Page 51 - Thirst Magazine Issue 2 June 2017

AMERICAN WHISKEY

Sticking with the ‘e’ for a moment, we move onto American
Whiskey. The most famous style is Bourbon, with its rich,
sweet vanilla-laden style, but there are many different
styles to consider:

BOURBON WHISKEY Made from a mash
that consists of at least 51% corn, for
example, Jim Beam. For the record,
Bourbon can be made anywhere in the US,
not just Kentucky.

RYE WHISKEY Made from a mash that consists
of at least 51% rye, for example, Sazerac Rye.
RYE MALT WHISKEY Made from a
mash that consists of at least 51%
malted rye. For example, Bulleit Rye
and Oppidan Malted Rye.
MALT WHISKEY Made from a mash that
consists of at least 51% malted barley.
For example, FEW Single Malt.

WHEAT WHISKEY Made from a mash that
consists of at least 51% wheat. For example,
Montana Spring.

CORN WHISKEY Made from a mash that
consists of at least 80% corn. For example,
Hudson Corn Whiskey.

TENNESSEE WHISKEY Not defined in legislation
but meets the requirements for Bourbon,
with the additional requirements that it
be made in Tennessee and go through the
‘Lincoln County’ process. For example,
Jack Daniels.
Most American whiskies, with the exception of Corn whiskey,
must be aged in new American oak barrels. Unlike most other
whisk(e)y producing countries, they may not use second hand
casks, they may not use European or Japanese oak, and they
may not use other sizes, such as butts, pipes and puncheons.
Legislation also does not define a legal minimum aging period,
though the term ‘Straight’ as in ‘Straight Bourbon Whiskey’
indicates that it has aged for at least two years.

WORLD WHISKY

Whisky does not belong to any one country, and today there are a dozens, in not more than a hundred countries,
producing whisky. The Japanese are particularly noteworthy for learning and adapting the techniques of Scotch
whisky, to create one of the most talked about categories of whisky today, and innovating with Mizunara casks and
other techniques. But there are many countries on the rise in whisky production, including India, Taiwan, Australia,
England, France, South Africa etc. Many of these ‘new world’ whisky countries have yet to fully develop their own
distinctive style, but if you’re a whisky lover with a heart for exploration, the world today is an exciting place.

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