Volume 1, Issue 3
December 2017
Single Barrels W H I S K E Y
S O C I E T Y
O F
B R A Z O S
V A L L E Y
Single Barrels: WHISKEYS INCLUDED: • Elijah Craig Small Batch Barrel #5126035 • Elijah Craig Small Batch Barrel #5027102 • Blanton’s Single Barrel #1415 • Blanton’s Single Barrel #154 • Knob Creek Single Barrel #4307 • Knob Creek Single Barrel #4767
Unique Expressions Welcome to the third edition of the Whiskey Society of the Brazos Valley newsletter and tasting kit. It is my hope that you’ll find the guided tastings relaxing, informative and fun each month. Inside each kit, you’ll find 2 oz. of each of the 5-6 whiskeys of the month, labeled by number, not name, in case you’d like to taste them blind before reading more about them. I do recommend trying them in three groups of two (1-2, 3-4 and 56) which I’ll explain later. In addition, you’ll find this newsletter in your email inbox, including some education on that month’s theme, tasting notes, and some basic info on how to taste your whiskeys. For our third month, I thought it would be fun to take a look at how different barrels of the
same product can end up diverging over the course of their lives. The same whiskey, aged in the same kind of barrels, aged in the same warehouse, can taste very different coming
out of two different barrels. Why would that be? Different evaporation rates, tiny differences in the wood of the barrels, differences in temperature fluctuation from place to place in a warehouse can change things substantially over years of aging.
is all the unique expressions and flavors one can find. Often, bigger brands shoot for consistency in their major products. That makes sense, as most people don’t want a different experience every time they buy a new bottle of Glenmorangie 10 or Makers Mark. This pack will walk us through the beautiful, unique flavors you can find when you look at barrels one by one, instead of en masse, as well as hopefully drive home the huge task of a Master Blender to take all these different barrels and achieve a consistent and tasty product. Enjoy! -Brad
One of the beauties of whiskey
The Beauty of A Single Barrel
That doesn’t look like the worst job...
There are a substantial number of producers that label their premium products as single barrel expressions. This is supposed to designate that that barrel is special and unique in some way, worthy of the (presumably) higher cost. What makes those barrels
better? Why would they be different, they put essentially the same juice in each and every barrel, and usually use the same kind of barrels across their range (though some single barrel versions do use different barrels) It comes down to four factors: tempera-
tures, evaporation, age, and tiny differences in barrels. • Temperature: Almost every-
thing in whiskey aging comes down to the interactions of wood, air and whiskey. Going back to high school physics, materials
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The Beauty of A Single Barrel (Continued) change properties and volume when since alcohol, flavor compounds and they change temperature. This water all evaporate differently, differchange in volume can force seepences in evaporation can create big age, force whiskey into and out of differences in concentrations of the porous wood of the barrel, and those three things in each barrel change evaporation rates. The most • Age: How long whiskey spends inside unique of these is the interaction the barrel obviously should have an with the wood, as wood contains a influence on how it tastes when it lot of flavors compounds we genercomes out. More time to interact with ally like in whiskey, such as vanilwood, evaporate and go through lins, which give us vanilla, buttertemperature cycles means more scotch, and generally “oaky” notes. mature whiskey. • Evaporation: Different barrels evap• Barrel Quality/Construction: Barrels orate whiskey at different rates, and are made out of wood. Wood is a
Barrels showing minor seepage natural product with lots of variation, therefore, not all barrels are equal. Some staves are knotty, some don’t quite expand to water tightness as they should, some are extra dense and don’t allow as much evaporation or soak up as much liquid. There’s a lot of variation in barrels.
The “Angels’ Share” You’ll hear a lot of “angels” references in whiskey, from the brand “Angel’s Envy” to the term “Angel’s Share”. This term is a traditional term referring to the whiskey lost due to evaporation during maturation in barrel. Before we had modern science to describe the process, it was a cute reference to the fact that the “Angels must be taking a dram.” You would think that most barrels don’t lose much over a year, but that
is wildly incorrect. Depending on the factors I mentioned above, as well as barrel size, you can lose the majority of a barrel in a matter of years. The picture to the left shows Jameson Irish whiskey at 0, 3, 4, 6 and 12 year stages. Keeping in mind that there will be a bit less evaporations since the heads on those barrels are glass, and substantially less since Ireland isn’t a particularly hot place, you can imagine how much whiskey can be lost in a place like Texas or Kentucky, not to mention India, in just a few years.
