August, 2022 - BourbonSphere

How to Taste Root Beer Flavors in Whisky

Both spicy and sweet, root beer notes can be found in a range of whisky styles, most notably bourbon and rye.

The post How to Taste Root Beer Flavors in Whisky appeared first on Whisky Advocate.

Root beer is a familiar flavor, and is frequently cited as a tasting note for bourbons and ryes. It has positive associations for most people who enjoy its sweet, smooth, spicy flavors, and evokes memories of root beer floats from our childhoods, of wiping the creamy foam away from our lips and playfully testing the buoyancy of that shrinking scoop of ice cream in the glass with our jabbing straws.

The reason why root beer works as such a generous descriptor for whiskey is the spectrum of flavor across root beer types. Easily confused with sarsaparilla, which is traditionally made from the sarsaparilla vine, root beer was originally made from the roots of the sassafras plant. This contains a natural compound called safrole, or 4–allyl–1,2–methylenedioxy–benzene, which has a chemical structure found to be carcinogenic. Since the 1960s, the Food and Drug Administration has banned its use as an ingredient in food and beverage production, so these days root beer is no longer made with sassafras root.

Contemporary root beer can contain a mixture of natural and artificial flavors. The more familiar flavorings include vanilla, licorice, wintergreen, spices like anise and cinnamon, and sweeteners ranging from honey to molasses and others derived from cane sugar. Whether you favor popping open a local craft root beer or a can from one of the big brands, your palate will confirm your preference for root beers with different levels of spiciness and carbonation, while also gauging your tolerance for sweetness.

Root beer flavors found in bourbon and rye arise from the grains in the mashbill combined with the flavor impact of maturation. Rye and high-rye bourbons often bring plenty of spiciness to the table, delivering aromas and flavors of spearmint or peppermint. Depending on the toasting and charring levels of its new American oak barrels, bourbon takes on vanilla and other sweet notes from the toasted wood sugars, while the char can give a whiskey more robust earthy, licorice, and peppery notes. In scotch, root beer flavors arise periodically but it’s usually dependent on the length of maturation, the type of cask, and its previous contents. With neither one chemical compound nor one stage of distillery production responsible, root beer is a safe bet that covers both sweetness and spice if you’re rooting around for a handy taste descriptor. The only thing bourbon and rye can’t match in root beer is the bubbles—they just don’t have the same fizziology.

Root Awakening: Choose a whisky with root beer notes to float your boat

Sweet vanilla—Jefferson’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
Vanilla latte, peppermint, chocolate chip, root beer spices

Wintergreen—Journeyman Distillery Last Feather Rye
Earthy, mint, chocolate, cola, black pepper

Spicy—Arbikie Highland Rye 1794
Cinnamon, allspice, caramel popcorn, cocoa

The post How to Taste Root Beer Flavors in Whisky appeared first on Whisky Advocate.

Andrew Jackson: Tennessee Distiller

While a number of American presidents have been known to drink whiskey, only two are documented to have made it. The first was George Washington whose distilling career has been widely described and his distillery reconstructed near Mount Vernon. The second was Andrew Jackson. By contrast with Washington, very little is found in the historical record about Jackson’s distilling activities. This has not deterred others in the liquor trade, however, from linking the Seventh President to their brands.

The year was 1796 when Jackson, age 29, bought a farm two miles from the Cumberland River outside Nashville called “Hunting Hill” and made a home there for himself and his wife, Rachel. His celebrity as the military hero of the Battle of New Orleans was almost two decades in the future. The past few years had been tumultuous ones. His marriage (and re-marriage) to Rachel, shown here, had engendered slurs on her character when it was discovered that her divorce from her first husband had not been concluded before their first wedding. Jackson would fight multiple duels over her honor, one in which he killed a man. From 1795 to 1798, he also had served without particular distinction as Tennessee’s first congressman and later as a senator.

