A

PROJECT REPORT
ON
INVENTRY& DISCARD

PREPARED BY AMIT KAPRI

DHMCT IIIRD YEAR
SUBMITTED TO - Mr. SUMIT JOSHI
AMRAPALI INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT
& CATERING TECHNOLOGY
HALDWANI (U.K)
(20!-20")
CERTIFICATE
This to certify that MR AMIT KAPRI Final Year student of Amrapali
Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Haldwani has duly
completed his proect and research wor! on the topic #IN$ENTRY &
DISCARD% "nder my guidance and super#ision during the session $%&'(
$%&)
Mr.SUMIT JOSHI
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I ac!nowledge the generous help and guidance e*tended to me +y many
indi#iduals who pro#ided necessary information with their time and
contri+utions,
I would li!e to than! Mr. PRASHANT SHARMAfor e*tending worthful
and #alua+le information and ad#ice and helping me at e#ery step with
#alua+le ad#ice and rich !nowledge,
I am also than!ful to Mr. PAWAN MEHRAfor pro#iding information
and, pro#iding +oo!s to related topics and my friends for their help and
support, in ma!ing this o+ done,
D&'( ))) -A".A/ T01A.I
)
DHMCT !
RD
YEAR
A.I.H.M.
FUNDAMENTALS
2A spirituous li3uor distilled from a fermented mash of grains, usually rye, +arley, oats,
wheat, or corn, and matured in wood cas!s, usually for ' or more years, Inferior grades
are made from potatoes, +eets, or other roots, 4cotch whis!y, usually +lend, ta!es its
dry, somewhat smo!y fla#our from the +arley malt, cured with peat, used in its
preparation, The somewhat similar Irish whis!ey, for which no peat is used, has a full,
sweet taste, American whis!eys, classified as rye or as +our+on 5a corn li3uor6, are
higher in fla#our and deeper in colour than 4cotch or Irish whis!eys, Canadian
whis!ey, characteristically light, is produced from cereal grain only, First distilled in
monasteries in &&th century 0ngland, whis!ey has +een manufactured commercially
since the &7th century,2
1ell ( that last part isn8t completely true,1hen the first whis!y was distilled e*actly
and whether it originated in 0ngland, Ireland or 4cotland is still in de+ate, The most
popular theory ,has Irish mon!s hopping across the Irish 4ea to 4cotland around 9%%
A: to spread the gospel ( and the secret of distillation ( to the +ar+arians, ;owadays
whis!y is produced allo#er the glo+e,You can find whis!5e6y distilleries in 4cotland,
Ireland, 1ales, France, -ermany, 4wit<erland, Canada, the "4A, Australia, ;ew(
=ealand, India, Thailand and >apan
1hen you chec! a dictionary you8ll find that 8whis!5e6y8is spelled either with or
without an 8e8, As far as I !now,there8s no logical e*planation for this, +ut when a
whis!y is produced in Ireland or the "4A, it8s usually spelled as 8whis!ey8otherwise as
8whis!y8, :on8t as! me why ( itdoesn8t ma!e sense to me either, I guess this is ust
oneof those ine*plica+le things in life one simply has to accept? li!e the success of rap
music or spontaneous com+ustion, The production of whis!y +ecame sort of an
8industry8 in &@th century 4cotland,Apart from fondling their sheep and sha#ing their
legs the 4cottish farmers had #ery little entertainment in those days, 4hortly after the
recipe for malt whis!y was pu+lished in 8:istillation For :ummies8 do<ens of
distilleries were esta+lished;o+ody li!es to pay ta*es, Hiding high in the Highlands
many 4cots managed to elude the 0nglish ta* collectors time after time, Anly after the
ta*es werereduced following the 0*cise Act of &@$' most distilleries were legalised,
Broduction practices gradually +ecame more professional and the fame ofthe 4cottish
whis!y slowly +ut surely spilled o#er the +orders into 0ngland, 4till, the whis!y
industry remained a largely local affair for many years,A,C, ( Det8s start with the
+asics, Your a#erage dictionary might descri+e 8 1HI4C506Y8 something li!eE
Things changed considera+ly after a huge wine louse infection 5Bhyllo*era6 in the &Fth
century wiped out the #ineyards in France, and pretty much the entire +randy industry
along with it, The popularity of whis!y grew 3uic!ly, +oth in 0ngland and o#erseas,
4cotch whis!y production got another +oost during the years of prohi+ition in the "4A,
:ecades of legal distilling hadn8t dulled the 4cottish smuggling instincts and the 4cots
were happy to ump into the emerging American mar!ets, 1hen the prohi+itionended,
84cotch8 had already earned its place on the American mar!et,
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ILLUSTRATION OF THE WHISKY MAKING PROCESS
INGREDIENTS
B&r5(0
The +arley is at the +ase of all the process, The 3uality of the
+arley has a great influence on the 3uality of the end product, The +arley +eing used for
the production of whis!y is carefully selected, It is after all the +asic ingredient which
will determine the 3uality of the whis!y which will +e sold years later, This selection
was traditionally the o+ of the manager of the
distillery,
Most of the distilleries nowadays +uy their malt in a malting plant 5for economic
reasons6, this selection is done less and less +y the distillery manager +ut well +y the
persons in charge at the malting plant, Howe#er, the maltings must respect precise
re3uirements from the distilleries, in order to let them produce their whis!ey properly,
and on the same way year after year,
There is no legal o+ligation to use 4cottish +arley to produce 4cotch whis!y,
0#en if some producers would li!e to go +ac! to the tradition, li!e Gruichladdich
does, most of the distilleries are not concerned +y the origin of their +arley, The most
important thing is the highest sugar content and the lowest price, The com+ination of
those two elements is often the only criteria in the choice of a #ariety of +arley, A
great deal of the +arley used to produce 4cotch whis!y is coming from 0ngland or
4outh Africa, It is not e*cluded that -MA are used, +ut it is difficult to get e#idences
of that, Anyway, this would perfectly conform with the producti#ity logic, If
genetically modified +arley gi#es +etter har#ests with a +etter sugar content,,,

W&'(r
1ater is another of the most important ingredients in the ma!ing process of
whis!y, The 3uality of the whis!y depends on the 3uality and purity of the water,
1ater in 4cotland is famous for its great purity, The difference in taste +etween the
whis!y coming from #arious distilleries is partly due to the 3uality of water used 1ater
in the Highlands is often peaty, which gi#es it a +rownish colour, 4u+stances, deri#ing
from peat, are carried +y the ri#er which water is used to ma!e whis!y, and contri+ute
often to the original taste of scotch whis!y, original taste of scotch whis!y Gut water is
certainly not the only determining factor in the taste of a malt whis!y, The
manufacturing process is of course #ery important in the final taste of whis!y, 1ater is
used in se#eral steps during the distillation process, First of all, it is mi*ed to the
grinded malt in order to produce the wort, It is also used for cooling the alcohol lea#ing
the still, Dast +ut not least, water is used to reduce the alcohol at +ottling,
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Yeast 5+rewer8s yeast, often mi*ed with culture yeast6 will start the
fermentation process, The role of yeast is capital, The choice of the yeast is part of
manufacturing secret of the distilleries,

THE MANUFACTURING STEPS
The ma!ing process of whis!y ta!es at least ' years, If a grain 5malted or not6 spirit
did not stay for at least ' years in an oa! cas!, it does not deser#e the name of whis!y,
