Spirits of The Times
By ERIC ASIMOV
Published: November 28, 2007
Complexity and elegance are qualities that have rarely been associated with bourbon.
That is, until now.
A well-made, well-aged bourbon offers a gorgeous spectrum of flavors, beginning
with a distinctive sweetness that can, depending on the distiller’s aim, turn spicy
and peppery with clear fruitiness, or mellow into a creamy caramel toffee with highlights
of citrus.
Bourbon is not Tennessee whiskey, like Jack Daniel’s, which is essentially made
like bourbon until it is filtered through charcoal, at which point it becomes Tennessee
whiskey. Bourbon is also not corn whiskey, which by law cannot be stored in charred
oak containers. A whiskey can be distilled 100 percent from corn, but if it so much
as kisses those charred oak containers it becomes bourbon.
While these laws may seem rigid, they leave a lot of room for creative distilling.
Once you’ve got your 51 percent corn in the blend of grains (which distillers call
the mash bill), you’ve got important decisions to make. Most distillers probably
use 65 percent to 75 percent corn, blended with some proportion of rye, wheat or
malted barley, and each grain provides different characteristics. The corn offers
the sweetness and lush texture that are the basis of so many bourbons. Wheat adds
a mellow roundness, while rye provides a spicy, peppery fruitiness and a dry quality.
Barley can add a creaminess and a grainy sweetness.
The bourbons we tasted ranged in price from $14 to $120, and while a $20 bottle,
Jim Beam Black, was our best value, there was some correlation between
price and quality.
Naturally, the bourbon industry wants to capitalize on the cocktail craze, which
is fine, but anybody who makes a mixed drink of our No. 1 bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle’s
Family Reserve 20-Year-Old, needs some remedial shaking and stirring. This is clearly
a sipping whiskey of wonderful complexity, which would be wasted in even the finest
mint julep or bourbon punch. The same goes for our No. 2, the fruity and chocolate-and-caramel-flavored
[Pappy Van Winkle} Vintage 17-Year-Old.
If mix you must, I would suggest our No. 3, the brisk, spicy Knob Creek, which tastes
as if it has a rye component. It might be the perfect whiskey for one of those cocktails
that seem to be at home with either rye or bourbon.
Each of us also had a favorite or two that did not make the list. Ethan liked an
Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old and an Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10-Year-Old. Pete liked
the Eagle and the Wild Turkey. Florence liked the Elijah Craig and the Virginia
Gentleman, an old brand that has the distinction of being distilled in Kentucky
then redistilled in Virginia. I very much liked a Corner Creek Reserve 8-Year-Old
and Bulleit[JW: this won a friend's Bourbon Tasting event a few years ago].
The strongest bourbon in the tasting was Wild Turkey, at 101 proof. The final strength
of a whiskey is another choice that distillers must make.
While the just-distilled whiskey can be as high as 160 proof, those pesky federal
laws mandate that it must be watered down at least to 125 proof before entering
those charred oak containers.
By the time it is bottled, it can be as low as 80 proof, so producers have a lot
of room to find just the right strength. If you find a bourbon that seems too strong,
do what the producers do and add more water. Or ice.
Tasting Report
Bonus Drink Receipe: Back Forty
It bears stating, I have not tried this, just found it interesting
Published: November 28, 2007 NYT
Adapted from Back Forty
Time: 5 minutes
4 teaspoons maple syrup
2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce lemon juice
3 to 5 dashes orange bitters
Lime wedge for garnish.
In a cocktail shaker, mix syrup with 2 teaspoons hot water.
Add bourbon, lemon juice and bitters.
Add ice and shake. Strain drink over ice in glass. Garnish.
Yield: 1 drink.