Distiller's Corner

What Types Of Wood Are Used When Aging Whiskey?

admin — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Wood is one of the most important ingredients utilized in the making of whiskey. Wood contributes 50 to 80 of the flavor and aromas of whiskey.The wooden barrels in which whiskey is aged in add some of the most desirable characterisitcs of whiskey. The wood adds color, flavor and depth to the spirit. For whiskey to mature properly Oak is the best choice of wood for aging. Although there are hundreds of Oak varieties only a few work well for maturation of spirits. In America the perfect cask Oak would be White Oak. The White Oak resists leakage and is easily bent when heat is applied to it. European Oak is also a nice choice for aging whiskey. It is easily penetrated by liquid and allows a better oxygen flow than the American Oak. But the American Oak is lower in tannis than the European Oak and therefore lends more flavor compounds to the spirits being aged.The charcoal from the firing process and the tannins from the wood all effect the end result. Until it undergoes a wood aging process it is unappealing to the taste. If it doesn’t undergo the process of barrel aging, it simply isn’t good whiskeyStill bored? Click to continue: A Jewel in Gascony: Domaine Chiroulet

Whiskey Versus Whisky: What Is The Difference?

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The age-old question of whiskey vs. whisky ought to have a simple answer. Unfortunately, this conundrum isn’t as straightforward as the drink. Anyone who loves the drink will tell you that Scots make whisky, and everyone else just makes whiskey. The problem is that many distillers choose to be reckless with their spellings, and now they’ve gone and confused everyone. The difference between the two is not a mere convention of local language or preference; if it were, far fewer whisky lovers would be offended when the NY Times chose to publish an article on Speyside single malts using “whiskey” spelling. For true Scotsmen, this mistake is tantamount to unforgivable.

Therefore, the honorable difference in spelling whiskey to whisky is a matter of brewing origin and style. By referring to a whisk(e)y by its origin, we can keep from violating etiquette. Many countries have strict regulations on the preparation of whisk(e)y. For example, Irish whiskey must be aged in wooden casks, whereas Scottish whisky must be aged specifically in oak casks. Both agree it must be aged for longer than three years, but maybe their differences manifest themselves in spelling. Want something about the drink that is easy to remember? When ordering Scotch whisky in Scotland, you only have to order “whisky”.

The Importance Of Aging Whiskey In Wooden Barrels

admin — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Without being finished with the barrel aging process, whiskey simply isn’t whiskey. When the clear, sour, and highly potent unfinished liquor separates from the mash and is technically drinkable, it’s still raw and unappealing to all but the most devout alcohol fanatic! The wooden barrels that whiskey ages in for months to years add some of the most notable characteristics of the drink itself. Most notable of these characteristics are coloring, flavoring, and depth of taste.

Tannins from the wood, and often the charcoal from the firing process of the wood infuse the whiskey on the molecular level with attributes from the individual components. That rich golden red to dark golden brown color has more to do with the barrel itself than any of the distillation process. The longer the whiskey stays in the barrel, the more richly colored it will become.

The more richly colored a whiskey typically is, the more flavorful it tends to be. You can generally bet that the redder a whiskey is, the stronger a “bite” it’s going to deliver when you sip it. And the darker a whiskey is, the more earthy it will taste, these are all qualities that come from the barreling!

Alcohol Producers in Texas

admin — Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Texas is a hotbed for all things flavorful, but did you know the Lone Star State has tons of distilleries and alcohol manufacturers? Companies here don’t just include Just energy and BP, they encompass liquor producers as well so take a tour with us of some of Texas’ best alcohol plants…
Tito’s Handmade Vodka: One of the licensed distilleries in Texas is becoming world known for its smooth flavor and clean taste. A geologist turned alcohol maker is responsible for Tito’s and Texas natives are loving their newest vodka.
Texacello: Another one of the only lawful distillers in Texas, Texacello produces Paula’s Texas Orange, an 80 proof drink made from real oranges. A Texas favorite born and bred in the heart of Austin, Texacello’s stock is on the rise.
Savvy: Produced by a vineyard owner, this silky vodka is the newest Texan alcohol to make waves. People are loving the smooth taste of Savvy and its cleverly designed bottle and packaging don’t hurt either.
There’s more to drink in Texas than tequila! Head down to the border to find out more about bottling and boozing in Te-has.