0#en worse, it does not ha#e legally the right to +e mar!eted under the name of whis!y
To deser#e the name of 4cotch, the whis!y has to stay for this minimum of ' years on
the 4cottish ground, -enerally, the whis!ies mar!eted as single malt aged for a
minimum of @ to &% years, 1his!y, ust li!e any other alcohol, is the result of natural
chemical alterations of sugar, To produce alcohol, we first need to produce sugar,
4ugar is potentially present in +arley, which grows easily under the 4ugar is potentially
present in +arley, which grows easily under the 4cottish latitudes, Many alcohols are
made from grapes, +ut the climate of 4cotland is not suited for this !ind of culture, Gut
the manufacturing process remains #ery similar to the one used in production of
alcohol +ased on other raw material,
M&5',68
Malt is the result of the malting process, The +arley is made wet and spread on
the malting floor to allow the germination process to start, A succession of chemical
reactions change the starch contained in the +arley in sugar, Dater sugar will change
into spirit, The malting art consist of finding the right moment to stop the germination
processE not too late +ut not too early, According to the season, malting ta!es +etween
@ and $& days Constant attention has to +e gi#en to the process, Garley has to +e turned
o#er regularly to ensure a constant moisture and temperature and to control the
germination of the +arley grains, The end of the germination is triggered +y drying the
germinating +arley o#er a fire 5!iln6, This o#en is often heated +y peat, The smo!e of
the peat fire in the !iln is determining is the taste of many a whis!y, -ermination is
stopped +y drying the grains a+o#e an o#en 5!iln6, The !iln on the picture is the one of
Daphroaig, A !iln was often fed with peat, It is the smo!e of the peat fire which gi#es
some whis!ies their particular fla#our
The art of some distilleries is in the correct proportioning of peat used to dry the
malt, 4pring+an! for instance produces ' different maltsE 4pring+an!, Dongrow and
Ha<el+urn 5which will +e a#aila+le from $%%76, Ane of the main differences +etween
those ' products is the proportion of peat used for drying the malt, There are also some
other differences in the distillation process in the case of 4pring+an!, Gruichladdich
also produces ' different whis!ies with different peat le#elsE Gruichladdich, Bort
Charlotte and Actomore 5the two latter8s are recent productions, and will not +e
mar!eted +efore se#eral years6,
M&5',68-
0conomic reasons o+liged most of the distilleries to a+andon their malting
floors during the &F7%8s Malting happens mainly at speciali<ed plants, called maltings,
This maltings produce malt according to the re3uirements of their clients, The same
malting company produces thus se#eral !inds of malt, There are howe#er nota+le
e*ceptions to that ruleE Gal#enie, Daphroaig, Highland Bar!, Gowmore are some of the
distilleries which produce parts of their own malts, According to some sources, these
distillery would produce a+out '%H of their needs, 4pring+an! produces &%%H of their
malt, Maltings can +e independent, or +elong to +ig concerns, owning their malting
plants, to supply the distilleries of the group 5li!e for instance the malting at -len Ard6
or for local distilleries, li!e the Bort 0llen Maltings on Islay
The latter is the result of an agreement signed +y all the Islay distilleries who o+lige
themsel#es to +uy a certain amount of malt at the Bort 0llen Maltings, This malting
plant is in full e*pansion, ust li!e the distilleries of the island, and is progressi#ely
occupying the territory of the 5henceforth former6 distillery of Bort 0llen, The maltings
do not ha#e the romantic aspect of 5old6 distilleries with their pagoda roofs,,,
Gr,62,68
1hen the malt is dry, it is grinded to ma!e a !ind of coarse flour which will +e
used in the ne*t operations, This flour is called grist Malt grinding is done with a malt
mill in the distillery itself, ;early all the distilleries use the same !ind of mill,
traditionally made in 0ngland, in Deeds, which is sometimes hard to accept for a real
4cot,
Br(+,68
The grist will +e mi*ed with hot water in the mash tun, -enerally one #olume
of grist is mi*ed up with ) #olumes of water, In this operation, ' successi#e waters are
used, at a temperature +etween 7' and FIJ A mash tun can contain up to $I%%% litres
and has a dou+le +ottom with thin perforations to let the wort 5sugared li3uid resulting
of the +rewing operation6 flow out, retaining +igger parts which will +e sold as cattle
food, In order to facilitate the process, mash tun ha#e rotating +lades, The waste is
called draff The first operation, ta!ing a+out & hour, will change the starch in
fermenting sugars, The mi* of water and grist loo!s li!e a !ind of traditional porridge,
This sugared uice is called wort, The remainders will +e +rewed ' to ) times, in order
to get a ma*imum of wort The 3uality of the wort is controlled +y the e*cise men,
+ecause it determines the amount of spirit which will finally +e produced, This is the
+ase of the ta*ation of the distillery, ,
F(r1(6'&',*6
The wash +ac! In order to start the fermentation of the wort, yeast is added The
action of the yeast on the sugar of the wort will produce alcohol and car+on dio*ide,
The wort starts +u++ling, which will sometimes result in strong #i+rations of the wash
+ac!, despite its impressi#e si<e, Traditional wash +ac!s are made of Aregon pinewood
or scottish larch, Howe#er, more and more stainless steel wash +ac!s are used
nowadays, +ecause they are easier to maintain The result of the fermentation is the
same in +oth !inds of wash +ac!s, Howe#er, lots of distilleries pretend Aregon wood is
much +etter, and e#en hi(tech distilleries li!e Caol Ila do not +elie#e in stainless steel
wash +ac!s The picture a+o#e has +een ta!en at the -len!inchie distillery, The picture
a+o#e has +een ta!en at the -len!inchie distillery Daphroaig, The wash As result of the
fermentation of the wort, a !ind of +eer with a percentage of appro*imately @H, Till
now, there are no su+stantial differences in the process of ma!ing whis!y, and the
ma!ing of +eer, From now the difference +etween the process will +ecome o+#ious
Geer will +e perfumed with hops, while whis!y will +e distilled alterations without,
D,-',55&',*6
The distillation is the process used to separate alcohol from water and other
su+stances contained in the wash, This is a classical operation, and it is the +ase of each
spirit round the world, It is used in perfumery too, :istillation is made in stills, The
principle is #ery easyE water e#aporates at &%%J while alcohol does from @%J, Alcohol
will thus +e transformed in #apour and raises into the still +efore water itself +egins
e#aporating, Bot stills are used in 4cotland,
The si<e of the stills is fi*ed +y the law, This is due to historical reasons, related to
e*cise rights 0dradour has the smallest legal stills of 4cotland, If the stills were a +it
smaller, the distillery would lose its licence, 4tills are in copper, +ecause this material
has a great influence on the physical process of separation of the waters and the spirits
The 3uality of the dram we will enoy a few years later depends partially on the copper
surface +eing in contact with the li3uids during the distillation process, Ather things are
important, li!e the shape, the height, the length of the lyne arm are also #ery important
in the ma!ing of the taste of the future whis!y, If a distillery has to add or replace a