My guess is that Jackson’s purchase of Hunter’s Hill was an attempt at a quieter rural life where he and Rachel could be country gentry, largely insulated from public scrutiny. The move also opened the opportunity for Jackson to become a distiller. Although it is not clear if Jackson acquired the distillery with his purchase or built it himself, by 1799 he was operating two stills said to be capable of producing 197 gallons annually. One reputedly had capacity of 127 gallons; the other was a 70 gallon pot still.

Shown here is the entry for Jackson’s whiskey-making operation in the official ledger of John Overton, the collector in Tennessee of the whiskey tax. This first Federal excise tax was the revenue-generating plan of Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to repay the bonded debt owed from the Revolutionary War and to establish the fiscal standing of the national government. Because it was done on the backs of farmers, many of whom distilled their corn into value-added whiskey, the excise was widely unpopular in rural areas, sparking the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania (1891-1894).

Overton’s ledgers listed distillers in Tennessee by county, The record details those who manufactured spirits, the number of pots or stills, the annual production of distilled spirits in gallons, and the amount of tax owed. Jackson in Davidson County was recorded as paying his tax.

In June 1799, however, a devastating fire at Hunting Hill burned down Jackson’s stills, barrels and destroyed more than 300 gallons of aging whiskey. The future President was required to pay the whiskey tax even though the whiskey was gone. Authorities in Washington were all too aware that some distillers seeking to avoid the levy were hiding their whiskey, burning down their often ramshackle buildings, and then making claims for refunds. No evidence exists that Jackson was among them. In fact, he moved quickly to rebuild his plant.

Jackson subsequently made use of the one appeals process the U.S. government provided. Petitions and claims on the controversial tax could be submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives. There they were sent to a joint Committee on Claims, established in 1894, there to be adjudicated. On February 12, 1803, Congress received the petition for a tax refund from Andrew Jackson. Shown right, he expressed concern, possibly based on his own experience in the House, that he was totally reliant on that body to satisfy his claim. Jackson said he had no doubt that: “A power to grant relief, in such Cases, was lodg’d in the hands of the Secretary of the Treasury, or in some other department of the Government; he could not believe that the United States would draw Money from the misfortunes of her Citizens.”

The Committee on Claims reviewed Jackson’s claim and voted to reject it. This may have been an indicator of Jackson’s lack of popularity among his former colleagues in Congress. One historian has speculated: “I like to think that Jackson was so furious about not receiving his money back that he decided to go into politics.”

While living at Hunting Hill, Jackson had purchased 640 acres of adjacent land. With his growing wealth from farming and land speculation, he sold this original homestead and built a new house there. He called it “The Hermitage,” the mansion home, shown here that has come to be identified with him.

The Hermitage was surrounded by a host of outbuildings. They included kitchens, spring houses, an icehouse, carriage garage, dwellings for the overseer and the slaves, blacksmith and carpenter’s shops, a cotton gin and press, stables, smokehouses, a sawmill and barns. Most important for purposes here, The Hermitage outbuildings included a whiskey distillery. Unfortunately, little has been written about this facility or Jackson’s involvement with it. He soon would be brought away from his Tennessee properties by his immersion in the military activities of the young Nation and ultimately by the American presidency.

That absence did not discourage future distillers, however, claiming Jackson as one of their own. Sometimes the claim was pure nonsense. Shown here are two ads for “Old Crow.” In both Jackson is depicted serving up that brand to two other American political figures who would eventually become President on the Democratic ticket, James K. Polk and Martin Van Buren. The ads are correct that both men were friends and allies of Jackson. Both ads claim, however, that according to an unnamed 19th century newspaper report, “Jackson favored Old Crow and praised it most highly.” Baloney. As a brand name, Old Crow emerged about 1855. Jackson died in 1845.