How Do You Age This stuff? Something that isn’t very relevant for our specific tasting pack, but makes a big difference in aging is where you do it. Most producers (and all large ones) age their whiskey in rickhouses. These are essentially just warehouses with racking to allow efficient stacking of barrels, controllable airflow, and (rarely) temperature control. Different rickhouses on the same property can have vastly different proper-
ties, depending on sun exposure, building materials, racking setup, prevailing winds, and just dumb luck. All of our pairs this month have both whiskeys from the same rickhouse, but different locations even in the same rickhouse can contribute to consistently noticeable differences that master blenders will use to their advantage when attempting to make consistent products.
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# 1 : E l i j a h C r a i g “ 17 8 9 S m a l l B a t ch ” S i n gl e B a r r e l # 512 6 0 3 5 Elijah Craig is a Heaven Hill brand named after the Rev. Elijah Craig, inhabitant of Kentucky in the late 1700s through his death in 1808. He is credited in (totally inaccurate) lore as having accidentally discovered the positive properties of charring barrels used for bourbon. Oh well, who wants to let facts get in the way of a good story? Not marketers!
Tip: Try tasting these whiskies in three groups of two this month, to get the full side by side experience! Or don’t, they’re your samples to enjoy!
This 75% Corn, 13%Rye and 12% Barley straight bourbon is supposedly a blend of 8 to 12 year old barrels in its “small batch” version. This is a single barrel
though, but Heaven Hill was unable to provide me with the exact age. ABV – 47.0% Some Things to Look For: When I say that tasting is half experience and knowing flavors, and half a free association exercise, I mean it. For some reason, this has notes of a fried chicken Jimmy John sub with mayo. Its got white bread notes to accompany vanilla and a definite fried chicken note that somehow come together that way for me. Its not wrong, but its probably not what will pop to your mind. That’s part of why this is fun!
# 2 : E l i j a h C r a i g “ 17 8 9 S m a l l B a t ch ” S i n gl e B a r r e l # 5 0 27 012 How can a “small batch” bourbon also be a “single barrel”? Companies take two approaches to those “store select” bottlings. Some are just small, special blends of multiple barrels for a specific store. Others, like these two, are truly a single barrel picked from the range of barrels usually blended to make the larger run product. That’s why both barrels have a specific barrel number. If you ever see store select products, always look closely to see if it actually
says “single barrel” anywhere on the product.
Actual Elijah Craig Barrels
ABV - 47.0% Some Things to Look For: I find some tree fruits like pear and apple, along with some citrus, in this dram. I find it to be a richer mouthfeel as well as compared to the other barrel, possibly speaking to more evaporation? Who knows, but they’re definitely different!
#3: Blanton’s Single Barrel # 1415 ( D u m p e d 8 - 2 - 16 ) Single Barrel: To Blanton’s. The bourbon that the every man, woman and child all seem to lose their mind for in Texas. Seriously, it might be the most requested bourbon over $40 at the shop, bar none. Interestingly, if you travel to other states, its much easier to find, the Blanton’s craze seems localized to Texas and contiguous states. So what makes it so sought
after? It gets to carry the cache of being the first (modern) single barrel bourbon product, having debuted in 1984 as the brainchild of Elmer T. Lee (yes, he also has a bourbon named after him). Produced, but not owned by, Buffalo Trace, this is a BT Mashbill #2 Bourbon (so 12-15% estimated rye) . ABV — 46.5%
Some Things to Look For: Blanton’s is characteristically an approachable Bourbon. Notice the medium weight of the dram on the palate (ie not too thick and viscous) and the subdued proof. Do you notice any influence from the Rye in the mashbill (like Dill or Red Fruits)?
be labelled “Single Barrel” in the US, the whiskey must have only come from a single barrel, not just bottled one barrel at a time on the line (where one barrel could mix with the next).
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#4: Blanton’s Single Barrel # 15 6 ( D u m p e d 7 - 19 - 17 ) Even though this whiskey brand only bottles single barrel products, so we didn’t need to try a store pick to have two different barrels, we have a store pick to try anyway. This Twin Liquors pick is from a different rick, but the same rickhouse as the first one you tried. Looking at Blanton’s bottles, you’ll notice that while they have bottling dates, they never have an age statement. Its rumored they’re between 68 years old, but neither Buffalo Trace nor Age International (the brand owners) will tell you how old your bottle/barrel is.
You’ll also notice Blanton’s bottles all have a horse and jockey stopper. There are 8, each with a tiny letter at the bottom and different poses, which people often strive to collect all of and display, depicting a jockey and horse in flight. ABV – 46.5% Some Things to Look For: I find this barrel to have substantially more of a Maraschino cherry note than the first. Do you have any impressions of difference in weight, barrel flavors (vanilla, oak) or spice as compared to the first?