Whiskey’s Origin As The “Water Of Life”

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I always thought whiskey was invented by moon-shiners in Tennessee, but in reality it was invented hundreds of years before the colonization of America. With that said, the Gaelic or Scottish word “usquebaugh” literally translates into “Water of Life,” this Gaelic word when sounded out phonetically sounded like “usky” which later was translated into “whisky” by the English. And if you are interested in investing in this particular water of life, Diageo (ticker symbol: DEO) is your stock, which also claims the Smirnoff Vodka and Guinness brands. Ironically, the stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as an American Depository Receipt, another irony is Diageo plc. is incorporated as a public limited company in England and Wales.
Preceding whiskey’s current status, the legend is still very much alive that St Patrick introduced distilling to Ireland. St Patrick presumably acquired the knowledge in Spain and France, countries that likely had knowledge of distilling at that time, in particular France would have been using grapes to produce their wines and champagnes. Speaking of grapes, the distilling process was originally applied to perfumes first, then to fermented cereal mash in places where grapes were scarce. Finally, to give whiskey a globally excepted name it was renamed in Latin; aqua vitae “water of life.”

The Top Five Must Try Scotch Whiskies

admin — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The only way to find the best Scotch Whisky for you, is to try each one of them. Tasting the different Scotch Whiskies, will be a unique experience, because no two taste the same. The Scottish had a unique way of making their whiskey, using moss, by using this recipe, that’s how these whiskies simply got named ‘Scotch Whisky’, making them less sweet.

However there is nothing simple about making whisky, this is the most refined spirit to this day. It was initially used for health reasons, or medicines for slowing aging, calming pain, and later became a drink for special occasions, such as a birth of a child, saying hello to new friends or saying good-bye to friends that moved away.

You can tell if your Whiskies are made in Ireland the United States or Scotland by the different spellings of the name. If it comes from Ireland or the United States it’s spelled Whiskey and if it comes from Scotland it’s spelled Whisky without the “e”.

No one is quite sure who made it first, the Irish or the Scotish. However the Irish were the first to give this drink a suitable name, Whiskey “The Water of Life”.

A Few Words on Whiskey Making

www.distillerscorner.com — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

For those looking to take their distilling diversion from a (legally frowned upon) at-home hobby to a full-blown occupation, men far wiser than we may be able to offer some advice as to how to get your budding business off the ground. These reads are not only easy on the eyes and minds but offer guidance in the various facets of the beverage business and distilling whiskey on a large scale.

The Business of Spirits: How Savvy Marketers, Innovative Distillers and Entrepreneurs Changed How We Drink by Noah Rothbaum Whether an alcohol distiller, aspiring alcohol distiller, liquor drinker or general student of society and human relations, Rothbaum’s book lends valuable insights as to how alcoholic beverages and hard alcohol in particular have been transformed from a product often enjoyed in backrooms and with discretion to a its present day prominence in pop culture, proudly displayed front and center in licensed establishments. Learn from trends, strategies and consumer habits that have made millionaires many times over out of brands that are now household names or simply satisfy your curiosity as to why social drinking has arguably surpassed baseball as America’s favorite pastime.

Build Your Beverage Empire by Jorge S. Olsen and Carlos Lopez Not just exclusive to alcoholic beverages (you may have heard of a few companies, say Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Red Bull), the beverage industry is quite the profit turning racket when played like a pro. For novice distillers entertaining the idea of trying to turn their hobby into a successful career, the information found within these pages regarding liquid brand management caters specifically towards these ends. No matter what point you’re at in developing your distillery, from initial concepting and building a brand image to actually bringing your brand to consumers through various distribution channels, Build Your Beverage Empire is a helpful roadmap and reference along the way.

The Art of Distilling Whiskey by Bill Owens and Alan Ditky A great guide into the flavoring and production techniques used in modern day whiskey making. Not limited to whiskey alone, despite what the title may imply, The Art of Distilling Whiskey takes a trip into the world of spirits as a whole, not to mention a page-turning tour of the country’s commercial micro-distilleries. A must-read for any whiskey enthusiast.

Who was Jack Daniel?