More legitimacy attaches to one of several American whiskeys that use Jackson’s nickname of “Old Hickory.” It was given to him by his troops for his tough-minded willingness to endure whatever his men were experiencing. The nickname was first associated with whiskey when Fayette County, Kentucky, distiller John Robb produced “Old Hickory Sour-Mash Kentucky Copper” whiskey. In 1868 the name gravitated to the E.R. Betterton Company of Chattanooga, Tennessee. [See my post on Betterton, August 10, 2013]. It later was used by other pre-Prohibition liquor houses to memorialize a national hero who was himself a distiller.

The tradition reaches down to today. In 2011 the R.S. Lipman Company, located in Nashville, Tennessee, revived the brand name. Shown here are bottles of “Old Hickory, Great American” blended and straight bourbons. They feature labels bearing Jackson’s picture. Primarily a wine importing company, Lipman markets these whiskey but they apparently were distilled in Lawrenceberg, Indiana.

Note: This post contains information and images drawn from a wide variety of Internet and other sources.

My guess is that Jackson’s purchase of Hunter's Hill was an attempt at a quieter rural life where he and Rachel could be country gentry, largely insulated from public scrutiny. The move also opened the opportunity for Jackson to become a distiller. Although it is not clear if Jackson acquired the distillery with his purchase or built it himself, by 1799 he was operating two stills said to be capable of producing 197 gallons annually. One reputedly had capacity of 127 gallons; the other was a 70 gallon pot still.

Shown here is the entry for Jackson’s whiskey-making operation in the official ledger of John Overton, the collector in Tennessee of the whiskey tax. This first Federal excise tax was the revenue-generating plan of Washington's Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to repay the bonded debt owed from the Revolutionary War and to establish the fiscal standing of the national government. Because it was done on the backs of farmers, many of whom distilled their corn into value-added whiskey, the excise was widely unpopular in rural areas, sparking the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania (1891-1894).

More legitimacy attaches to one of several American whiskeys that use Jackson’s nickname of “Old Hickory.” It was given to him by his troops for his tough-minded willingness to endure whatever his men were experiencing. The nickname was first associated with whiskey when Fayette County, Kentucky, distiller John Robb produced "Old Hickory Sour-Mash Kentucky Copper" whiskey. In 1868 the name gravitated to the E.R. Betterton Company of Chattanooga, Tennessee. [See my post on Betterton, August 10, 2013]. It later was used by other pre-Prohibition liquor houses to memorialize a national hero who was himself a distiller.

Note: This post contains information and images drawn from a wide variety of Internet and other sources.

Mike And Matt Taste Michter’s Single Barrel 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey 2022 Release

Michter’s recently released their ten year old Rye Whiskey for 2022. Their distillery in Shively, Kentucky has now been producing whiskey long enough that what they put in their standard rye bottles is now being produced there instead of being… Conti…

“American Single Malt” Is Almost An Official Thing

By Richard Thomas An inside joke in the booze writing trade is how made-in-America single malt whiskeys have been the “next big thing” for …., oh, the last several years. Don’t get me wrong: American-made malts have become a vibrant part of the national whiskey scene, and I for one applaud how it is a …

By Richard Thomas

St. George American Malt Whiskey, Lot 21
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

An inside joke in the booze writing trade is how made-in-America single malt whiskeys have been the “next big thing” for …., oh, the last several years. Don’t get me wrong: American-made malts have become a vibrant part of the national whiskey scene, and I for one applaud how it is a part dominated by small and mid-sized producers. That said, when an informed reader sees that tired, old headline, rolls her eyes and cackles “Oh really?”, she is in the right. U.S. malts just haven’t arrived in the same way rye whiskey did more than a decade ago, at least not yet.

Yet that bit of dusty media hype took a step closer to becoming reality this summer, when the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) formally proposed creating a category for American Single Malts, defining and enshrining just what that designation should be. These whiskeys might not be the new big thing in drinks yet, but they are poised to finally arrive, and arrive in style.

The Federal Proposal
On July 29, the TTB published Notice 213 of Proposed Rulemaking, which is basically how they announce their intent and proposal for revising Federal regulations. The particular regulation is 27 CFR part 5, governing whiskey. The amendment would grant American Single Malt Whiskey a formal standard of identity, giving it a name that can be protected in court, and formally establish what the category is and is not.

