“There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others.”
-Raymond Chandler, novelist & screenwriter
Whiskey is an alcoholic drink made from fermented grain mash; such a simple description of a deeply complicated and varied beverage. Bursting into the Pop Culture of booze…whiskey is a hot trend now. How does one swim the whiskey river with Willie Nelson and not look like a fool. Here is a quick Wildcatter’s guide to that golden libation. So saddle up partner because the cowboy, gambler, writer, risk taker, Churchill, and Dean Martin did not walk into a bar and order a martini; they ordered a whiskey.
Bourbon is a magical mixture of primarily corn, with combinations of rye, wheat, malted barley, or malted rye grain.
- American made
- Barrel-aged in new oak containers
- Minimum of 51% corn grain mixture
- Distilled at 80% alcohol, barreled at no more than 62%, & bottled at 40% or more
- No minimum aging period
- Kentucky heritage, but can be distilled anywhere in the USA
Scotch is made from mostly malted barley and twice distilled.
- Scotland made
- Matured in oak casks for a least 3 years
- Minimum 40% alcoholic strength
- During the malting process if you add peat to the fire, the malt gets a smoky peat note.
Irish Whiskey is usually heavy barley and is distilled three times.
- Irish made (Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland)
- Fermented by the action of yeast
- Minimum of 40% alcoholic strength
- Needs to be aged 3 years in wooden casks