The Geography of Whiskey

As we learned in my earlier post, the geography of bourbon is really the geography of whiskey. Bourbon is a member of the whiskey family, by definition.

We also learned that I do not care much for Jack Daniel's. At least the cheap stuff. Maybe the more you pay, the better the whiskey gets. I am pretty sure that is true. A decade and a half ago, I visited a professor's house. He treated the guests to a sample of some whiskey he kept in his freezer. All I remember is how smooth that stuff was. I wish I could remember the brand. I know it was in a small bottle, that he kept wrapped in a velvet bag.

Whiskey drinkers talk about whiskey in terms of smoothness. Jack Daniel's, on my smoothness scale, is about as smooth as a swallowing a sheet of 80 grit sandpaper. The amber fluid that he sparingly shared was smooth in the truest sense of the word, truly "water of life" as whiskey is meant to be.

Not to be completely undone by my bad experience with JD, I bought an inexpensive bottle of Kentucky bourbon, W.L. Weller "Special Reserve" Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The bottle was refrigerated for a several hours before sampling. Once sufficiently chilled, I poured a small amount into a glass and sniffed. Smoky and sweet scent, not completely off-putting. The small taste I took had a metallic, tinny-tasting flavor, though definitely smoother than the JD,  but still somewhat harsh. In the end, I still found that mixing with Coke or Dr. Pepper was a must. I didn't care for it neat and clean, didn't care for it with water and ice; only with another beverage added was I able to throw a few back.

Weller comes from the Buffalo Trace Distillery, located outside Frankfort, Kentucky, which happens to be the oldest distillery in the United States, having come into operation before 1773. That is not why I bought this label; I had no idea until I googled it prior to writing this article. I wanted an inexpensive bourban made in Kentucky that did not have to do with large, irritable, game fowl or grumpy old men. 

Waiting in the wings is a bottled of the Old Weller Antique 107 Brand. I guess this is the original formula or something. I had a sip of it; tastes different than the S.R. but I have't sample enough to speak with any intelligence on it, yet.  

The Geography of Bourbon

A long time ago, a friend gifted me with a bottle of Jack Daniel's Black Label Sour Mash Whiskey. I must not have treated this friend very well, as this whiskey tastes like poison. Of course, it is a poison, destroying my liver. I'm sure my liver has since recovered. My memories of this foul concoction persist, however.

As I drank the bottle, it did get me to thinking. How do people drink this putrescence straight? I ruined Coke after Coke, using it to dilute the taste. My neighbor across the street hipped me to the fact the, in the case of JD, Dr. Pepper works better. After a little taste-testing, a 3:1 ratio of Dr. Pepper to JD reduced the Retch factor significantly. Thanks to Dr. Pepper, I was able to finish the bottle. Well, I guess, "thanks." The combination of the two I call, "Dr. Jack." I won't waste my money on JD. Lesson learned.

And I also thought about this: what is the difference between Whiskey and Bourbon? Is it just a name thing, or is there a real, ingredient, process, content difference?

The short answer is: yes, there is a difference between Whiskey and Bourbon.

"Whiskey" comes from Ireland, or perhaps, Scotland. We aren't sure. The process of making whiskey was probably brought to Ireland and Britain from the Middle East in the 8th or 9th century, by Christian monks. 

As a side note, Christians seem to be responsible for the early development of whiskey. Later, others would further contribute to the history of the beverage. Once Kentucky became involved, Baptists would have a hand in creating Bourbon.

"Whiskey" represents any mixture of grains, fermented, distilled, blended, and aged, in barrels - usually oak barrels. Typically, whiskey can be up to 160 proof (80% alcohol content). 

Scotch Whiskey, by law, must be bottled in Scotland.

Irish Whiskey, by law, must be bottled in Ireland.

Japanese Whiskies are available in Japan, and, I would guess, must be bottled there, as well.

Canadian Whiskey, by law, must be bottled in Canada. Canadian whiskies are usually rye based, rather than barley.

Now that the definition is covered, how does bourbon fall into this mess?

"Bourbon" is a uniquely American beverage, and represents another member of the whiskey family. Bourbon mash is comprised of at least 51% and not more than 79% corn mash, must be aged at least 2 years in oak barrels. Bourbon is derived from the name of Bourbon County, Kentucky. It should be noted, however, that when this designation was made, Bourbon County was much larger then than today. The American Territory was still young in those days, and over time, the territory would be carved into the present counties we have today.

About 95% of bourbon available today comes from Kentucky.

The bottle of sour mash whiskey I drank came from Lynchburg, Tennessee. I'd like to give it back, if I could. But, then, I would not have learned some valuable lessons.