep orange/light amber. (contradictory, I know; overall a translucent darkness)

Nose: Sweeeeet. Caramel, apple. vanilla, charred honey with some nuts on the edges

Taste: Sweeeeet. Charred honey, vanilla, cooked fruits, but very dry and spicy (not pepper)

Finish: long and hot

This, to me, is a benchmark bourbon. A solid bourbon that epitomizes what a bourbon should taste like. It wasn't spectacular, but it certainly exceeded its price and satisfied. Something you could drink anytime. It's a light, playful drink in comparison with many scotches, and I could see myself ordering this at a bar if I wanted to put myself in a playful mood. A scotch from a bar puts one in a contemplative, conversational mood. 

Aaaaaaaaand I have a story. The first time I had this particular whiskey. A friend of mine had brought to my attention a Groupon for a whiskey tasting at a bar about 30 minutes away. $40 for $90 worth of whiskies. 

YES.

Well, we drove out to find this bar. We followed our GPS to the supposed location...and found nothing. There was a Del Taco, and a strip mall with everything closed. So we drove in circles, looked and looked...and saw this door in the back corner near the edge. It was a red door with black, dirty walls. And over the door hung a tiny, beat-up sign of the bar (the name which escapes me now). So we go in and it was a shock. Dim lighting, motorcycle paraphernalia on the walls, rock and roll legends abound, jukebox in the corner, bars set-up for people to buy HUGE quantities of beer and have a tap at their own table, pool tables, and some ugly looking dudes and chicks. Us two music majors did not quite fit in. On top of the liquor cabinet, lining almost the whole way were boxes of Jameson 18 Irish Whiskey with peoples' names on them and tiny locks. You could buy yourself a bottle to keep at the bar to drink whenever you came in. So this bar is a local bar. 

Fun. 

We tepidly walk up to the bar and see a young lady bartender and ask about our Groupon. She has heard of it, and we sit to choose from the fair amount of whiskies on their list. We each get 5. Now if we were smarter, we would have written down every whiskey we tried. I remember a Dewar's White Label (first and only time I've ever had that filth), Elijah Craig, Bulliet, Woodford Reserve, Gentleman Jack...Jameson 12...and I forgot the rest. Well, we sit down and give her the list and she promptly tells us she has no idea where most of these are, so "it's gon' be a while, hun." Well, we were in the bar for a good hour and a half overall. During that time, we had a QUADRUPLE of each whiskey. 

It was

A LOT

of whiskey.

I had some good, some bad, many forgettable (but maybe because I was inebriated). I remembered liking the Elijah Craig, so I bought a bottle. However, there was a Knob Creek Single Barrel that was (get this) 120 proof. That's 60% abv. My lips were a-tingle after each sip. There was some serious alcohol happening. Well, we survived our rock/biker bar encounter and stumbled to Del Taco to eat some food and sober up. After some time had passed and some food had settled, we went home. 

The experience was very American to me. If that bar had served scotch (not Dewar's...that doesn't count), the venue would have been inappropriate. Bourbon, with its youthful charm and sweet allure fit perfectly.

So explore your whiskies. Bottom's Up!

What's with the Wood?

Hello, hello. So, we've covered the regions where scotch comes from. We've gone over how still can make a difference. How about the cask? 

Well, the answer is a definitive yes. Absolutely. Incredibly large difference.

First of all, scotch whisky in matured in wooden casks for a number of years after distillation. The minimum in 3 years and maximum, well there is a Dalmore 60... I'll stop drooling now.

Scotch Whisky rarely (if ever) uses new casks, The distillers always borrow a used cask from a different type of alcohol. Generally, Scottish distilleries use American White Oak casks used in the making of Bourbon, another type of whiskey. Other casks include Sherry casks from Spain, Wine casks from various countries (red or port), and even rum casks. 

American Oak casks often come charred (burned on the inside) to 3 varying intensities with the most charred called "alligator charring." (that's cool, methinks). Bourbon has a much more vanilla taste, a maple/flavoring with a different type of spice palate. Obviously, the scotch maturing in the cask will absorb some of the characteristics of the bourbon. Casks may be used up to 3 times, buteach successive   usage will lessen the flavors added by the cask. Johnnie Walker makes use of thedifferent intensities   of charred with their "Double Black" label which is Black Label matured in a more-charred cask. The same liquid, the same length of maturation, a wide variance of flavors. Where Black Label is sweet, viscous, and smokey, Double Black is cooler, smokier, and more coy. 

The next (and arguably most preferred) cask in the Sherry Casks. Sherry casks give a sweeter finish,making the  color more reddish and the flavors infused with a deep fruitiness. Macallan is famous for their use of sherry casks. The Macallan has 2 main lines of scotch: the fine Oak and the sherry casks. The standard and most popular Macallan are the 12 and 18, both sherry casks. The better known Fine Oak ages are the 10, 15, and there is a fine oak 18 but I have never seen it in person. In trying the fine oak Macallan (both 10 and 15), I found the flavors to be lacking: to light, too spicy for the whisky. I feel Macallan should stick to the sherry casks: damn do thy taste good!

Next is wine. Wine casks can come from Spain, France, Portugal, etc etc. Lagavulin Distiller's Edition is finished in Pedro Ximenez wine casks. My previous review of the Lagavulin 16 was essentially a sturdy, wam, oily, smokey whisky with luscious flavor. A true great. The Distiller's Edition...adds a whole new level of depth. The harshness of the iodine is dissipated while adding a layer of gentle, deep fruit and mellow cream. It enlightens the whisky. WOW. 

The Balvenie 21 Portwood is also a wonderful example of wine cask usage. Port is a type of wine originating in Portugal. Port wine is more alcoholic than standard wine and is much heavier and fruiter. Because of the sweetness, it is called a "dessert wine" in the States (and as a result is not respected. Too bad. Port is fantastic). The sweet fruitiness and sugary flavors absolutely permeate into the Balvenie. 

Finally, we end at rum. Balvenie 14 Caribbean Rum Cask. I have yet to try it...but I will. It;s quite intriguing. I have, however, had Angel's Envy Bourbon matured in rum casks. The bourbon was enhanced greatly by the flavors of the rum cask. I'm not sure how rum will act with scotch, but i think it will end up being more like sherry with more pepper and less fruit. 

So there you have it. A (not really) quick and dirty to casks and the places and liquids they come from. Next time: a review!