still, it will always try to get a still with the same capacity and the same shape, in order
to guarantee a constant 3uality to the whis!y ,Gecause of the e*treme di#ersity of the
stills used throughout 4cotland, it is not possi+le to display some pictures on this page,
I created a special page with pictures of #arious stills from se#eral 4cottish distilleries,
To get there, ust clic! on the still icon on the left, Gy the way, this is a still of
-lenfarclas distillery,
A8,68
The distillation process is uni3ue for each distillery using pot stills,
5:istilleries using Domond stills ( there are #ery few of them left now ( can produce
se#eral types of whis!y,6 This means that all the whis!ies produced +y a certain
distillery are treated on the same way, with the same malt, the same stills on the same
way +y the same people,,, 4o, why can they +e so differentK from each otherK The
answer to this 3uestion is in the aging process, the cas!s used, the nature of the
warehouse, the taste of the air 5it seems that a whis!y aged in cas!s stored in
warehouses close to the sea ha#e a different taste from a whis!y aged on some other
place6, -lenmorangie Cellar &' is a good e*ample of that phenomenon, If the
surrounding air has a 5little6 influence on the taste of whis!y, one must reali<e that
many distilleries +ring their cas!s to some central place near 0din+urgh for their aging,
It it not clear to me if the whis!ies aged that way are mar!eted as single malt or if they
will +e used in +lends In other words, the influence of the air on the taste of whis!y?,
myth or realityK There is one thing for sure howe#er, and that is that the role of 3uality
of the +arley, the ma!ing process, and the nature and 3uality of the cas!s where it was
aged is #ery important, According to some specialists, this could +e good for FIH of
the final 3uality of a malt whis!y, To ha#e the right to +ear the name of whis!y, a grain
spirit 5malted or not6 must +e aged at least for ' years in a oa! cas!, "nli!e Cognac
which is stored in new cas!s, the 4cottish always use second hand cas!s, The !inds of
cas!s The oa! cas!s are classified +y capacity, and the following cas!s e*istE
T.( S4*'4. +.,-/0 ,629-'r0 9-(- 1&,650 ! /,62- *: 4&-/-7
The 2+arrel2 E L&F% litres ,the 2hogshead2 EL $I% litres, the2+utt2 E L I%% litres The
shape of the cas!s is mainly due to historic reasons, related to storage pro+lems on
ships, 4herry was carried on 4panish gallions, storage pro+lems on ships, 4herry was
carried on 4panish gallions, and the slender shape of the +utts was the +est for storing
on this !ind of ships, while the Bortuguese Bort was stored in a more +ul+ous cas!,
which was easier to carry on Bortuguese merchant ships,
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Aften whis!y is aged for a while in +our+on cas!s, and finishes his aging period
in some !ind of other cas!, in order to gi#e is some new fragrances, +efore +ottling,
-enerally it stays for 7 to &$ months in another !ind of cas!, This e*plains the 2wood
finish2 mention on some +ottling8s, For instance, the &@ yo -lenmorangie finishes its
maturation in ne*t cas!s, which is rather uncommon in 4cotland, A whis!y cas! is
always a second hand cas!, It generally contained +our+on 5american whis!ey made
from corn ( 5mai<e6, 4herry is also #ery popular in the whis!y industry, Ather cas!s are
used too, li!e Bort, Madeira and more rarely Claret 5French red wine6 or rum etc,,,
-lenmorangie is speciali<ed in 2wood finishes2 and some of etc,,, -lenmorangie is
speciali<ed in 2wood finishes2 and some of them are #ery e*pensi#e, pro+a+ly +ecause
of the rarity of the cas!s, Howe#er, there is a 3uestion a+out this wood finishes, If the
aim is to gi#e some new and pleasant fragrances to the whis!y, e#ery+ody !nows 5at
least in the whis!y industry circles6 that this method is used sometimes to hide some
distillation errors, Aften, the cas!s are warmed up +efore transferring the whis!y, in
order to accelerate the fragrance transfer, 4uch practices are not accepta+le, +ecause the
consumer has no way to !now a+out this,
BOTTLING
Gottling is the last step +efore putting the whis!y on the mar!et, "nli!e wine,
whis!y does not mature anymore in the +ottle, 4o a &$ years old whis!y stays a &$
years old e#en &$ years later, and does not +ecome a $) years old one,,, 1hen +ottling,
some residues are left in the whis!y, The effect of this is that whis!y loo!s 2cloudy2,
and this is not always appreciated +y the consumer, That8s why distilleries found out
the2chill filtering2, which remo#es all this residues, The pro+lem with chill filtering is
that it also remo#es parts of the fragrances and of the taste, 1ith the current re#i#al of
single malt, more and more +ottlers 5in dependant or official6 +ottle their whis!ies
without chill filtering, And this ma!es single malt lo#ers #ery happy, :uring +ottling,
the alcohol percentage is reduced, This is the other operation where the 3uality of water
has a great influence on the taste of whis!y, The minimum percentage of alcohol for
whis!y is)%H, Most of the +ottles are mar!eted at this percentage, +ecause the e*cise
rights are calculated on the alcohol proportion in the e*cise rights are calculated on the
alcohol +ottle, The e*cise rights are particularly high in -reat Gritain +ut in other
countries they are lower, That8s why on the international mar!et, whis!ies are
fre3uently +ottled at )'J,For some technical reasons, the ideal percentage for +ottling
without chill filtering seems to +e )7J, Most of the non chill filtered whis!ies are
mar!eted at )7J, Aften whis!y is not diluted when +ottled, That8s called cas! strength
+ottling,
T.( W*r52=- L(&2,68 Dr,6/
W.&' ,- S4*'4. W.,-/03
4cotch 1his!y is a distillate made in 4cotland from the elements of cereals, water and
yeast, all of which nature will in due course replace,
I- S4*'4. W.,-/0 '.( +*r52=- 5(&2,68 2r,6/3
Yes, It outsells e#ery other no+le spirit in world mar!ets,
1hen consumers as! for a 4cotch, what e*actly do they meanK
They usually mean a +lended 4cotch 1his!y, that is a +lend of as many as I%
indi#idual 4cotch Malt and 4cotch -rain 1his!ies, The wide range of single whis!ies
a#aila+le in 4cotland ensures the continued high 3uality and consistency of +rands of
+lended 4cotch 1his!y and year in year out, ena+les +lenders to ensure that all their
+rands maintain their indi#idual characteristics, Glended whis!ies account for more
than FI per cent of all 4cotch 1his!y sold in world mar!ets,
W.&' ,- & -,685( +.,-/03
It is the product of a single distillery, Most distilleries produce 4cotch 1his!y
primarily for the purpose of +lending, +ut many retain some of their production for sale
as single whis!ies, A single Malt 1his!y is the product of one Malt 1his!y distillery
and a single -rain 1his!y is the product of one -rain 1his!y distillery,
5a6 which has +een produced at a distillery in 4cotland from water and malted +arley
5to which only whole grains of other cereals may +e added6 all of which
ha#e +een
5i6 Brocessed at that distillery into a mash?
5ii6 Con#erted to a fermenta+le su+strate only +y endogenous en<yme systems? and
5iii6 Fermented only +y the addition of yeast?
5+6 1hich has +een distilled at an alcoholic strength +y #olume of less than F),@ per
cent so that the distillate has an aroma and taste deri#ed from the raw materials used in,
and the method of, its production?
5c6 1hich has +een matured in an e*cise warehouse in 4cotland in oa! cas!s of a
capacity not e*ceeding 9%% litres, the period of that maturation +eing not less than '
years?
