Bourbon Whiskey

by Bernie Lubbers

  High Rye Bourbon Recipe: 18% + rye – dials back on the corn, keeping basically the same amount of barley as a traditional bourbon, but doubles up on the rye. Rye is a back-of-the-tongue experience, and it gives the bourbon that nice white pepper spice like a slice of rye bread. These bourbons will be less sweet and more spicy.

  Wheat Bourbon Recipe: 70-80% corn - similar to the traditional, but the rye is replaced with wheat. Wheat allows the sweetness of the corn, and the sugars from the barrel to be more pronounced. Think “soft and sweet,” with a front-of-the-tongue experience.

  Straight Rye Whiskey Recipe: 51-100% rye - includes a corn/barley mix like a traditional bourbon, but the majority grain is rye instead of corn. Rye whiskey can be up to 100% rye, (just as bourbon can be 100% corn), but some distillers argue that you should have at least 6% or more of barley malt to ensure the conversion of starches to sugars, so the yeast can then convert those sugars to alcohol. Otherwise, additional enzymes need to be added to the recipe to help with that conversion, so 100% to 94% rye whiskies will need that help. Canadian rye is typically 100% - Monongahela Pennsylvania style is high in rye with some barley and maybe some corn. George Washington made rye whiskey with 60% rye, 35% corn, and 5% barley. They didn’t plan any particular recipe, they just used the grains that grew around them and then tailored it to the best-tasting whiskies from those ingredients. So find the style you like, know what/where it came from, and most of all, enjoy.

  YOU ARE THE MASTER DISTILLER...

  What recipe would you make?

  ____% Corn ____% Barley ____% Rye

  BARRELS AND AGING

  The recipe is the soul of the bourbon, and the barrel and aging provide varying flavors depending on how long it is aged, what type of warehouse, and the location of those barrels inside a rack house. Barrel aging is responsible for anywhere between 50% to up to 75% of the final flavor of a bourbon.

  There are six different types of vanillas you get from a barrel, and it takes a good six years to get bold vanillas out of a it. So younger bourbons will not have pronounced vanillas. Bourbons six years or more will have more pronounced vanillas.

  Resulting barrel notes are: vanilla, maple, caramel, ginger, clove, toffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, fruits and toasted nuts.

  Bourbon’s end flavor breakdown: 25% small grains, 15% distillation, 10% yeast, 50% maturation

  YOU ARE THE MASTER DISTILLER...

  Where would you put your barrels in Rackhouse? ___ Floors

  For How Long?___

  HIGH RYE BOURBON RECIPES

  Old Grand Dad Basil Hayden’s

  Four Roses Bulleit

  Very Old Barton Kentucky Tavern

  1792

  WHEAT BOURBON RECIPES

  W.L. Weller Maker’s Mark

  Old Fitzgerald Van Winkle

  Rebel Yell

  * Bernheim Wheat Whiskey is a straight wheat whiskey (at least 51% wheat) — it is not a bourbon.

  TRADITIONAL BOURBON RECIPES

  Jim Beam Evan Williams Booker’s

  Wild Turkey Knob Creek Eagle Rare

  Old Forester Woodford Reserve Elijah Craig

  Buffalo Trace Old Crow Heaven Hill

  WHAT’S YOUR BOURBON COMMON DENOMINATOR?

  •If you like Bulliet bourbon, which is a nice high rye bourbon, try Old Grand Dad, especially the 114 proof.

  •If you like Four Roses, maybe try Basil Hayden’s since both are high rye bourbons, and lighter but flavorful.

  •If you like Van Winkle, it’s hard to find, so try Maker’s 46 since it’s wheat with big wood-influenced notes.

  •If you like Jack Daniel’s whiskey, try Devil’s Cut bourbon with big wood influence and cinnamon spice.

  •If you like reposado or anjeo tequila, perhaps you’d like Jim Beam Black or (oak/vanilla influence).

  •If you like Highland single malt scotch, try Eagle Rare, Basil Hayden or Maker’s Mark, which have a delicate, quick finish.

  •If you like Bacardi Rum, perhaps you’d like Maker’s Mark, W. L. Weller or Old Fitz, since they’re soft and sweet.

  •If you like Cpt. Morgan/Sailor Jerry, then Devil’s Cut with all the spice, and/or Maker’s 46 with French Oak would appeal.

  •If you like Crown Royal, try Four Roses or Basil Hayden’s for their light body and high rye content.

  •If you like cognac, try Baker’s Small Batch Bourbon for its sweetness and long finish.

  Four Roses single-story rackhouse at Cox’s Creek

  Rackhouses at the original T.W. Samuels distillery location, now aging Heaven Hill bourbon.

  How to Read a Label

  “Always carry a small flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake.” –W.C. Fields

  Growing up in Kentucky I would hear from many people that “All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.” But when I got into the bourbon business I also learned that “All scotch is whiskey, but not all whiskey is scotch,” and “All Irish whiskey is whiskey, but not all whiskey is Irish.” So after my head started hurting, I asked, “What makes bourbon different from all whiskey?” It had to do with aging it in barrels, but then I found out that all whiskies are aged in barrels. I threw my hands up in disgust and decided not to even think about it anymore.