According to the TTB, the amendment requires of American Single Malt Whiskey: “the product must be distilled entirely at one U.S. distillery, and must be mashed, distilled, aged in the United States. The product also must be sourced from a fermented mash of 100% malted barley, at a distillation proof of 160° or less, and stored in oak barrels not exceeding 700 liters. In addition, allowable coloring, flavoring, and blending materials would be permitted.”

Westland Distillery’s barrel room with some of that Oregon oak
(Credit: Westland Distillery)

How We Got Here
The start of all of this is with the craft distilling movement and a simple rule that so many of them apply in their business models: go where the big players aren’t. Many drinkers are already familiar with malt whiskeys through the Scotch, Irish and Japanese brands, yet to this day the only regular release, malt whiskey brand produced by a big distiller is the blue-labeled Woodford Reserve Malt.

It has always been a ripe sector for smaller producers. This is so much the case that one of the examples of “craft whiskey before there was craft whiskey,” St. George Spirits, has been making American Single Malt for over two decades. Stranahan’s, a craft whiskey trailblazer whose first product reached shelves in 2006, has never made anything but malt whiskey. Whenever someone speaks of American Malts, that person usually references a bottle made by a small or mid-sized distiller located in a state that isn’t Kentucky or Tennessee, and often malt whiskey is all that distiller makes. Malt whiskey and the small producer-driven, broader and truly national identity of craft distilling have been intertwined not just from day one, but since before day one.

An American Malt category has existed for decades, but it doesn’t accurately describe what the makers of American Single Malt produce or the reputation they hope to achieve. The current regulatory code describes American Malts as a cousin of bourbon, rye and wheat whiskeys, in that all four are defined by new oak barrel aging and by having a mash content of 51% or greater of their primary grain. So, all four of these whiskeys–bourbon, rye, malt and wheat–are aged in charred, new oak barrels and can have a mash bill containing more than one grain.

That rule called for American Malts to be quintessentially, well, very American. However, the craft producers most committed to malt whiskey are more interested in fitting in with/competing with single malts as the rest of the world and many American drinkers already know them: the malts coming from Scotland, Ireland and Japan, as well as the growing sector of world whiskeys from new producers in places like Australia, India and Sweden. The idea is to bring American characteristics to the international standard of what a single malt is, rather than make a bourbon-ized single malt.

Balcones, Copperworks, FEW Spirits, Santa Fe Spirits, Triple Eight Distillery, Virginia Distilling, Westland and Westward banded together to form the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMW) in 2016. This organization has since grown to more than 70 members. AMSW, joined by the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (DISCUS), has been advocating for a Federal standard covering American single malts that would mirror the international standard. The TTB’s proposed new standard is effectively the same as the standard first proposed by AMSW some seven years ago.

The Stranahan’s fans gather for Snowflake 2018
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

What The New Standard Means
The two main distinctions between the American Malt as it currently exists and what American Single Malt would be underline this desired move towards international single malt standards. First, single malts around the world are made with 100% malted barley. American law certainly allows producers to use a 100% malted barley mash, but only requires 51% or greater. Any malt whiskey made with less than 100% malted barley wouldn’t be recognized as a single malt by drinkers either in the U.S. or abroad, and the lack of clarity creates confusion for anyone trying to make the distinction.

Second, world malts are also overwhelmingly, but not exclusively, aged in used casks. In Scotland, for example, new oak (often referred to as “virgin” in their industry) isn’t unheard of, but ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads made from ex-bourbon barrel staves are the most common type of cask used to mature whisky. Running second behind the ex-bourbon stock are old wine casks of various types. Although the use of new oak is a signature of the American whiskey-making style, it’s exclusive use would be a straight jacket on the sector. Again, AMSW members aren’t seeking to make bourbon-ized malt whiskey, but American single malt peers of the foreign whiskies.