5d6 1hich retains the colour, aroma and taste deri#ed from the raw materials used in,
and the method of, its production and maturation? and
5e6 to which no su+stance other than water and spirit caramel has +een added, The
4cotch 1his!y Act &F@@ prohi+its inter alia the production in 4cotland of whis!y other
than 4cotch 1his!y,
The 4cotch 1his!y Act &F@@ and 0uropean Community 50C6 legislation +oth specify a
minimum alcoholic strength of )% per cent +y #olume, which applies to all 4cotch
1his!y +ottled andMor put up for sale within or e*ported from the Community,
Howe#er, transitional arrangements allow whis!ies which do not comply with the 0C
4pirit :rin!s .egulation, including those at an alcoholic strength lower than )% per
cent +y #olume, to +e +ottled untiN &)th :ecem+er &FF% pro#ided that their preparation
had +egun +efore &Ith >une &FF%,
W.&' ,- & B5(62(2 S4*'4. W.,-/03
A Glended 4cotch 1his!y is a +lend of a num+er of distillates each of which
separately is entitled to the description 24cotch 1his!y2,
The period for which any +lended 4cotch 1his!y is regarded as ha#ing +een matured
is that of the most recently distilled of the spirits contained in the +lend,
,
W.&' &r( -;,r,'-3
The term spirits descri+es the product of distillation, whate#er the raw materials, or
whether it +e in a pure state or contaminated +y impurities normally present in any
distillate, -enerally, the word refers to any #olatile inflamma+le li3uid o+tained +y
distillation,
4pirits for human consumption, or pota+le spirits, are the distillates of alcoholic
li3uids, the alcohol in which has +een formed +y the fermentation of sugar as contained
in grapeuice, sugar(cane, etc,, or in saccharified materials such as specially prepared
cereals, e,g, malted +arley,
T.( H,-'*r0 *: S4*'4. W.,-/0
W.&' ,- '.( *r,8,6 *: '.( 6&1( =+.,-/0=3
The term 8whis!y8 deri#es originally from the -aelic 8uisge +eatha8, or 8us3ue+augh8,
meaning 8water of life8, -aelic is that +ranch of Celtic spo!en in the Highlands of
4cotland,
W.(6 +&- S4*'4. W.,-/0 :,r-' 2,-',55(23
1his!y has +een distilled in 4cotland for hundreds of years, There is some e#idence to
show that the art of distilling could ha#e +een +rought to the country +y Christian
missionary mon!s, +ut it has ne#er +een pro#ed that Highland farmers did not
themsel#es disco#er how to distil spirits from their surplus +arley,
The earliest historical reference to whis!y comes much later, Mr >, Marshall .o++, in
his +oo! 84cotch 1his!y8, saysE 8The oldest reference to whis!y occurs in the 4cottish
0*che3uer .olls for &)F), where there is an entry of 8eight +olls of malt to Friar >ohn
Cor wherewith to ma!e a3ua#itae8,8A +oll was an old 4cottish measure of not more than
si* +ushels, 5Ane +ushel is e3ui#alent to $I,) !ilograms6
1hen Cing >ames I/ was in In#erness during 4eptem+er &I%7, his Treasurer8s
Accounts had entries for the &Ith and &9th of the month respecti#elyE 8For a3ua #ite to
the Cing, , ,8 and 8For ane flacat of a3ua #ite to the Cing, , ,8,lt is pro+a+le that the
a3ua#itae in this case was spirit for drin!ing,
The earliest reference to a distillery in the Acts of the 4cottish Barliament appears to +e
in &7F%, when mention is made of the famous Ferintosh distillery owned +y :uncan
For+es of Culloden,
There is also a reference to distilling in a pri#ate house in the parish of -amrie in
Ganffshire in &7&), This occurs in the .egister of the Bri#y Council, where a man
accused of the crime of +rea!ing into a pri#ate house, com+ined with assault, was said
to ha#e !noc!ed o#er some 8a3ua#itie8,
Ane of the earliest references to 8uis!ie8 occurs in the funeral account of a Highland
laird a+out &7&@,
An unpu+lished letter of Fe+ruary &7$$, written +y 4ir :uncan Camp+ell of -lenorchy
to the 0arl of Mar, reported that certain officers sent to -lenorchy +y the Cing had
+een gi#en the +est entertainment that the season and the country allowed, It statedE
8For they want it not wine nor a3ua#ite,8 This 8a3ua#ite8 was no dou+t locally distilled
whis!y,
Another writer affirms that a3ua#itae occasionally formed part of the rent paid for
Highland farms, at any rate in Berthshire, +ut no actual date is gi#en for this practice,

T.( I1;*r'&64( *: B5(62,68
W.&' ,- >5(62,683 W.&' ,- ,'- *>?(4'3
A num+er of distilleries sell part of the whis!y they distil for consumption as single or
un+lended whis!ies, Gy far the greater part of their production, howe#er, is used to
contri+ute to the well(!nown +lended +rands that are sold all o#er the world,
Glending whis!y is a considera+le art ac3uired only after years of e*perience,
A +lend will consist of anything from &I to I% different single whis!ies, com+ined in
the proportions of a formula that is the secret of the +lending company concerned,
1his!ies from different distilleries ha#e a character of their own and, ust as people of
different temperaments are often incompati+le, so some whis!ies cannot +e +lended
with certain others if a satisfactory result is to +e achie#ed, The Malts and -rains in a
+lend must +e chosen to complement and enhance their respecti#e fla#ours, Thus
+lending is in no sense a dilution, +ut the com+ining of li!e with li!e, to produce a
whis!y that +rings out the +est 3ualities of each of its constituent parts,
The o+ecti#e of the +lender is first to produce a whis!y of a definite and recognisa+le
character, It is of the greatest importance that his +lend should ne#er #ary from this
standard which his customers all o#er the world ha#e come to e*pect, His second
o+ecti#e is, therefore, to achie#e consistency,
The +lender must also decide when the different single whis!ies are ready to +e used in
his +lend, They are +rought from the warehouse where they ha#e +een maturing to the
+lending esta+lishment, where they are mi*ed together in a +lending #at, They are
usually returned to cas! and left to 8marry8 for a period of months, +efore +ottling,
4ome companies prefer to #at their Malts and -rains separately and only +ring the two
together +efore +ottling,
The com+ining of Malt with Malt or -rain with -rain is !nown as #atting,
W.&' ,- '.( ;(r4(6'&8( *: M&5' &62 Gr&,6 W.,-/,(- ,6 >5(62(2 S4*'4.
W.,-/03
There is no fi*ed percentage and the proportion differs from one +lender to another, ;o
+rand owner is willing to re#eal the proportions of the different whis!ies used, +ut the
+lender determines the proportion according to the character of the +lend, This
character is determined not only +y the proportions of Malt and -rain 1his!y which it
contains, +ut also +y factors such as the ages of the indi#idual whis!ies and the manner
in which they com+ine to +ring out the finest 3ualities in each other,
W.&' ,- & 2( 59@( >5(62(2 S4*'4. W.,-/03
It is a +lend which contains a higher proportion of carefully selected older and
,therefore, more e*pensi#e whis!ies,
W.(6 '.(r( ,- &6 &8( 5&>(5 *6 & >*''5( *: >5(62(2 +.,-/0 2*(- ,' r(:(r
'* '.( &A(r&8( &8( *: '.( +.,-/,(- ,6 '.&' >5(623
;o, The law re3uires that when the age is declared on a la+el, it must refer to
theyoungest whis!y in the +lend, For e*ample, if a +lend is descri+ed as +eing eight
years old, the youngest whis!y in that +lend must ha#e +een matured for at least eight
years,
T* .*+ 1&60 4*96'r,(- ,- S4*'4. (@;*r'(23
In recent years 4cotch has +een e*ported to a+out &F% different mar!ets all o#er the
world, The maor mar!ets are the 0uropean Community, "4A and >apan ,
How is the alcoholic strength of 4cotch 1his!y measuredK
In common with other 0C countries, on &st >anuary, &F@% Gritain adopted the system
of measurement recommended +y the International Arganisation of Degal Metrology, a
+ody with most maor nations among its mem+ers, The AIMD system measures
alcoholic strength as a percentage of alcohol +y #olume at a temperature of $%JC, It
replaced the 4i!es system of measuring the proof strength of spirits, which had +een
used in Gritain for o#er &7% years ,
W.&' +&- 1(&6' >0 ;r**: -;,r,'3
The Customs and 0*cise Act of &FI$ defined spirits of proof strength as followsE
84pirits shall +e deemed to +e at,proof if the #olume of the ethyl alcohol contained
therein made up to the #olume of the spirits with distilled water has a weight e3ual to