  It wasn’t until working with distillers Fred Noe, Jerry Dalton and Tommy Crume at the Clermont Distillery that it all became clear to me. What really did it was when Jerry Dalton gave me a copy of the Standards of Identity from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (now called the TTB), which defined whiskey and bourbon.

  The Standards of Identity came out shortly after bourbon was named the native spirit of the United States in 1964. But it wasn’t the first paperwork on bourbon; the Standards of Identity were preceded by a couple other acts. The Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was a bill championed by one of my heroes in the bourbon world, Colonel Edmund Taylor. Bottled in Bond is still in effect today. If a whiskey is labeled “bonded,” then it was aged in new, charred oak for a minimum of four years and is exactly 100 proof. It comes from one distillery and from whiskies distilled from one season (January to December). So if you see “bonded” or “bottled in bond” on your bourbon label, you are guaranteed that it is an honest 100 proof, at least four years old, and distilled in one place in a specified period of time. In short, the good stuff. Up until the 1970s federal marshals used to actually live at the distilleries and inspect the bonded warehouses on a daily basis. It doesn’t take long to inspect a warehouse with added barrels, or barrels being removed, so I’ve heard that those federal agents were really good golfers.

  However, the first act that affected the bourbon business was 1906’s Pure Food and Drug Act. The act defined three different types of whiskey:

  1.Straight Whiskey–aged for two years

  2.Bonded Whiskey–aged for four years, 100 proof, and from one distillery and one season

  3.Imitation Whiskey–product of rectifiers and compounders

  Imitation whiskey? Let me explain a little: Rectifiers do not distill. They buy whiskey stocks from one or more distilleries and then process and bottle them under another name. They can buy barrels from one or several distilleries and marry them. They can age them longer and come up with their own flavor profile, or bottle it at varying proofs.

  Some use a variety of aged whiskies to create a different flavor profile. If you know the meaning of the words on a label, and you know whether some words are missing, you can tell a great deal about the liquor. You can find some bourbons that are diamonds in the rough, that are really great whiskies at low retail prices. Others you can see are still a great quality, but perhaps a little overpriced for what the label is telling you. When I see these, I’ll just wait for someone to buy me one instead of me putting my own money down for them.

  Compound whiskies are those that contain grain neutral spirits for filler. These are better known as “blended whiskies.” Brands like Seagrams 7 and Eight Star come to mind. These are still
quality products, but they have a very different flavor profile than straight bourbon whiskey and are produced much more cheaply.

  The 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act was further refined in December of 1909 by the Taft Decision. This created the formal definition of whiskey that is still present today. Taft said that for a whiskey to be called “straight,” water was the only thing that could be added. If anything other than water was added to the whiskey, it had to be called “blended” whiskey.

  But of course, you can’t really know what bourbon is until you know just what whiskey is. So let’s look at the definition of what I call the four foundation words: Kentucky - Straight - Bourbon -Whiskey. We’ll look at them one at a time and learn how each word is defined by the Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits. (Please note that the Standards spell whisky and bourbon whisky without an “e” in all definitions.)

  WHISKY

  Whisky is “an alcoholic distillate from a fermented mash of grain produced at less than 190 proof in such a manner that the distillate possesses the taste, aroma, and characteristics generally attributed to whisky, stored in oak containers and bottled at not less than 80 proof, and also includes mixtures of such distillates for which no specific standards of identity are prescribed.”

  So the general category of whiskey requires that whiskey should be made from grains (similar to vodka) distilled under 190 proof (similar to vodka) and aged in oak (a distinction from vodka).

  You can add neutral grain spirits (pure grain alcohol which is basically vodka). And you can add colors and flavors to get it to meet the requirement that it looks, smells, and tastes like whiskey (not vodka).

  BOURBON WHISKY

  (Rye Whisky, Wheat Whisky, Malt Whisky and Rye Malt Whisky)

  “Bourbon whisky, rye whisky, wheat whisky, malt whisky, or rye malt whisky is whisky produced at not exceeding 160 proof from a fermented mash of not less than 51 percent corn (rye, wheat, malted barley, or malted rye grain respectively), and stored at not more than 125 proof in charred new oak containers, and also includes mixtures of such whiskies of the same type.”

  So unlike just plain whiskey, bourbon can’t be made from just any grains. The majority has to be corn. Whiskey can be distilled up to 190 proof, but bourbon must be distilled at under 160 proof. Whiskey can be stored in any type of barrel at any proof, but bourbon must be stored in a brand new, charred-oak container, and at less than 125 proof. (Remember: The reason they put an upper limit of 125 proof on bourbon in the barrel is that barrels at the top of the rack house will rise in proof.) Whiskey can have colors and flavors added, but bourbon can only have water added to achieve barreling and bottling strengths. Ah, now I get it! All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.

  As they all share a definition, this means that rye whiskey has to be at least 51% rye and follow the same standards. As do wheat, malt and rye malt whiskies.

