Frequently Asked Questions and Myths
Does a Spirit still age when it is in the bottle?
No, unlike wine, once alcohol is bottled the aging process stops. However, products that are improperly sealed may evaporate and the character of the product can change. Product that is exposed to sunlight or heat may change dramatically. However, this is not aging, it is product degradation.
Vodka is Vodka right?
No, Vodkas can be made from a variety of starch sources such as wheat, rye, corn, potatoes, grapes, soy, etc... Depending on the type of starch used for the basic mash the end product will have different taste characteristics. What is the type of still used (Pot Vs. Column) and the number of times the vodka has been distilled?
In addition, European laws allow some sugar and flavor to be added to vodka which are not allowed in vodka made in the US. As a result of all of these variables when you think you taste definite differences in vodka and your peers tell you that you're crazy because all Vodka is Vodka! Tell them to do their research...because you could be right.
What is the difference between Whiskey (with an e) and Whisky (no e)?
It is likely that the first whiskey was distilled in Ireland, based on evidence from Irish monks in monasteries during the 12th century. The Gaelic word for "water of life" is uisge baugh, pronounced "ish'ka'ba'ha". Uisge was modified to "usky", until it became known as "whisky".
The 'e' was added somewhere in the U. S. when whisky was being made in the states. Generally a whiskey with an 'e' will have been made in the United States or Ireland, while a whisky with no 'e' will be from Canada, Scotland, or Japan. However, it is not a legal requirement and you may see both spellings used for whiskies produced in the U.S.
Most of the time Whiskey is used for straight whiskey like Bourbon, Tennessee, and Rye, while Whisky is used for blended whiskies like Scotch and Canadian.
What does bottled in bond mean?
At one time much of the whiskey produced in the U.S. was "Bottled-in-Bond" according to the dictates of an 1898 Act of Congress; this practice has been largely discontinued, because one of the requirements of the Act was that such whiskey be produced at 100 U.S. alcoholic proof (50% alcohol by volume). Little whiskey this potent is produced in the U.S. anymore, partially because of changing public tastes but also because an alcoholic content so high is illegal in many countries, limiting the export market for it.
Is Jack Daniels the only sour mash?
No, actually most Bourbon and straight whiskey distilled use the sour mash process.
This process, which uses spirit mash from a previous distillation, leads to more consistency from batch to batch. The spirit mash also reduces the pH of the mash and better controls the ability for the yeast to produce alcohol. Other type brands that use the sour mash process include Jim Beam, Old Grand Dad, Old Crow, Knob Creek, etc.
Are all straight whiskies a Bourbon?
No, actually to be a bourbon a distiller must follow the legal requirements outlined for Bourbon, with no exception.
A common misconception is that Jack Daniel's is a bourbon, it is not as it follows the requirements for Tennessee Whiskey, not Bourbon production.
What's the difference between Single Barrel and Small Batch Bourbon?
In Single Barrel bourbon all the product in the bottle you drink has to come from one barrel. This could be good if the barrel is really good, it could be bad if the barrel did not age as well as others. The result can be variation from good to mediocre from bottle to bottle.
The Small Batch method takes a small number of barrels that have aged the same time and marries them to produce a more consistent product without the highs and lows of a single barrel production.
The affect of age in a product is the same from type to type.
No it is very different, the effect of aging is related to the climate where the product is aged and the type of container it is aged in.
BARRELS- Bourbon, by law, is aged in only new barrels which will impart much more flavor through the aging process than used barrels, which are used to age scotch, tequila, rum and canadian.
CLIMATE- Aging is the process where temperature and climate changes push the liquor into and out of the wood staves of the barrel. In Scotland, the overall temperature variation from winter to summer is around 50 degrees F while the temperature in Kentucky where Bourbon is aged will vary up to 100 degrees F. That means that the effect of one year of aging in Kentucky is much greater than one year in Scotland due to the climate.
Does a Spirit still age when it is in the bottle?
No, unlike wine, once alcohol is bottled the aging process stops. However, products that are improperly sealed may evaporate and the character of the product can change. Product that is exposed to sunlight or heat may change dramatically. However, this is not aging, it is product degradation.
Vodka is Vodka right?
No, Vodkas can be made from a variety of starch sources such as wheat, rye, corn, potatoes, grapes, soy, etc... Depending on the type of starch used for the basic mash the end product will have different taste characteristics. What is the type of still used (Pot Vs. Column) and the number of times the vodka has been distilled?
In addition, European laws allow some sugar and flavor to be added to vodka which are not allowed in vodka made in the US. As a result of all of these variables when you think you taste definite differences in vodka and your peers tell you that you're crazy because all Vodka is Vodka! Tell them to do their research...because you could be right.
What is the difference between Whiskey (with an e) and Whisky (no e)?
It is likely that the first whiskey was distilled in Ireland, based on evidence from Irish monks in monasteries during the 12th century. The Gaelic word for "water of life" is uisge baugh, pronounced "ish'ka'ba'ha". Uisge was modified to "usky", until it became known as "whisky".
The 'e' was added somewhere in the U. S. when whisky was being made in the states. Generally a whiskey with an 'e' will have been made in the United States or Ireland, while a whisky with no 'e' will be from Canada, Scotland, or Japan. However, it is not a legal requirement and you may see both spellings used for whiskies produced in the U.S.
Most of the time Whiskey is used for straight whiskey like Bourbon, Tennessee, and Rye, while Whisky is used for blended whiskies like Scotch and Canadian.
What does bottled in bond mean?
At one time much of the whiskey produced in the U.S. was "Bottled-in-Bond" according to the dictates of an 1898 Act of Congress; this practice has been largely discontinued, because one of the requirements of the Act was that such whiskey be produced at 100 U.S. alcoholic proof (50% alcohol by volume). Little whiskey this potent is produced in the U.S. anymore, partially because of changing public tastes but also because an alcoholic content so high is illegal in many countries, limiting the export market for it.
Is Jack Daniels the only sour mash?
No, actually most Bourbon and straight whiskey distilled use the sour mash process.
This process, which uses spirit mash from a previous distillation, leads to more consistency from batch to batch. The spirit mash also reduces the pH of the mash and better controls the ability for the yeast to produce alcohol. Other type brands that use the sour mash process include Jim Beam, Old Grand Dad, Old Crow, Knob Creek, etc.
Are all straight whiskies a Bourbon?
No, actually to be a bourbon a distiller must follow the legal requirements outlined for Bourbon, with no exception.
A common misconception is that Jack Daniel's is a bourbon, it is not as it follows the requirements for Tennessee Whiskey, not Bourbon production.
What's the difference between Single Barrel and Small Batch Bourbon?
In Single Barrel bourbon all the product in the bottle you drink has to come from one barrel. This could be good if the barrel is really good, it could be bad if the barrel did not age as well as others. The result can be variation from good to mediocre from bottle to bottle.
The Small Batch method takes a small number of barrels that have aged the same time and marries them to produce a more consistent product without the highs and lows of a single barrel production.
The affect of age in a product is the same from type to type.
No it is very different, the effect of aging is related to the climate where the product is aged and the type of container it is aged in.
BARRELS- Bourbon, by law, is aged in only new barrels which will impart much more flavor through the aging process than used barrels, which are used to age scotch, tequila, rum and canadian.
CLIMATE- Aging is the process where temperature and climate changes push the liquor into and out of the wood staves of the barrel. In Scotland, the overall temperature variation from winter to summer is around 50 degrees F while the temperature in Kentucky where Bourbon is aged will vary up to 100 degrees F. That means that the effect of one year of aging in Kentucky is much greater than one year in Scotland due to the climate.
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