that of twel#e(thirteenths of a #olume of distilled water e3ual to the #olume of the
spirits, the #olume of each li3uid +eing computed as at fifty(one degrees Fahrenheit8,
In other words, proof spirit meant that the spirit at a temperature of I&JF, weighed
e*actly twel#e( thirteenths of a #olume of distilled water e3ual to the #olume of the
spirit, It was, in fact, a mi*ture of spirit and water of a strength of I9,&H of spirit +y
#olume and )$,FH of water,
H*+ +&- +.,-/0 '(-'(2 :*r ;r**: -'r(68'.3
4pirit of proof strength was the technical standard +y which strength was measured
until &st >anuary, &F@%, Hundreds of years ago, spirit of this strength was pro#ed when
whis!y and gunpowder were mi*ed and ignited, If the gunpowder flashed, then there
was enough whis!y in the mi*ture to permit ignition, 4uch whis!y was held to ha#e
+een pro#ed, If the spirit was wea!er than this proof strength ignition did not ta!e
place,
In the &9)%8s, the Customs and 0*cise and the Dondon distillers +egan to use Clar!8s
hydrometer, an instrument de#ised to measure spirit strength, A more accurate #ersion
+y Gartholomew 4i!es was uni#ersally adopted under the Hydrometer Act,&@&@, and
remained in standard use until &F@%,
At what strength is whis!y sold 5a6 at home, 5+6 for e*portK
All whis!y is retailed at a minimum )%H #olume of alcohol for the home mar!et, A
strength of )'H #olume is often found in e*port mar!ets,
H*+ -**6 &:'(r ,' ,- 2,-',55(2 ,- +.,-/0 9-9&550 -*523
The normal practice is for the +lender to +uy the whis!y as soon as it is distilled, It is
then !ept under +ond in warehouses at the distillery to mature until the +lender re3uires
it, Gy law whis!y must mature for a minimum of three years, although in practice the
minimum age is much greater, After +lending, 4cotch 1his!y is usually returned to
cas! and left for a further period of se#eral months to allow the constituent whis!ies to
8marry8, It is then +ottled for sale,

H*+ 2*(- '.( r&'( *: 29'0 *6 S4*'4. W.,-/0 4*1;&r( +,'. '.&' *6
*'.(r &54*.*5,4 5,B9*r-3
The 0*cise :uty paid on mature spirits is the same regardless of whether they are
produced in this country or a+road, 4cotch 1his!y is not protected in any way against
competition from spirits produced o#erseas, e#en those from the countries which
themsel#es discriminate against imports of 4cotch 1his!y,
At the same time 4cotch 1his!y is now much more hea#ily ta*ed than most competing
drin!s, 4cotch 1his!y is therefore discriminated against when competing in the "C
mar!et against imported wines,
The only reduction in the 0*cise :uty since the last century was that made in &F9',
when the rate was lowered to compensate for the e*tra ta*ation which resulted from the
introduction of /alue Added Ta*, Gy contrast, during the last few years more than
once there ha#e +een reductions in the duty on high strength wines such as 4herry and
Bort, on spar!ling wines, on +eer and on Gritish wines which are made largely from
imported grape uice,
H*+ 1&60 >r&62- *: S4*'4. W.,-/0 &r( '.(r(3
There are a+out &%% well(!nown +rands on the home mar!et and many more are
e*ported, +ut it would +e impossi+le to count e#ery +rand of 4cotch 1his!y mar!eted,
Many of them are sold only locally or to pri#ate clu+s and indi#iduals,
1hat are the +est +lendsK
This is entirely a matter of taste, All the well(!nown +rands on the mar!et are +lended
+y e*perts of many years8 e*perience, and consumers can +e confident that in choosing
their fa#ourite they are drin!ing a whis!y consistently +lended to +ring out the +est
characteristics of the Malt and -rain 1his!ies of which it is composed,
H*+ *52 -.*952 '.( >(-' S4*'4. W.,-/0 >(3
It is not possi+le to lay down any precise age as +eing the +est for a particular whis!y,
-enerally spea!ing, Malt 1his!ies re3uire longer to mature fully than -rain 1his!ies,
The law insists that 4cotch 1his!y shall +e at least three years old, and many o#erseas
countries ha#e similar pro#isos #arying from three to fi#e years, It is the practice of the
trade to mature for su+stantially longer than the legal minimum, Malt 1his!ies are
normally matured for up to &I years and sometimes e#en longer, 1hen an age is
3uoted for a +lended whis!y, it is the age of the youngest single Malt or -rain 1his!y
in the +lend, no matter how small the amount, It is ne#er an a#erage,
D*(- S4*'4. W.,-/0 ,6 & >*''5( 5*-( ,'- -'r(68'. +,'. &8(3
Ance +ottled, whis!y does not lose its strength,
D*(- S4*'4. W.,-/0 ,1;r*A( ,6 & >*''5( +.,4. ,- /(;' -(&5(23
;o, There is no change in a whis!y once it has +een +ottled and securely sealed, As
o*ygen in the air cannot get to the whis!y there is no further maturing,
W.&' 4&9-(- W.,-/0 '* 5*-( ,'- >r,8.'6(--3
If the whis!y is reduced to a low temperature or stored in #ery cold conditions it may
+ecome cloudy, +ut this cloudiness will disappear when the whis!y is +rought +ac! to a
normal temperature, It has +een found that when whis!y is actually chilled to
temperatures +elow free<ing(point the cloud formed +ecomes a deposit and if this is
filtered off, the whis!y will then retain its +rightness under all conditions of
temperature, "nfortunately, the remo#al of the deposit produced +y #ery low
temperatures also entails the remo#al of some of the fla#our,
A' +.&' '(1;(r&'9r( ,- +.,-/0 >(-' -(rA(23
This is entirely a matter of personal choice and no rules, such as chilling for certain
wines, can +e laid down, In the "nited Cingdom it is usually ser#ed at room
temperature, +ut in some o#erseas countries the con#ention has grown up of putting ice
in the glass,
W.&' ,- '.( >(-' -.&;( *: & +.,-/0 85&--3
A tum+ler(shaped glass or go+let is pro+a+ly the most con#enient shape, +ut whis!y
does not re3uire any specific shape to enhance its delights and no rigid con#ention has
grown up in this connection,
W.&' ,- '.( 1(&-9r( &' +.,4. S4*'4. W.,-/0 ,- 8(6(r&550 -*52 &4r*--
'.( 4*96'(r3
W.&' ,6:*r1&',*6 19-' >0 5&+ >( 8,A(6 *6 '.( 5&>(5 *: & >*''5( *:
S4*'4. W.,-/0 -*52 ,6 '.( .*1( 1&r/('3
The li3uid measure of the contents, e,g, 9%cl and the strength, e,g, )%H #ol, must +e
stated on the la+el, together with the name and address of the +ottler,
:oes it spoil or impro#e the fla#our of 4cotch 1his!y to put ice into it as
a drin!K
This is entirely a matter of personal taste, 4imilarly to mi* soda water or other soft
drin!s with 4cotch 1his!y is a 3uestion of indi#idual choice,
W.0 2* -*1( ;(*;5( '9r6 & 6(+ >*''5( *: S4*'4. W.,-/0 9;-,2( 2*+6
>(:*r( *;(6,683
This is 3uite unnecessary and can do nothing to impro#e the whis!y, which does not
need to +e turned upside down or sha!en, It is 3uite erroneous to thin! that the essential
constituents settle at the +oOOt,tom, The +lended whis!y is all one weight and is
therefore the same at top or +ottom, The ha+it of coc!tail sha!ing may +e the reason
why one occasionally sees a +ottle turned upside down,
Is it inurious to drin! whis!y with oysters or other shellfishK
;o, This is an ancient superstition for which there is no foundation, A personal
e*periment will furnish the proof,
W.&' ,- '.( &54*.*5,4 -'r(68'. *: S4*'4. W.,-/03
1hen distilled it is usually reduced for filling into cas!s at a strength of 7@,I per cent
of alcohol +y #olume,
The minimum +ottling strength is )% per cent #olume, )' per cent #olume is often
found in e*port mar!ets, with occasional upward #ariations,
W.&' ,- & -,685( +.,-/0K
A single whis!y is the product of one particular distillery,
W.&' ,- 1(&6' >0 -&44.&r,:0K
To saccharify means to con#ert to sugar, In whis!y distilling it refers to the process
which ta!es place during the malting and mash(tun stages +y which en<ymes in the
malt, referred to as diastase, turn the starch in the cereals into sugar ready for the
fermenting action of the yeast,
W.&' ,- +*r'3
1ort is the li3uid drawn off the mash( tun in which the malted and unmalted cereals
ha#e +een mashed with warm water 1ort contains all the sugars of the malt and certain
secondary constituents, After cooling, it is passed to the fermenting #ats,
In Malt distilleries the cereals are all malted? in -rain distilleries a proportion only is
malted, the remainder +eing unmalted, In some cases, -rain distilleries do not separate