  STRAIGHT

  “Whiskies conforming to the standards prescribed in the definitions of Bourbon whisky, rye whisky, wheat whisky, malt whisky, rye malt whisky [and corn whisky] which have been stored in the type of oak containers prescribed [charred new oak] for a period of two years or more shall be further designated as ‘straight.’”

  So basically “straight” means that all grains were distilled at lower proofs and contain no grain neutral spirits. Only water has been added, and the whiskey has been stored for a minimum of two years in new charred oak.

  I was told that when the railroad was being laid across the country, two railroad ties were called a “straight.” I don’t know if the term comes from aging whiskey two years, but until you can prove me wrong, I’m running with this one here.

  KENTUCKY

  “State of distillation of domestic types of whisky and straight whisky, except for light whisky and blends…”

  Bourbon can be distilled anywhere in the United States, but if you list a state on the label, it must be the state of distillation. Kentucky makes 98% of all bourbon because of the reasons we’ve already discussed: It has iron-free water and a suitable climate, and, perhaps most significantly, it was where many of the distilleries were already located when Prohibition ended. It is much easier–and cheaper–to retool an old distillery than to build one from the ground up.

  There is a bourbon called Virginia Gentleman (General McArthur’s favorite bourbon), and it says “Virginia Bourbon” on the label. There are over 200 applications for the development of microdistilleries to make bourbon, whiskey and other distillates. So you’ll see many regional whiskies popping up all over the United States, from New York to Montana. This will be great for the industry. It is hoped that people will embrace them, just as they did microbreweries, and I think it will increase awareness and sales in bourbon and rye in general.

  Kentucky state law requires that in order to put the word “Kentucky” on a bourbon label, the bourbon should be aged at least a year and a day in Kentucky. This is for Kentucky state tax purposes, since $2 per barrel property taxes are levied per year. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you figure distillers have anywhere from 100,000 to 1.5 million barrels on hand, that starts to add up. More than half the price you pay for a bottle of bourbon is taxes!

  WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A LABEL

  So if you see the words “Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey,” that’s a quality stamp. I call these words the four foundation words. If you see these words, you know where/how it’s made. Just like if I see a bottle of brandy, that’s one thing, but if I see the words Courvoisier Cognac XO, that’s another story altogether. That word “cognac” is a quality stamp, and the designation XO is a statement of age.

  Look for the words “distilled and bottled by” when you are selecting a bourbon. If it says “distilled and bottled by” then you know by law that bourbon was distilled at that distillery. If it just says “distilled in Kentucky, bottled by…” then all you know is that bourbon was made in Kentucky, but not by any specific distillery. Pappy Van Winkle of Old Fitzgerald Bourbon used to say you should look for “distilled and bottled by” because “any fool with a funnel can bottle whiskey.”

  LABELING LAWS

  There are labeling laws for bourbon whiskey. These laws require:

  Information about the aging process

  •If the bourbon is under four years old, an age statement is required.

  •If the bourbon is over four years, an age statement is optional.

  •If an age is stated, it has to reflect the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle.

  Proof/alcohol by volume must be printed on the label. The higher the proof, typically the less water has been added after aging to get it to the bottling proof.

  Are you starting to clearly see the differences between whiskey and bourbon? If so, that’s a huge step in the right direction. So pour yourself a nice 100-proof bourbon, grab some bourbon/whiskey bottles, and let’s sip and read some labels together.

  BOURBON LABELS

  OLD CROW

  Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

  “Distilled and bottled by”

  Aged for 3 years

  80 proof

  I know where it was distilled (Kentucky), I know it was distilled by the company that bottled it, so they had control from grain to glass. I know that it was more than 51% corn, stored in new charred oak at no more than 125 proof, and that nothing was added to it other than water to get it to barreling or bottling strength. We also know that it was aged for a full three years in new charred oak and bottled at 80 proof.

  Since it is under four years old, an age must be stated. It follows all the laws and is a true bourbon. As you can see, the word “bourbon” is the largest word on the label of the four foundation words. It will be a lighter bourbon since it aged for only three years, but it is a bourbon nonetheless. Bourbon = quality.

  Let’s compare and contrast:

  EARLY TIMES

  Kentucky Whiskey

  “Distilled and bottled by”

  Aged for 36 months in
reused cooperage

  80 proof

  MICHTER’S, SMALL-BATCH, UNBLENDED AMERICAN WHISKEY

  “Decanted and bottled by”

  no age statement

  91.4 proof

  On the Early Times, two of the four foundation words are missing: “straight” and “bourbon.” It is 36 months old, so you can figure out why it cannot be called “straight.” If you look at the back label, it states that it is aged a full 36 months in “reused cooperage,” which means that they are storing the whiskey in used barrels. So this is a whiskey instead of a bourbon.

  But it’s over two years old, so why isn’t it “straight” whiskey? Remember, straight whiskey has to be aged in new charred barrels. I can tell by this piece of information that this will also be a lighter whiskey, even lighter than Old Crow because they are reusing the barrels. This is still a purer product than a blended whiskey, but it is not a true bourbon. Early Times is a well-made, perfectly fine whiskey, but it just won’t be as full-bodied and flavorful as a bourbon.