Do Small Barrels Produce Inferior Whiskey?

In the last few years, with the explosion of micro-distilleries in the US, there has currently been a slew of blogs and articles flaying around debating the whole issue of small barrel aged whiskey verses large barrel aged whiskey. On one side of the argument you have a large majority of micro-distillers using 5, 10, and 15 gallon barrels to age their whiskey; think Tuthilltown. On the other side you have more traditional, and generally larger, distilleries aging whiskey in 48 and 53 gallon barrels; think Buffalo Trace. The question is: do smaller barrels produce whiskey, aged 2 years or less, similar or comparable to bourbon aged in, say, 53 gallon barrels for 8 years?  No matter what the outcome, it might seem insignificant at first, but the large scale effect of products claiming to be analogous (“as good as”) to mainstream bourbon or scotch, if they are actually inferior, could be devastating on the image of traditionally crafted bourbon or scotch style whiskies. I thought, rather than try and fully delineate my thoughts here, I would post a link to Chuck Cowdery’s blog post which deals with the exact subject at hand. I believe Chuck has a very clear understanding of the issue and I encourage all of you to download his (very) small book which details the whole argument in full - on Kindle for just 99 cents.

Photo Above: Tuthilltown 15 gallon Spirit Barrels, courtesy of The Spirit Review.

An Education: The Balvenie Whisky Academy

As John Hansell says, “When it comes to whisky, education is key.” And the more I learn about whiskey the more I realize this is true. For someone to truly enjoy the beverage one needs to know about it. Not that a beginner cannot enjoy whiskey on a first time basis, but to continue enjoying it one needs to continually educate themselves on it. When education on any level ends, the consumer becomes complacent and the all of the reasons why whiskey is interesting in the first place is lost. Not to mention, just as Hansell drives home, when “the buyer purchases a whisky he (or she) will like, the retailer is happy, the distributor is happy, and the producer is happy. That’s why I have devoted my professional life to it.”

This is exactly why all striving whiskey enthusiast should be excited about the Balvenie Whisky Academy. At first glance, it is only natural to question any so-called educational experience promoted by a name brand. Yet, as I have delved into the whole experience, as it were, I have found that the Academy has really been made for the benefit of the consumers. The focus, though geared toward scotch drinkers, is not a simple advert to pull you in to drink Balvenie’s products; rather it is to teach people about scotch in general – from the history to the process to actually tasting. If more producers did projects like this, the whiskey world would indeed benefit in large. As as an added benefit to joining Warehouse 24, Balvenie's online site for the Whisky Academy, they will send you a booklet on Balvenie, as well as a pocket tasting notes book for your own use.

Scotch Pronunciation Guide with Brian Cox:

“I’m your uncle, Argyle”

– Brain Cox as Uncle Argyle (Braveheart)

Brian Cox is undoubtedly one of the greatest British actors of the age. From Braveheart to the Bourne Identity, no matter what character he is comprised of he always seems capture your heart and your imagination. So when I found out about these 40 some-odd videos he was in I had to post them. Myself being an American, and not necessarily growing up around heavy Scotch drinkers, the sometimes tongue-twisting names can make one shy when trying to ask your local whisky seller to point you in the direction of Caol Ila. This is where these videos come in handy. In Brian Cox's debonair style, one can practice pronouncing each like a true Scotsman. For all videos click here. 

An Education: Does Bourbon Have to Come From Kentucky?