off wort, passing the complete mash to the fermentation #essels,
W.&' ,- W&-.3
The wort or mash technically +ecomes wash as soon as yeast is added to start
fermentation Howe#er, the term is usually used to refer to the li3uid at the end of the
fermentation, It I4 the wash which forms the raw material of the first distillation in the
Bot 4till process and of the only distillation in the Batent 4till process
W.&' ,- '.( P*' S',55 2,-',55&',*63
Malt 1his!y is distilled twice ( although a few distilleries may underta!e a third
distillation ( in Bot 4tills which resem+le huge copper !ettles, The spirit is dri#en off
from the fermented li3uid as a #apour and is then condensed +ac! to a li3uid,
In the first distillation the fermented li3uid, or wash, is put into the 1ash 4till, which is
heated either directly +y fire or +y steam(heated coils, At this stage the wash contains
yeast, crude alcohol, some unfermenta+le matter and the +y(products of fermentation,
:uring the process of +oiling the wash, changes ta!e place in its constituents which are
#ital to the fla#our and character of the whis!y,
As the wash +oils, #apours pass up the nec! of the still and then pass through a water(
cooled condenser or a worm, a coiled copper pipe of decreasing diameter enclosed in a
water ac!et through which cold water circulates, This condenses the #apours and the
resulting distillate, !nown as low wines, is collected for re( distilling, The li3uor
remaining in the 1ash 4till is !nown as pot ale or +urnt ale and is usually treated and
con#erted into distillers8 solu+les for animal feed,
The low wines are distilled again in the 4pirit 4till, similar in appearance and
construction to the 1ash 4till +ut smaller +ecause the +ul! of li3uid to +e dealt with is
less, Three fractions are o+tained from the distillation in the 4pirit 4till, The first is
termed foreshots, the second constitutes the pota+le spirit, and the third is called feints,
The foreshots and feints are returned to the process and redistilled in the 4pirit 4till
with the succeeding charge of low wines, The residue in the still, called spent lees, is
run to waste,
In the case of the 4pirit 4till, the design of the still, the height of the head 5or top6 of the
still and the angle of the wide(diameter pipe or Dyne arm, connecting the head to the
condensing unit, are all #ery important and ha#e an effect on the distillate,
The Bot 4till has changed little in general design o#er the centuries,
W.&' ,- '.( +*r13
The worm and its surrounding +ath of cold running water, or worm(tu+, form together
the condenser unit of the Bot 4till process of manufacture, The worm itself is a coiled
copper tu+e of decreasing diameter attached +y the Iyne arm to the head of the Bot 4till
and !ept continuously cold +y running water, In it the #apours from the still condense,
Fed +y the still, it in turn feeds the recei#ing #essel with the condensed distillate,
The worm is +eing replaced gradually +y the more modern tu+ular condenser,
W.&' &r( 5*+ +,6(-3
This is the name gi#en to the product of the first distillation in the Bot 4till process of
manufacture, It is the distillate deri#ed from the wash and contains all the alcohol and
secondary constituents and some water, It forms the raw material of the second
distillation, which is carried out in the 4pirit 4till, The feints and foreshots are added to
the low wines when the 4pirit 4till is charged,
W.&' &r( :*r(-.*'-3
Foreshots is the term applied to the first fraction of the distillate recei#ed during the
distillation of the low wines in the 4pirit 4till used in the Bot 4till process of
manufacture, They form the first raw runnings of this second distillation and their
collection is terminated +y the udgment of the stillman, The following fraction of the
distillate is the pota+le spirit,
The foreshots are returned to the still, together with the feints,
,
S4*'4. W.,-/0 &62 H(&5'.
I- &54*.*5 8**2 :*r .(&5'.3
Yes, .esearch carried out in se#eral countries has shown that drin!ing in moderation
can +e +eneficial, This has +een endorsed in a report +y the Gritish Medical
Association which states that up to '% grams of alcohol a day ( the e3ui#alent of four
single whis!ies ( can help protect against heart disease, Alcohol can also help relie#e
stress and promote appetite and sleep, especially among the elderly, At the same time
the 4cotch 1his!y Industry recognises that misuse of alcohol can not only damage
health in a num+er of ways, +ut may cause domestic and financial pro+lems,
B*9r>*6 W.,-/0
A S.*r' H,-'*r0 O: K(6'94/0 B*9r>*6
Although Gour+on can +e produced anywhere in the "nited 4tates, it is typically
produced in Centuc!y? and it is indigenous to America, 4o indigenous that, in &F7I,
Congress passed a resolution ma!ing Gour+on whis!y a distincti#e national product, a
uni3ue American product,
The proclamation, as welcome as it was, did nothing more than affirm the o#er $%%
year history of Gour+on whis!y, It has +een part of this nation8s history, and dates to
Colonial times,
E&r50 B(8,66,68-
Darge num+ers of 4cotch(Irish fled 0ngland in the early &9%%8s for #arious reasons?
some to practice a religion independent of the Anglican Church, others to a#oid
retri+ution for de+ts, and a num+er to escape po#erty and difficult farming conditions,
Many settled in the #ast regions of /irginia and Bennsyl#ania, parts of which
e#entually +ecame the state of Centuc!y,
Initially, a large tract of land that would later +ecome Centuc!y was set aside +y
America8s first Congress and named Gour+on County, honoring France8s rulers, the
House of Gour+on, in homage to the French who had pro#ided #alua+le assistance in
the Colonial struggle against the Gritish, Gut frontiersmen needed moti#ation to
#enture west of 1illiams+urg and Bhiladelphia and to coloni<e the area, And, during
the late &9%%8s, America needed a sturdy mechanism to nurture the independence her
freedom fighters had won, The moti#e +ecame land ownership,
Thomas >efferson encouraged e*pansion and property ownership in this newly anne*ed
territory, 1hile -o#ernor of /irginia, he offered 7% free acres in Gour+on County to
any man, pro#ided he would plant corn, a nati#e American crop that flourished in the
region8s rich limestone shelf, The area also had a+undant reser#es of spring water, a
naturally pure supply that had filtered through limestone deposits and was low in iron
and other minerals that affect the taste and 3uality of water, A num+er of people sei<ed
the opportunity and mo#ed(westward settling in Gour+on County,
W.&' I- D*6( W,'. B&rr(5- T.&' C&66*' B( R(9-(23
The used +arrels are sold to distilleries in Ireland and 4cotland, 4ome distilleries seem
to ha#e specific clients for their +arrels while others ust claim to sell in Ireland or
4cotland, 4ome American distilleries are owned +y large concerns which ha#e
distilling interests in +oth Ireland and 4cotland and their +arrels generally go to them,
F,55,68 &62 D91;,68
Filling of the +arrels is done mechanically and only ta!es a+out a minute or less, The
+arrel hole is then stoppered with a +ung which is pounded in to the le#el of the sta#e,
Most of the distilleries use poplar wood for the +ung,
The +arrels are continuously sampled during the aging period and are not 2dumped2
until fully matured 5according to each distilleries standards6, The dumping ta!es place
on long troughs, The +arrels ride on the trough 5see illustration6, the +ungs are remo#ed
and the +arrel rotated until the hole is on the +ottom and the whis!y pours out, Along
with the whis!y, a considera+le amount of charred wood is remo#ed as well, The char
is loosened o#er the years of mo#ement of the whis!y in and out and +y the physical
mo#ing of the +arrels, either for rotation andMor for remo#al from the warehouse,
Following dumping, the contents of the +arrels are mi*ed together, This is where the
selection of the +arrels for dumping is critical since the +arrels in the warehouse do not
mature at the same rate, The distillery may dump &,%%% or more +arrels per day and the
product from day to day must remain consistent, Following mi*ing, the whis!y is sent
to the +ottling line,
T(66(--(( W.,-/0 *r T(66(--(( S*9r M&-.
