American Whiskey

American whiskey

The skill of distilling was brought to America by Irish and Scottish immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. The product became so popular that in 1791 George Washington imposed tax on it. This led to the whiskey rebellion of 1794. The temperance movement and others had it banned by the notorious Fourteenth Amendment of November 1920. This led to Prohibition which lasted 13 long years, ending in 1933. In 1964 the 38^th Congress of the United States codified the various types of Whiskey.

Types of Whiskies...

1.       Rye Whiskey: It is made from a mash containing not less than 51% rye. Most comes from Pennsylvania and Maryland and there is a wide variety of quality and styles. There are some straight ryes, but the majority are blended with other whiskies or neutral spirit.

2.       Corn whiskey: Made from a mash containing 80% maize, this gets little Ageing and has a fiery flavour.

3.       Straight whiskey: Unblended and made from one type of grain, this is aged for at least  2 years in charred oak casks.

4.       Bottled in bond whiskey: This is the combination blend of straight and neutral spirits.

5.       Bourbon whiskey: The classic American whiskey, this is named after the English County, Kentucky, where it was first made. This is produced from a mash containing at least 51% maize (corn) but usually the mash contains 70% maize. Famous examples of this quality whiskies are Jim Beam, Old Crows, Forrester, Old Grandad, Wild Turkey, Four Roses and Maker’s Mark.

6.       Sour Mash Bourbon: This is made from a mash which is fermented by using from a previous fermentation. Typical examples are Maker’s Mark and Eagle.

7.       Jack Daniels: This is not truly a Bourbon as it is made in Lynchburg, Texas is however, America’s biggest seller by far in the United Kingdom. The company motto is ‘every day we make it; we’ll make it the best we can’. It has real status.

Most American whiskies are matured in charred oak barrels. No one really knows why, but the charring probably came about as a means of cleaning the inside. It certainly gives whiskey its distinct flavour.

In making Bourbon, these casks are only used once, but there is a huge demand of the used casks wherever whiskey is made. The Americans and the Irish spell products with an ‘e’: whiskey. All other countries leave out ‘e’.