Just a small post: On reviewing answers from wiki.answers.com and answers.yahoo.com it seems there is still a lot of confusion on where bourbon comes from and what is the distinction between it and Tennessee whiskey. Simply bourbon comes from the United States. The country provides the boundaries, not the state of Kentucky. Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, often confused to be bourbon, is not. It is not bourbon because it goes through an extra process of charcoal filtration, called the Lincoln County Process, and it is made in Tennessee. Tennessee whiskey is made in Tennessee, bourbon is made anywhere. Bourbon production has nothing to do with the water, the county, nor the state it is distilled in. To legally be called bourbon the spirit must be made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn, it must be aged in new, charred oak barrels and it has to be made in the U.S. (anywhere in the U.S.).  From what I have read, to give the post "expert validation," John Hansell also seems to believe that Tennessee whiskey is not bourbon because of charcoal filtration - a fairly strong statement which essentially labels Tennessee whiskey as an entirely unique product apart from bourbon, rather than a class under bourbon.

To Note: Not all Tennessee whiskey goes through the Lincoln County Process, but as a general rule, when most people say Tennessee whiskey they mean a bourbon which has undergone the process. A similar distinction could be made between Scotch and Irish whiskey. Historically what was considered Irish whiskey, now called pure pot still whiskey, was a mashbill of malted and unmalted barley, compared to scotch with 100% malted barely. Not all Irish whiskey has both malted and unmalted barley but when speaking of Irish whiskey in the traditional sense one should think malted/unmalted barley. Though I'm sure some of you will debate this.

An Education: Whisky Masterclass with Ralfy Mitchell

"I never expected to receive so much recognition and positive feed-back from so many people so soon. In fact I never expected anything! Ralfy.com started as a conventional Blog but with my decision to record video Blogs (Vlogs) in the form of 10 minute, unedited, informal video clips mainly of reviews of bottles, I seemed to hit an appreciative audience looking for a ‘Malt friend/advisor’ rather than for an Expert presenting a Marketing message or whisky cliches." - Ralfy Mitchel in a Dramming.com interview

It's about time I said a word about the "Maltastic" Ralfy Mitchell. Anyone who has begun the journey into the world of whiskey, like myself, will find out very quickly that there is a lot of bad information out there, sending unknown travelers down the wrong path. So when you find someone who knows their stuff it feels like you've just been rescued. Ralfy of ralfy.com is one of these people - an expert tracker who can get you back on the right path. Though he consistently says he is not an expert, Ralfy has had more then his share of whiskey experiences. Proof that the internet has power to push an average person into stardom, Ralfy has been vlogging heavily since 2009, having posted over 300 vlogs while also having received over 1,700,000 upload views to date.

Ralfy is one of those people who is hard not to like. From the onset of each video he is always well spoken and personable, bound to give you a laugh from start to finish. But laughs are not the primary reason one watches his videos. Laced with historical information and an awareness of the industry which peaks on an expert level, you are guaranteed to finish each of his reviews with a more abundant comprehension and most importantly a greater appreciation for distilled spirits in general. Like many whiskey enthusiasts out there I believe he is one of the best non-industry whiskey reviewers and definitely the best whiskey vlogger out there.

Since he's from Glasgow, Scotland, his focus is primarily Scotch Whisky, but he has also done a series on Irish and American spirits. Just recently he posted a 7-part whisk(e)y masterclass series which appeals to everyone, from newbies trying to get their footing to longtime aficionados who have been around the stuff for much of their lives. So sit back with a dram and enjoy - I guarantee he will became a favorite of yours. 

*Also check out his other videos from his YouTube channel or website.

An Education: Absinthe

"In all likely hood, if they're going to be honest about the color, they're going to be honest in just about everything else they're putting in it." - Lance Winters

Will you really cut your ear off when you drink absinthe? Is wormwood a poisonous substance? Will it make you hallucinate? No, no, and no. With absinthe recently being made legal and the hype it brings as Van Gogh's favorite drink, the legends and lore have grown and been proliferated by some bad producers racing to get in on the newly (re-newed) created market. With all the public confusion surrounding the spirit and since I just visited St. George Spirits, the first distillery in the United States to release absinth in about 90 years, I thought I would share this video (view below) of Lance Winters. One of the distillers at St. George, Lance explains the production process, the recent cultural phenomenon of the spirit, and his favorite way to drink it.