Charcoal filtration is the distinguishing production techni3ue of Tennessee whis!y,
Tennessee filtering is uni3ue in two respectsE
:one +efore wood maturation,
It is such an e*hausti#e process,
Athers may do some filtering +ut often after wood aging and ne#er through a filter &%
feet deepNN
There is considera+le leaching out of fusel oils? thus these are not oily tasting whis!ies
5relati#e to Centuc!y Gour+on6 +ut some feel that they may lose some fla#or
characteristics during the filtering,
The charred sugar maple may also add some fla#ors of its own, For e*ample, some find
a faint +ut distincti#e smo!iness in >ac! :aniel8s,
Getween the two Tennessee distilleries, >ac! :aniel8s is a little hea#ier with a slight,
pleasant oiliness of +ody, -eorge :ic!el whis!ies are lighter and #ery aromatic, with
the typical #anilla +ou3uet of the +arrel, Tennessee whis!ies in general are regarded as
a little drier than are Centuc!y Gour+ons,
>ac! :aniel8s Glac! Da+el is F% proof, -reen Da+el is @7,) proof, Goth are +etween )
and I years old +ut neither carry an age statement,
>ac! :aniel8s ma!es Dem Motlow8s Tennessee 4our Mash, It is one year old, F% proof
and is intended for the Tennessee and -eorgia mar!ets, They also ma!e -entleman
>ac!? a high end product which is gi#en a second filtration, following maturation,
1ith -eorge :ic!el, the +lac! is @7,@ and the i#ory la+el P F% proof, Goth are more
than four years old with no age statement,
The two distilleries are less than &% miles apart? :aniel8s in Dynch+urg, and :ic!el in
Tullahoma,
B*9r>*6 W.,-/0 Br&62 D(-4r,;',*6-
Bourbon Heritage Sampler PackE -roup of I American whis!ies including I,1,
Harper 5&I(year(old Centuc!y straight +our+on, @% proof6, -eorge :ic!el 4pecial
Garrel .eser#e 5&%(year(old Tennessee whis!ey, @7 proof6, Ald Charter Broprietor8s
.eser#e 5&'(year(old Centuc!y straight +our+on, F% proof6, Ald Fit<gerald /ery
4pecial 5&$(year(old Centuc!y straight +our+on, F% proof6 and 1,D, 1eller Centennial
5&%(year(old Centuc!y straight +our+on, &%% proof6, These are considered super
premium +our+ons,
Baker's BourbonE A small +atch Centuc!y +our+on, Ga!er8s Gour+on uses a special
strain of ug yeast that has +een in Ga!er8s family for o#er si*ty years, This pro#ides
Ga!er8s with a smooth te*ture and consistent taste from +atch to +atch, Ga!er8s has a
cognac(li!e 3uality and is made for sipping, Aged 9 years in new oa! cas!s, :eep
am+erMtawny color, Aromas of #anilla, caramel and cherries, Fla#ors of roasted nuts,
ripe fruit and #anilla, 4weet, medium(long finish with hints of +anana, Cindred 4pirits
gi#es it a QQQQ 5highly recommended6 rating, &%9 proof,
Basil Hayden's BourbonE A small +atch +our+on made in Centuc!y using larger
percentages of rye and +arley in its mash, A hint of peppermint is added, A light(
+odied +our+on, aged for eight years, 84pirit >ournal8 says it is 8lo#ely,,, with simple
notes of spice and apple,8 81ine 0nthusiast8 gi#es it a sil#er medal8, Grief, dry finish,
Blanton Single Barrel BourbonE Deestown, ma!ers of Ancient Age, produces a limited
reser#e Gour+on whis!ey, and its ma!ers understand that efficiency and maturity don8t
necessarily coe*ist in the world of fine spirits, The product ta!es its own time to
mature, which can +e costly, "nli!e other Gour+ons, Glanton8s is a 4ingle Garrel
Gour+on, aged and +ottled un+lended, It is not mi*ed with Gour+on from other +arrels,
or of other ages, The product emanates from one +arrel, each one made of (charred new
American oa!, And its age could +e as old as ten, e#en &$ years, it ust depends with
each +arrel,
4ingle Garrel Gour+on +y Glanton8s #aria+le aging period accounts for its consistently
smooth taste, from one year to another, from one +ottle to the ne*t, At Glanton, each
+arrel is monitored for the optimum time at which the li3uid has matured, Then, and no
sooner or later, is the Gour+on ripe for +ottling,
That lea#es the +ul! of responsi+ility to the Glanton master distiller, who marries his
s!ills with those of nature, It is he who decides the e*act moment at which the Gour+on
has e*tracted enough fla#or from the +arrels, It is he who determines e*actly how
smooth and mellow the Gour+on is to ensure the Glanton pedigree,
4i* 4ignificant 4teps Toward Ma!ing 4ingle Garrel Gour+on Gy Glanton
The production process of 4ingle Garrel Gour+on +y Glanton e*plain why this limited
reser#e is a lu*ury in the world of fine spirits, Gorn of essential elements ( clean water
and corn ( Glanton maintains the highest procedures and standards in the whis!ey
industry, Here are the important steps in the process,
&, C**/,68 . Corn, rye and +arley malt are the principal grains of Glanton, Their
3uality is inspected, and they are ground through a hammer mill into meal,
Then they are treated to con#ert the solid mass of starch into a more solu+le
su+stance, which can +ecome sugar, and su+se3uently, alcohol,
$, Corn is then coo!ed in Centuc!y limestone water, within pressure coo!ers to
+rea! down cellulose walls that separate the starch granules in the corn, The
starch a+sor+s the water and +ecomes a gelatin(li!e su+stance, Ance the corn is
coo!ed, smaller +atches of the other grains are added, as a seasoning for the
Gour+on,
', M&-.,68 . A mashing machine homogeni<es the thic!, gooey li3uid, called
2+eer,2 The +eer, in turn, is recycled se#eral times,
), F(r1(6'&',*6 . Yeast is added to +egin fermentation, and the sugars are
con#erted to alcohol o#er a period of three to four days,
I, D,-',55&',*6 . This process e*tracts alcohol from the +eer, The fermented +eer
52wash2 in the case of 4cotch whis!ies6 is continuously distilled, That is, it
passes slowly through perforated plates of a large steel column or still, As the
+eer descends through the plates, it is continuously +oiled +y rising #apor,
1hen it reaches the +ottom of the column, the alcohol has +urned off, and
water and solids remain, It is during this time that important fla#oring agents
are formed, The li3uid is transferred to large tan!s in the cistern room and
pumped into +arrels, each holding I' gallons,
7, M&'9r&',*6C *r A8,68 , This is the mellowing of the Gour+on in charred new
oa! +arrels, The Gour+on has no aging statement, There8s no set rule +eyond
that to determine the Gour+on8s precise point of maturity, which is why the role
of the master distiller is so important,
G5*--&r0 *: W.,-/0 T(r1-
Age, Aging ( The period of storage, in +arrels, after distillation and +efore +ottling? the
mellowing, maturing and de#eloping of a distincti#e character while a ( whis!ey is 2on
wood,2 Minimum aging re3uirement for Gour+on is two years,
American Blended Whiskey: A +lend of which at least $%H is &%% proof straight
whis!ey, The rest of the +lend may include other whis!ey andMor grain neutral spirits,
A small amount of sherry may also +e added,
Beer, or Distiller's Beer, also !nown as Fermented 1ort ( An alcoholic mi*ture made
+y fermenting finely ground grain, which is then distilled,
Blend ( The mi*ture of #arious percentages of straight whis!eys? or of straight
whis!eys with neutral spirits, "nder present law, a +lended whis!ey must contain at
least $% percent +y #olume of &%%(proof straight whis!ey, The resulting mi*ture must
proof at not less than eighty,
Blended Bourbon Whiskey ( Must +e at least I& percent +y #olume straight Gour+on
whis!ey? the rest grain neutral spirits,
Blended Canadian Whisky: A blend of grain whiskies.
Blended Corn Whiskey ( 1his!ey and grain neutral spirits, at least I&percent straight
corn whis!ey,
Blended Scotch Whisky; Blended Irish WhiskeyE A +lend of malt and grain whis!ies,
Bonded Bourbon WhiskeyE Gonding dates to the early days of +ottling when a law
5&@F)6 permitted distillers to warehouse pac!aged whis!y without paying ta* until it
was released for sale, The strength standard was &%% proof and this is still referred to as
bottled in bond,
Bourbon 'n Branch - Bourbon 'n Spring Water, Traditionally a way of ordering one8s
preferred +e#erage in the 4outh,
Bourbon Whiskey7 Made in the "nited 4tates from a fermented mash containing at
least I&H corn, It must +e produced at no more than &7% proof, stored in new charred
oa! +arrels at no more than &$I degrees, and +ottled at no less than @% proof,
Char - The result of +urning the interior of whis!ey +arrels used for aging spirits, The
char imparts color and nurtures de#elopment of caramel and #anillin fla#ors,
characteristic of Gour+on,
ermentation - The con#ersion of sugar into alcohol prior to distillation,
!rain WhiskyE Broduced from a grain mi*ture containing corn, rye, andMor wheat as
well as malted +arley, This is whisky in the "nited 4tates and Canada? in 4cotland and
Ireland, it is called grain whisky or whiskey!.
