Scotch Whisky is very different from American Whiskies
As new Irish and Scottish immigrants tried to settle on the American continent
they brought with them the distilling methods of scotch whiskey. Finding
the new raw materials different that what they were accustomed to, they
lead the way for an evolution of new scotch now known merely as whiskey...
Today if you can find a similarity between Irish and Scottish whiskey,
and its now American cousin you would be further ahead than the experts
and connoisseurs.
The stronger, fuller and sweeter taste found in the American whiskey is
a result of the lack of smoke in the drying process of grains and/or corns.
The six different categories that American whiskey is divided into is a
direct result of the different aging times and adjusted amounts of grains
used in each batch of whiskey.
The six different American brews are as follows:
Bourbon
Tennessee
Rye
Wheat
Corn
Blended whiskey
Bourbon
Bourbon Is believed to be produced solely in Kentucky, which is a myth
as it has been produced in many states. Stipulations for bourbon are very
simple. It must be made in the United States, should only be made from
fifty-one percent corn, and can only be stored in charred oak barrels for
a term no shorter than two years. The spirit in its raw form may not exceed
eighty percent alcohol by volume.
Tennessee
There are a few differences between Tennessee and Bourbon. They are very
closely related. Tennessee must always be filtered through sugar maple
charcoal, and can only be produced in the state of Tennessee, hence its
name. Currently there are only two brands of Tennessee whiskey available;
George Dickel and Jack Daniels.
Rye and Wheat whiskey
Generally rye whiskey is blended with other products to create other types
of whiskeys. Only a very small portion of this whiskey is actually bottled.
It must be made of at least fifty-one percent rye in order to be deemed
rye whiskey. The distilling and storing conditions meet the same requirements
as in Bourbon. Mostly made in the states of Indiana and Kentucky it is
quite uncommon it has a slightly bitter and more powerful taste.
Corn
Due to the overwhelming surplus of corn, this was an obvious choice and
is the predecessor of Bourbon. As assumed corn is the main ingredient with
about eighty percent. The difference between corn and Bourbon is that corn
does not have to be stored in wood. If it is to be aged it must be done
in previous Bourbon barrels or barrels that have been uncharred.
Blended American Whiskey
You should not be confused by the differences in Scottish whiskey and
American blended whiskey. American whiskey only contains approximately
twenty percent of rye and bourbon whiskey, a mass product industrial spirit,
makes up the other eighty percent. This makes the product very cheap and
much lighter than it’s American cousins.
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