wine notes

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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. 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 mash
Proof 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:

10. 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% Wheat
Malt Whiskey – Minimum 51% Malted Barley
Malted 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:

11. · 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.

12. Bibliography
 Spirits – Tony Lord
 The World Guide to Whiskey – Michael Jackson