"alt - :ried, sprouted grain, usually +arley, introduced into a watery mi*ture with the
ground(up grain, to turn starch into fermenta+le sugar,
"alt WhiskyE 1his!y made entirely from malted +arley, In 4cotland and Ireland, these
would +e their straight whis!ies,
"ash ( The starchy material that +ecomes distillate after it has +een su+ected to the
action of water, heat, stirring and fermentation,
"oonshine7 :istilled spirits produced in an unlicensed, unregulated still and without
payment of ta*es, and hence, illegal, 4eldom aged, and produced from anything that
will ferment,
#eutral Spirit7 Any spirit distilled at &F% proof or higher? should contain no noticea+le
aroma, fla#or or character,
ProhibitionE ;ational Brohi+ition in the ",4, ran from roughly >anuary, &F&F through
:ecem+er, &F'', :uring that period, +e#erage alcohol could not +e legally produced,
transported or sold, Dimited e*ceptions were for medical purposes, 1idespread
defiance of Brohi+ition led to the growth of popularity in the ",4, of 4cotch and
Canadian 1his!y, which were imported illegally,
Proo$ - A statement of alcoholic strength, The proof num+er is twice the percentage of
alcohol +y #olume, 0*ampleE a Gour+on mar!ed &%% proof contains I% percent alcohol,
The remainder is water,
Single Barrel Bourbon WhiskeyE A +ottling of +our+on whis!ey from a single +arrel,
Small Batch Bourbon WhiskeysE Marrying together +our+on whis!ey from a small
num+er of specially selected +arrels, Gecause +our+on ages differently at different
locations in the rac! house, the marrying together of whis!ey from selected +arrels
assures the consistency of their uni3ue fla#or and character,
Sour "ashE A process de#eloped +y :r, >ames C, Crow a+out &@)% to pro#ide
uniformity in +our+on production, A portion of the pre#ious day8s mash is added to
new mash to ensure consistent 3uality and character,
Spent Beer ( The distiller8s +eer after the alcohol has +een remo#ed? also called slop or
stillage, Formerly used wet to feed stoc!, now dried and mar!eted as cattle feed,
Still7 An apparatus, usually made of copper, in which the distiller8s +eer is purified +y
means of heating the li3uid to at least &97 degrees Fahrenheit, +ut less than $&$ degrees
Fahrenheit, Gecause alcohol +oils at a temperature lower than water, the alcohol can +e
e#aporated, collected, and condensed,
Straight Whiskey7 1his!ey distilled at not more than &7% proof, aged at least $ years
in new charred oa! +arrels and +ottled no less than @% proof, 4traight whis!ey includes
mi*tures of straight whis!eys of the same type produced in the same state,
%ennessee WhiskeyE 4traight whis!ey distilled in Tennessee from a fermented mash
containing at least I&H corn, then filtered through maple charcoal +efore aging,
2Tennessee 1his!ey2 is recogni<ed as a distinct whis!ey type, It is not +our+on
whis!ey,
Whiskey ( The most general name of all, ne#er found alone on +ottles, A la+el which
carries any other term ( 4traight, Glended, Gour+on, etc, must, of course, fulfill the
re3uirements for whis!ey as well as for the other terms it carries, According to the
Federal -o#ernment, whis!ey is 2an alcoholic distillate from a fermented mash of
grain distilled at less than &F% proof in such a manner that the distillate will ha#e the
taste, aroma, and characteristics generally attri+uted to whis!ey, and withdrawn from
the cistern room of the distillery at not more than &&% proof and not less than @% proof
and is further reduced +efore +ottling to not less than @% proof,2
White "ogE "naged distillate, ust as it comes from the still, is colorless, Also !nown as
2green whis!ey2 or 2high wine,2
;otes on :istilleries /isitsE
#akers #ark 5Doretto, CY6
-rain Mi*tureE
Corn P 9%H
1heat P &7H
Garley Malt P &)H
Aged ) to @ years? +ottled according to taste, 1hen they feel it is ready, it is +ottled,
Therefore, there are no age statements on Ma!ers Mar!, Three tasters are used to ma!e
the decision, The a#erage is usually a+out I,I to 7 years,
The sealing wa* has a plastic +ase and is heated to &'% degrees F, The wor!ers are
e*pected to dip $' +ottles 59I% ml6 per minute,
In &@&&, there were o#er $,%%% distilleries in CY, today F,
MM uses cypress fermentation #ats with a capacity of F,7I@ gallons, They ha#e @ of
them,
:istillationE
Dow wine P &$% proof
:ou+ler P &'% proof
&im Beam (C5(r1*6'C KY)
I7 warehouses
$%,%%% ++ls each
Currently at F7H of capacity,
Incoming grain 5corn, rye, +arley malt6 truc!s are sampled in 9 locations,
Another term for sour mash is +ac!set,
4our mash is used +ecauseE
It sa#es on the use of water,
It pro#ides nutrients which may not +e in the water,
It helps the fermentation,
>im Geam uses )&H +ac!set for fermentation,
The process is to add the +ac!set, then the corn, then the premalt, They heat +y steam
to sterili<e the mash and KK the starch, The mi*ture is then cooled and rye is added
5they want to a#oid high temperatures with the rye6, Following the rye the malted
+arley is added which con#erts the starches to sugar, It is then cooled rapidly and sent
to stainless steel fermentation tan!s,
It will ferment for ' to ) days 5'() day +eer6, The fermentation is controlled +y
temperature,
Yeast, .eferred to as 2ug2 yeast, They use the same yeast as used $%% years ago, Ta!e
a $% gallon mil! can, add hops e*tract and inoculate with a pre#ious yeast mi*ture and
transfer to a yeast tan!, They use a ',%%% gallon tan! wee!ly, The yeast is then mi*ed
with the cooled mash as it goes into the fermenter, Anly >im Geam and Hea#en Hill do
this? the others add the yeast to the fermenter after the mash has +een added, The result
is +eer and is stored in what they call a 2+eer well,2
The first distillation, in I story column stills, is called 2low wine2 and is &$I proof,
This is distilled a second time in the 2dou+ler2 at &'I proof, The first distillation is
done with steam and it e*tracts the #arious constituents indiscriminately? thus the use
of a dou+ler,
CharE grade R' to ) on sta#es and grade R' on topM+ottom of +arrel,
>G distills 9%% +arrels per day, They ha#e three men in the &,%%% +arrel clu+, This
means that they ha#e filled &,%%% or more +arrels in one day,
"se poplar +ungs,
All their water comes from the >im Geam la!e which has a capacity of 7@ million
gallons, They also ha#e the use of another la!e with a $@ million gallon capacity, Goth
la!es ha#e limestone su+strates, This contri+utes to the sweetness of the +our+on,
>G pro+a+ly use more malt than some others, -rand :ad, for e*ample, has more small
grains than does >im Geam +our+on,
&ack Daniel's (L064.>9r8C TN)
$%,%%% ++sMwarehouse,
:istill at &)% proof? age at &&% proof,
) years old,
Charcoal FilteringE The charcoal has a life of @(&$ wee!s and then must +e replaced,
The charcoal is made from hard maple trees that grow in the area, They are called
maple ric!s and are +urned for $,I hours, They must +e continuously tended during the
+urning and soa!ed down with hoses from time to time to control the +urn, It ta!es $)
hours for the whis!y to filter through the new charcoal, The charcoal #ats are @ feet in
diameter and &% feet deep,
"se grade R' +urn on +arrels,
@%H corn? &$H rye? @H +arley,
Filtered twice? once again following aging, The details of the second filtering are a
trade secret,
mlMliter6 can lose ,I proof,