#5:Knob Creek Single Barrel #4307 Knob Creek has a few different expressions, including a rye that we tried a couple months back. They also have a standard bourbon, and this single barrel offering, found in most stores with good selection. This is a fairly popular product to do store pick barrels for, as its reasonably old (generally 10-13 years, even though its labelled a minimum of 9), un-
filtered, and close to barrel proof at a healthy 120 proof. Unlike Blanton’s, which labels each bottle with the barrel information, Knob Creek only provides barrel numbers and details on store picks, which is how we know this Twin Liquors picked barrel is a bit over 10 years old. ABV - 60.0%
Some Things to Look For: Proof, proof and more proof! After the two previous pairs were of more approachable whiskies, this one is a full throttle, nearly barrel proof offering. Don’t be afraid to use a bit of water to dial back the aggressive spice that sometimes hides the rich caramel and thick mouthfeel.
#5:Knob Creek Single Barrel #4767 I told myself in advance I wouldn’t make mention of Mila Kunis (the current Jim Beam family of brands representative), so instead I included a picture of a dumping barrel of bourbon. Incredibly rustic, no hoses or machines, just take the bung out and dump it in a drain tray. It can’t be a bad smelling job, can it? This barrel is a pick by a bar in Austin called Nickel City. I highly recommend them as a stop the
next time you’re in town, as they sport a fantastic selection of unique whiskeys. This particular barrel is about 12 1/2 years old, a good notch older than the Twin Liquors barrel. Knob Creek sports a 75% Corn, 13% Rye and 12% Barley mashbill, just like Elijah Craig does. If you ever have a chance, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof examples are often pretty comparable to Knob Creek Single Barrel Store Picks in age, proof and mashbill, making them a fun side by side.
ABV — 60.0% Some Things to Look For: This dram strikes me as having a substantial citrus side, while still embracing the high proof, thick caramel that defines Knob Creek. This is also a fun bourbon to try and pick out kitchen spices from, like mace (yes it’s a spice, not just a pepper spray ingredient) and cinnamon.
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Ta s t i n g G u i d e l i n e s & Club Information How To Taste Whiskey There are four components to tasting whiskey: The glass, your nose, your mouth, and water. Depending on how you use these four elements, you will get wildly different impressions of a whiskey. Lets go through them one by one: • Glass: Most people tasting whiskey professionally use a glencairn or a copita. Glasses
that are skinnier at the top then the bottom are ideal, as they concentrate the smells of the whiskey. Rocks glasses are next best, with a shot glass being dead last. • Nose: Smell determines the large majority of flavors, not your tastebuds. Smelling (or
nosing) a whiskey should be done with your nose close, but not in, the whiskey glass. Get it too close and you’ll get only alcohol, find an ideal spot just farther than that.
A Glencairn
• Mouth: You should take a small sip, being careful to not slurp air as you would with
wine (this will bring out the alcohol burn). Let the whiskey touch all areas of your mouth, before swallowing. Pay attention to both mouthfeel and flavors, as you sense different things depending on where the dram is in your mouth. • Water: This is open to much personal preference, but most whiskey benefit from a
drop or two of water (or a couple more if they’re particularly high proof). The water allows additional compounds to come out of solution in the whiskey and more easily be sensed. You can watch the oils (where much of the flavor of whiskey resides) dealing with the addition of water when you first add a drop or two. Some people prefer to avoid all water, some prefer to add ice (though the low temperature isn’t ideal for allowing you to smell/taste more), but many people prefer a drop or two of regular water. Experiment a bit to find what you like. Remember, the ideal amount may vary from whiskey to whiskey.
Close, but not too close!
Club information If you’re reading this for the first time, then WELCOME! The Whiskey Society of the Brazos Valley is an informal club of enthusiasts, founded in 2017, who like to split bottles of whiskey to try more and varied drams than we could on simply our own budgets. Each month, 5-6 2+oz samples are circulated with a newsletter explaining the theme and providing some (hopefully!) interesting and informative content to enhance your experience. The cost to participate is simply the retail cost of the whiskey split evenly and the glass vial it comes in. There is no upcharge for the newsletter, club profit, my profit, etc. Additionally, for each glass vial you return, you’ll get a 50 cent credit towards your next club tasting cost share (Yay recycling!). There is no ongoing commitment, your cost is simply the cost for the month, should you wish to partake after you receive the newsletter. If you have any suggestions, comments, or know of anyone that would like to participate, feel free to contact me at bpb25@cornell.edu. Thanks! And Cheers!
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