Other requirements are a blend of American rules (cannot distill above 160 proof) and recognizable single malt standards (must be made entirely at one distillery). A common international standard missing from any American proposal is a minimum three year maturation period.

What It Does Not Do
Importantly, the new regulation would not eliminate the American Malt category as it already exists; Woodford Reserve Malt and other craft products with a mixed, but mostly malt barley mash bill can go on as they currently exist. The proposal specifically states “TTB notes that distillers currently using the designations “malt whisky,” “American malt whisky,” “whisky distilled from malt mash,” or “American whisky distilled from malt mash” on their labels may continue to do so.”

Woodford Reserve Malt Whiskey
(Credit: Brown-Forman)

Little confusion should arise regarding the difference between “American Malt” and “American Single Malt,” because this distinction already exists in the international whiskey industry as a whole. Blends of malt whiskies–double malts, triple malts, vatted malts–are out there and well understood by the world’s drinking public. The odd consumer may misunderstand that Parker’s Heritage 8 Year Old Malt Whiskey isn’t a single malt, but American Single Malts have already been a trade and marketing term for seven years now. The categories already exist and are already separate, but merely remain informal.

What Comes Next
The new proposal is open to feedback from the public and industry until September 27, and it is worth noting that no one in the industry has ever come out in public opposition to the new regulation. It stands to reason that, lacking any real opposition, the new single malt regulation will be adopted. So, expect to see American Single Malt enshrined as an official category by next year.

Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Review

Redbreast has recently announced a collection of whiskeys that will only be available in the United States. Accordingly, The American Oak Series is its name. The first release in the series is the Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition. It is made from malted and unmalted barley and triple distilled in copper pot stills. The whiskey then matures in American Oak Bourbon barrels and Spanish Oloroso sherry butts. Check out my review to learn more!

The post Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Redbreast
Single Pot Still
Irish Whiskey
Kentucky Oak Edition
101 Proof
SRP of $95.99
Review

Please enjoy my Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey review!

Redbreast Announces the American Oak Series of Irish Whiskeys

Redbreast has recently announced a collection of whiskeys that will only be available in the United States, and the American Oak Series is its name. The first release in the series is the Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition.

Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition is made from malted and unmalted barley and is triple distilled in copper pot stills. This Irish whiskey then matures in American Oak Bourbon barrels and Spanish Oloroso sherry butts. Then, according to Redbreast, “The whiskey is finished for a period of 3 to 7 months in naturally air-dried PEFC certified American Oak sourced from the Taylor Family’s Elk Cave Farm in Kentucky.” They go on to say, “these casks have been hand selected for finishing, using the best quality white oak, to impart additional sweet notes of vanilla and elevated wood spices.” For those who want a little more detail, those barrels received a medium long toast and a #4 char.

Redbreast has not revealed the different types of oak that will be used in future editions, nor the frequency of these releases. But, I can’t wait to find out!

Redbreast Kentucky Oak Front Label — Front Label

Tasting Notes – Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey Review

Let’s taste it:

Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

Nose: Apples, pears, caramel, toffee, vanilla & sparkling apple cider; dark berries are in the background with oak, light cedar & brown sugar; alcohol is relatively mild
Taste: Sweet apple juice & caramel dominate; Oak builds
Finish: The sweetness, oak and apple continue. Oak becomes more apparent. Some char and spiciness arrives, and the apple becomes a bit more tart. The finish lasts quite a long time with a moderate burn

Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey starts off with caramel apple like flavors in the nose, and then becomes quite sweet in the taste. The finish then picks up some char and spice. As would be expected from Redbreast, the flavors are full with lots of fruit up front. In contrast, there is the noticeable char in the finish, which is presumably imparted by the new American oak barrels. It’s like a caramel apple danish with a little extra spice!

Conclusion – Quite The Change!

