Bourbon

As much as we may not wish to admit it, we are all defined by something. Some of those factors are easier to embrace than others, some feel challenging and outdated, but nonetheless they have got us to where we are. The same could be said for Bourbon – there is so much history that has defined its identity all over the world, and of course, there are set regulations that have given it strict parameters in which to exist. Although this can cause some additional complexities when it comes to the whiskey-making process, for many a combination of the legacy and the opportunity to be creative is a very exciting prospect to be faced with. The chance to delve into the worlds of the brands that are currently producing Bourbon is…

Bourbon is a unique agricultural product that was perfected over the generations as new technologies and techniques became available. It began as a way to preserve crops through fermentation and later distillation, and then it went from being stored in earthenware jugs to charred barrels. Once regulations were put into place to protect consumers and ensure they knew what they were buying, the basic framework for Bourbon was established. Legally in order to be called Bourbon, a whiskey must be: • Made from a minimum of 51 per cent corn and any other combination of cereal or pseudocereal grains (think: quinoa), water, and yeast• Must be distilled to no higher than 160 proof• Must be barreled at no higher than 125 proof• Must be bottled no lower than 80 proof• Nothing but…

When the news broke across the whiskey world that Jackie Zykan would be stepping away from her role as Old Forester’s master taster, fans of her work waited with baited breath to hear about what would be next. It was as exciting as you would expect, with the announcement of a team of four friends coming together to create Hidden Barn Distillery. There, Zykan is master blender, Royce Neeley is master distiller, and Nate Winegar and Matt Dankner of Colorado’s 5280 Whiskey Society are partners in the venture. Black barns have become the hallmark of the rolling hills of Kentucky. Back during the period of time in which distilling was a punishable offense, the black-stained barns – a factor that was caused by naturally occurring microflora that feeds on airborne alcohol –…

Nestled in Woodford County, Kentucky is the Castle & Key Distillery. It was formerly known as the Old Taylor Distillery, the last distillery Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. built in his lifetime. Shuttered in the 1970s when Bourbon had temporarily lost its luster, Will Arvin and Wes Murry purchased the property in 2014 with plans to restore it to its former glory while building a brand that would make the site’s progenitor proud. A painstaking restoration started right away and, by November of 2016, whiskey was once again being made onsite. The first rye whiskey was released in 2020, and now it’s finally time to taste the first Bourbon to be made onsite in more than four decades. “The way we view whiskey is a little bit disruptive in the industry,”…

There has been a proliferation of barrel finishes and stave finishes in the last five years. Oftentimes it comes from newer brands trying to stand apart from the crowd with new and innovative flavor profiles, but even the heritage distillers are getting in on the action. While these envelope-pushing flavor profiles seemed to pop up overnight, they were the result of decades of research. For Andrew Wiehebrink at Independent Stave Company (ISC), this research is his daily life. “[Independent Stave Company] has been doing this research for probably about 20 years,” explains Wiehebrink. “They had concentrated on just the regular charred barrels, which they had down pat, and I’ve been doing this specific research almost non-stop for about six years now.” The research Wiehebrink is referring to delves into not only different…

Marianne Eaves has already had a career most would be envious of, from Brown-Forman where she was master taster, to becoming Kentucky’s first female master distiller at Castle & Key. She left Kentucky to explore the world with her partner and his traveling circus, visiting distilleries along the way. Eventually she came up with the idea for Eaves Blind, a blind tasting kit that allows participants to hone their sensory skills and try whiskeys they likely have never sampled before. The first year of Eaves Blind has just concluded and the products have been revealed, so American Whiskey Magazine caught up with Eaves to learn where the idea for the program came from and how it turned out. Maggie Kimberl (MK): How did you come up with the idea of creating a…