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:23:48 +0000

You’ve probably tasted his life’s work, perhaps too much from time to time, but few people know the mysterious man behind one of America’s most celebrated whiskey labels. From his mysterious birth to his famous last words, “One last drink, please,” Jack Daniel lived a curious life with a long lasting legacy. For starters, fans of his beverage should note that the distiller’s actual name was “Jack Daniel,” as opposed to “Jack Daniels,” a common mistake likely resulting from years of packaging and marketing containing the phrase “Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.”The exact date of Daniel’s birth is up for debate, as the original birth certificate and further documentation was destroyed in a courthouse fire. The official company website would have you believe that Jack Daniel was born in 1950, though some records suggest his mother died in 1947, and with no verified cases of posthumous birth on record, the 1950 claim has come into question. The company also claims its original distillery was opened by Daniel in 1966, meaning he was only 16 when he first set up shop. This date has also come into question as land and deed titles would indicate a 1975 official opening. It is commonly believed Daniel was in fact born in 1946. Depending on who you believe, or whether the distillery was operating unsanctioned for its first 9 years, Daniel began his now legendary whiskey operation at either the age of either 20 or 29. Daniel’s life would center around his work as he never married or had children of his own, though he was very close with his nephew, Lem Motlow, who he groomed to take over his distillery, and keep the business in the family.Never a whiz with numbers, Motlow mostly handled that side of the business, Daniel died after kicking his safe in frustration, struggling to remember the correct code. He injured his toe, which would later become infected, causing Daniel to eventually pass away from blood poisoning in 1911, in Lynchburg, TN, his birthplace, home, and where his whiskey distilling legacy continues today.

Maker’s Mark and the Small Batch Whiskey Revolution

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:15:44 +0000

When Bill Samuels Sr. sold the family distillery in 1943, one might think the bourbon business would be over for the Kentucky gentleman, but Samuels had no intention of getting out of the whiskey game entirely. What Samuels knew, and what the rest of America would catch up to decades later, is that whiskey needed a facelift, if not a complete reworking as a product. Back in the 40′s and 50′s, well frankly any time before the small batch bourbon revolution, whiskey was seen as a mere means to an end, not something to be enjoyed along the way. The taste was sharp, biting and downright nasty, but much to the chagrin of Samuels and other forward thinking whiskey enthusiasts, this is how the general public enjoyed their whiskey. Whiskey was for men, and not just regular men, manly men, a form of punishment to close out a day of hard work.Samuels, and probably a few others, had an idea in mind, “Why can’t whiskey taste good?” In 1953, Samuels set up shop in Loretto, KY, finally having found the perfect size distillery with which to carry out his whiskey reinvention operation. Allegedly taking a match to his family’s 170-year-old whiskey recipe (Samuels was a 6^th generation whiskey distiller, after all), he set out to tinker with the age old whiskey-making process. A full 5 years later, Samuels emerged with the first bottle of what would become Maker’s Mark whiskey, with its top dipped in the now patented red wax seal.While today Makers Mark is among the elite brands of small batch whiskey, for the first quarter century of its existence, Samuels’ creation was frowned upon by casual whiskey drinkers, though Samuel never questioned the quality of his product. The problem was quite simply that even the bottom shelf whiskeys of today were significantly better tasting than the top shelf whiskeys of the time. Makers Mark was too “girly” for such manly men. The world wasn’t ready for smooth, refined whiskey, but today, decades later, Samuels pride and joy has found a home on bar shelves nationwide, and the world is a better place for his efforts.

Distilling: A Don’t Do-It-Yourself Industry

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:07:04 +0000

Call it “hooch,” call it “white lightning,” call it the original “Mountain Dew,” whatever you call it, Americans have been making moonshine, or illegally distilled liquor, dating back decades, with a particularly heightened interest in the process spiking during the Prohibition Era, from 1920 to 1933. Moonshining is a well known process in mainstream America, easily recognized by its iconic mason jars, used to bottle the product through much of its early years of production. Historically, moonshine has been particularly prevalent in the Appalachian region of the United States, where many people have traditionally operated small scale distilleries providing their very own, albeit contraband, whiskey. In fact, the name “moonshine” stems from the illegal nature of the products manufacturing as unlicensed distillers were forced to work at night time, or “by the light of the moon,” in order to produce their liquor without arousing the suspicion of local law enforcement.Perhaps the main governmental concern with individuals producing their own alcohol from unlicensed home distilleries is with safety. Many homemade stills fashion one-time automotive radiators as condensers, which can be very hazardous. Antifreeze, which is very toxic, can appear in solid enough traces to make those who consume the moonshine seriously ill. Radiators and heaters can provide further risk of lead contamination. The first few ounces that spring out from the distiller are often the most potentially dangerous, most moonshiners finding it wise to discard this first taste of product and the heightened health risks it represents. Of course, most moonshiners have learned about the inherent dangers of moonshining through generations of experiencing it the hard way. It was once a commonly held belief that if a spoonful of moonshine was burned, resulting in a blue flame, the product was okay to drink. A yellow flame meant the batch was tainted but still reasonably safe, while a red flame indicated the product was lethal. As a few too many moonshiners would discover, a yellow or even blue flame is far from a USDA stamp of approval, in no way serving as an accurate safety barometer.