I am really enjoying this Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey now! Interestingly, this whiskey was nothing like this when I first opened the bottle. Wood and younger flavors dominated. However, that has completely changed over this past month and now it is excellent! Amazing what a little time and air will do!

I hope you have enjoyed my Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey review! Want to read about another Irish Whiskey? Check out our Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey Review!

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!

The post Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

My Wandering Eye: Plantation O.F.T.D. Overproof 69% Rum

My Wandering Eye is an ongoing series reacting to the rising prices in the bourbon world. We’ve reached a place where even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. If I’m going to be asked to drop $40 to $70 on a mid-range bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. I hope to see if another spirits category offers something downright tasty in that price range. The goal isn’t to find cheap spirits but to maximize the quality I’m getting at a particular price point. The reviews in this series will all be written through a bourbon drinker’s lens.

IMAGE: Closeup image of Plantation OFTD Overproof 69% ABV Rum.

As we are quickly coming up on the Autumn Whiskey Release season, I think it is just about time to take a quick break from whiskey and let our eyes wander around the liquor store a little bit. Kind of a palate cleanser before we start taking a look at a bunch of bourbons that we will probably never see on the shelf or won’t be able to afford should we see them. And so I’m taking a look at an inexpensive, by bourbon standards, rum that works amazingly well both with a little ice or in a cocktail.

Here is what the producer has to say about this one:

Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum is our take on that classic style of overproof rums. And not just ours: to join him on the quest to get the blend and the proof just right, Alexandre Gabriel scoured rum joints around the world to find six grizzled old salts who knew which end of a rum bottle was which. Together they came up with this blend of Guyana, Jamaica and Barbados rums, bottled at 69 percent alcohol. O.F.T.D. officially stands for Old Fashioned Traditional Dark but if you ask any of the seven collaborators who were in the room when this blend was born, they’ll tell you it really stands for something else that was exclaimed when the winning rum was tasted…

Let’s see how it tastes.

Plantation O.F.T.D. Overproof 69% Rum

Purchase Info: $30.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.07

Details: Blend of Jamaica, Guyana, and Barbados Rums. 69% ABV.

Nose: This is like the best molasses and ginger cookie you've ever had. Strong notes of molasses and ginger are backed up by cinnamon, citrus, and coffee.

Mouth: Very hot (as expected at 138° proof) with notes of caramel, molasses, chocolate, ginger, nutmeg, and citrus.

Finish: On the long side of medium length and warm. Notes of molasses, nutmeg, and chocolate.

IMAGE: I really liked this so it gets a smile.

Thoughts: To paraphrase the quote above. Oh fuck, that’s delicious! It’s good on its own but is very hot. Water tames the heat and ups the sweetness, and brings in a little mint. I've used this in cocktails many times, and it works amazingly in all the ones I’ve tried. To me, it didn’t matter whether the cocktail normally calls for a light rum or dark. It still worked. Overall, O.F.T.D. is a great rum. I’m a big fan.

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Guess Who Was an International Theater Authority?

In June 2008, the second year of this blog, I wrote a post about Chicago theater based on a performance I had attended the night before, and on an article that day in the Chicago Tribune.As it happened, the artistic director of the theater company that…

In June 2008, the second year of this blog, I wrote a post about Chicago theater based on a performance I had attended the night before, and on an article that day in the Chicago Tribune.

As it happened, the artistic director of the theater company that put on that performance was searching for such things, discovered my post, and quoted, favorably, part of what I wrote in his blog. The weird part is, he discovered it on the web site of The Guardian, a British newspaper. It was a link in the Theater Blog of Chris Wilkinson that used me as a source for the claim that Chicago has eclipsed New York as America's primary city for legitimate theater.

For the record, I am in no way an authority on international theater, Chicago theater, or any other theater. I enjoy live theater and live in a great place for it, so occasionally I am moved to write something.

About all I can say to support my claim about Chicago is that it was said to me by Allan Havis, an old college buddy who said it 30+ years ago, when we were attending a Steppenwolf performance together. Even though he found that night's offering a bit flaccid, he said Chicago had a more vital and important theater community than New York.

Allan has a bit more standing on the subject than I do, as an internationally-acclaimed playwright, theater scholar, and native New Yorker. We had a good laugh. (See comments, below.)

Remus Repeal Series VI Bourbon Coming For Bourbon Heritage Month

Ross & Squibb Distillery announced it will release its Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI Straight Bourbon Whiskey this September. The limited-edition bourbon is the sixth-annual offering of the distillery’s award-winning Remus Repeal Reserve Bourbon collection. Bottled at 100 proof/50% ABV, Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI retails for a suggested $99.99 per 750-ml bottle and will …

Created by master distiller Ian Stirsman and his team of master distillers and master blenders, Series VI comprises five bourbons, aged between 8-14 years, from its 175-year-old Lawrenceburg, Indiana, distillery. Made in a signature high-rye style, the medley changes each year, allowing Stirsman and his team to experiment with their various mash bills and aged reserves. Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI is comprised of 2% 2008 Bourbon (21% Rye), 17% 2012 Bourbon (36% Rye), 27% 2012 Bourbon (21% Rye), 29% 2014 Bourbon (21% Rye) and 25% 2014 Bourbon (36% Rye). Series VI leads with aromas of rich candied fruit with a hint of nutmeg and saddle leather. The initial taste includes candied fruit and fig jam, followed by oak and barrel char, mint and slight caramel, nutmeg, toffee and honey. The finish offers a balance of sweet candied fruit and leather, with lingering sweetness and rye spice.

“The Remus Repeal Reserve series provides our team the opportunity to showcase the incredible array of aged reserves available to work with, as well as our expertise at blending these bourbons to create a special medley each year,” said Stirsman. “Series VI is the latest in this award-winning collection that is certain to be yet another excellent example of what our Remus Repeal collection represents: what great bourbon can be.”

Scotch Whisky Has A Unique Heritage

Scotch Whisky, otherwise known as the “Water of Life” is Scotland’s national beverage. It really doesn’t matter which Scotch you try, if it is crafted in Scotland, you know that is good quality. With a heritage that goes back more than 500 years you know that you are getting a quality product. The same can …

Johnnie Walker Platinum, their new 18 year old blend
(Credit: Kurt Maitland)

In the beginning

It was in the 15th century that the story of Scotland’s Scotch really beings. A document recording distilling in Scotland in 1494 was found in the tax records at that time. The entry says “Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor to make aqua vitae”. This amount is translated to mean approximately 1500 bottles of potent liquid which over the years would be refined and improved.

Tax evasion and unlawful stills

As Scotch became more popular, the Scottish government became interested and eager to get some revenue from this growing industry. They began introducing taxes on Scotch in 1644 which led to a proliferation of illicit whisky distilling across the country. For the next 150 years, smuggling was standard practice and new and interesting ways to hide away the spirit from taxation were found. Even those considered the respected members in society, like clergyman, were known to hide away a bottle or two, in order to avoid taxation.

Illicit stills were big business by the 1820s and around 14,000 were seized by authorities every year. However, more than half the Scottish whisky that was consumed and enjoyed at that time managed to avoid being taxed.

Scotland’s renowned tax collector

In the 18th century, Robert Burns was a well-known tax collector, prior to turning his hand to writing poetry and thus becoming Scotland’s most celebrated poet. Burns wrote “Scotch Drink”, a verse celebrating Whisky, the good life, good community and friendship – things that highlight the very spirit of Scotch.

The development of the industry

The problem of unlawful whisky production continued and led to the Duke of Gordon raising the issue in the House of Lords and making the case for it to become legal and profitable. Much of the finest illicit whisky at the time was being produced on his land.

The Excise Act was passed in 1823 making the distilling of whisky legal. It was necessary to pay a license fee and there was a set payment for each gallon of proof spirit. Over the next decade, smuggling disappeared and today many of the distilleries we see today are located on the sites used two centuries ago by the smugglers.

Grain whisky

Until 1831 the spirit had been Malt Whisky but now came along Aeneas Coffey who invented the Patent Still. This innovation allowed for a continuous process of distillation to occur, leading to the production of Grain Whisky, a lighter spirit, less intense than Malt Whisky. Grain Whiskey being lighter flavored made Scotch Whisky more appealing to many more people.

Scotch moves out of Scotland

It was in the 19th century that the giants of the whisky world, people like James Buchanan, Johnnie Walker, Tommy Dewar and James Chivas took first took Scotch out into the world. They introduced it to those in the British empire and beyond to places like Hong Kong, Sydney, Montreal, San Francisco and Mumbai. Also, to Cape Town and Berlin. These markets that were founded so long ago, were the foundation stones that has led to the success of Scotch whisky today.

The further expansion of Scotch Whiskey was helped along by the phylloxera beetle that destroyed French vineyards in the 1880s and led to wine and brandy literally disappearing. During the time it took the French industry to recover from the devastation, Scotch Whisky had become the favored spirit.

The creation of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA)

At the time the Scotch Whisky Association was founded it was a time of rising taxes and global expansion. It was important that the industry have a strong united voice. The heads of businesses came together to talk about ways in which they could protect their industry. They met on 3rd October 1912 and set up the Wine & Spirit Brand Association which ultimately, in 1942, became the Scotch Whisky Association.

The introduction of Prohibition

The United States introduced prohibition in 1920 but if you were prescribed whisky for medicinal purposes then it was exempt. A lot of celebrated people took advantage of this, including Winston Churchill who liked to enjoy whisky with his meals.

World War II also impacted the industry and those in the business were eager to explore international possibilities. The country needed food and Whisky was big business and could make lots of money. Agreements were made between distillers and the government and Scotch began its global journey.

Whiskey today

1994 saw the Scotch Whisky industry celebrate 500 years of Scottish whisky production and how far they have come – global exports of Scotch Whisky having reached £2 billion.

Scotch Whiskey and the modern world

It is important to protect Scotch whisky. By law it must be distilled and matured in Scotland and remain in oak casks for a minimum of three years and then bottled at a minimum alcoholic potency of 40% abv. The tough legal protection of Scotch has grown over time and is crucial if the renowned quality of Scotch is to be safeguarded.

1933 saw the first definition of Scotch in law in the UK. The Scotch Whisky Act was passed in 1988 and in 2009 the new Scotch Whisky regulations. There are now wide-ranging rules that govern the industry.

Scotch Whisky is enjoyed all over the globe today. Every second, large numbers of bottles of Scotch make their way from Scotland around the world. The industry supports many thousands of jobs in Scotland and ensures that Scotch Whisky can be enjoyed by many consumers all over the globe.

Dream of the Weekend with Old Forester’s Violet Rye & Tonic

It’s Tuesday but transport back to the weekend sipping your favorite sprit with good company. Make tonight as an after-dinner treat or bookmark for weekend brunch. This Violet Rye & Tonic cocktail is a floral variation of a classic rye and tonic highball, dressed up in Spanish style. INGREDIENTS1.5 oz. Old Forester Rye Whiskey0.25 oz. […]

The post Dream of the Weekend with Old Forester’s Violet Rye & Tonic first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

It’s Tuesday but transport back to the weekend sipping your favorite sprit with good company. Make tonight as an after-dinner treat or bookmark for weekend brunch.

This Violet Rye & Tonic cocktail is a floral variation of a classic rye and tonic highball, dressed up in Spanish style.

INGREDIENTS
1.5 oz. Old Forester Rye Whiskey
0.25 oz. Crème de Violette
Mediterranean Tonic Water, to fill

INSTRUCTIONS
Pour Old Forester Rye and Crème de Violette into a glass over ice. Top with tonic water. Garnish with lemon peel, rosemary, blackberry, edible violets.