Achtung! Is Your Bourbon Legit?

mikesr1963

Gonna walk my dog, you?
I was watching a show a couple weeks ago where they were showing this distillery in Iowa (maybe Utah) that use to be owned by Seagram's distillery. They're making Whiskey there they call bourbon and selling it to these small/short run companies who then take it back to Kentucky add what it is that they do and then bottle it as Kentucky bourbon. Now, while I'm a fan of bourbon and scotch, I'm a little bit of a snob when it comes to how and were it's distilled, aged and bottled. Seems dishonest to me if the same company didn't make the mash, distill it, store and age it, and bottle it. What say you. I have to work and while and will check back later. Have a drink on me.
 
The distillery is in Indiana, and there has been some fantastic bourbon coming out of it for 3-5 years, now. Generally, I don't see anything wrong with it. It's still Bourbon as long as it's made in the US and meets the other requirements with regard to recipe and process.

When Heaven Hill had a fire several years back, they lost millions of gallons of whiskey, and some of their neighbors stepped up and helped them out. On the other hand, a lot of the smaller distilleries have been rebranding this massive batch stuff as small batch, boutique bourbon, and that seems wrong.
 
I can see both sides of the arguement.

I would be horrified to learn Lagavulin or another premium scotch was not producing their own centuries-old recipe and techniques.
(I did hear somewhere along the line that MacAllan 12 year scotch is being bottled and sold as the Costco brand.....don't know if that is true or not.)

That being said, mash is mash and pure alcohol is pure alcohol, so what difference does it make, as long as it ages the 7 years (or whatever it is) in a charred oak barrel and meets the requirements to be called a "bourbon"?

Hell, moonshine is just alcohol with zero aging.
 
I can see both sides of the arguement.

I would be horrified to learn Lagavulin or another premium scotch was not producing their own centuries-old recipe and techniques.
(I did hear somewhere along the line that MacAllan 12 year scotch is being bottled and sold as the Costco brand.....don't know if that is true or not.)

That being said, mash is mash and pure alcohol is pure alcohol, so what difference does it make, as long as it ages the 7 years (or whatever it is) in a charred oak barrel and meets the requirements to be called a "bourbon"?

Hell, moonshine is just alcohol with zero aging.

Mashes, yeasts, barrels, warehouses, etc. vary by a lot actually. Even the same batch can vary a lot from barrel to barrel just because of the wood, location in the warehouse, etc.
Moonshine is usually all corn, for example, and yes it is unaged. Bourbon grain bills will have varying amounts of corn, malted barley, and usually either rye or wheat.
And bourbon cannot be distilled to a pure state. The law requires it get distilled only to 160 proof to ensure it keeps some flavor from the mash.
 
I know for a fact that George Dickel Rye is the Indiana rye with an added charcoal filtration step. It's tasty stuff. Just know what you're getting and don't overpay.
 
i'm pretty sure Buffalo Trace is made right there in Kentucky. in fact, it's a pretty old distillery and makes several other brands also.
 
Fond this on the Wik:
Legal requirements[edit]
Bourbon's legal definition varies somewhat from country to country, but many trade agreements require the name bourbon to be reserved for products made in the United States. The U.S. regulations for labeling and advertising bourbon apply only to products made for consumption within the United States; they do not apply to distilled spirits made for export.[16] Canadian law requires products labeled bourbon to be made in the United States and also to conform to the requirements that apply within the United States. But in countries other than the United States and Canada, products labeled bourbon may not adhere to the same standards. For example, in the European Union, products labeled as bourbon are not required to conform to all of the regulations that apply within the United States, though they still must be made in the U.S.

The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits (27 C.F.R. 5) state that bourbon made for U.S. consumption[16] must be:

Bourbon has no minimum specified duration for its aging period.[19] Products aged for as little as three months are sold as bourbon.[20] The exception is straight bourbon, which has a minimum aging requirement of two years. In addition, any bourbon aged less than four years must state the age of the spirit on the bottle.[21]

Bourbon that meets the above requirements, has been aged for a minimum of two years, and does not have added coloring, flavoring, or other spirits may (but is not required to) be called straight bourbon.[22]

  • Bourbon that is labeled as straight that has been aged under four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.[23]
  • Bourbon that has an age stated on its label must be labeled with the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle (not counting the age of any added neutral grain spirits in a bourbon that is labeled as blended, as neutral-grain spirits are not considered whiskey under the regulations and are not required to be aged at all).[24]
Bourbon that is labeled blended (or as a blend) may contain added coloring, flavoring, and other spirits (such as un-aged neutral grain spirits); but at least 51% of the product must be straight bourbon.[25][26]
 
I've got no problem with a bottler buying their bourbon or rye from LDI. What I don't like is when they try and pass themselves off as a craft distiller and obscure the fact....Chuck Cowdery coined the term Potemkin Distillery back in 2010 to describe these new craft distillers http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2010/02/potemkin-craft-distilleries.html Some companies, like Smooth Ambler, have been totally up front about out sourcing their 'juice' while they waited for their barrels to mature and release their own product. Others.....Templeton, I'm looking at you....have been less than forthright in the past.

Anywho, this is considered a pretty comprehensive accounting of what's up:

http://recenteats.blogspot.com/p/the-complete-list-of-american-whiskey.html#Distilleries
http://recenteats.blogspot.com/p/the-complete-list-of-american-whiskey.html#Independents
 
I checked the list out and looked up Belmont Farms. There local and I've know them for years. I contacted them and confirmed they have not sold nor are they under new ownership as reported in the links. Nor do they intend to sell. Virginia Lightening is an awesome tasting moonshine that sips well, I've consumed several bottles over the years and it's made a few miles from my home.

I've got no problem with a bottler buying their bourbon or rye from LDI. What I don't like is when they try and pass themselves off as a craft distiller and obscure the fact....Chuck Cowdery coined the term Potemkin Distillery back in 2010 to describe these new craft distillers http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2010/02/potemkin-craft-distilleries.html Some companies, like Smooth Ambler, have been totally up front about out sourcing their 'juice' while they waited for their barrels to mature and release their own product. Others.....Templeton, I'm looking at you....have been less than forthright in the past.

Anywho, this is considered a pretty comprehensive accounting of what's up:

http://recenteats.blogspot.com/p/the-complete-list-of-american-whiskey.html#Distilleries
http://recenteats.blogspot.com/p/the-complete-list-of-american-whiskey.html#Independents
 
I've read that some of the "craft" whiskeys are the same as the lower priced brands but just relabeled and the price tripled. The same distillery make a lot of them.

This is what I have at the moment. I quite like it.

$19 or so a bottle...

Jim-Beam-White-Label-Bourbon-Whiskey-10l.jpg
 
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Back in my youth when I use to drink bourbon with coke all the time Jim Beam was my go to. I really enjoy the Beam.

I've read that some of the "craft" whiskeys are the same as the lower priced brands but just relabeled and the price tripled. The same distillery make a lot of them.

This is what I have at the moment. I quite like it.

$19 or so a bottle...

Jim-Beam-White-Label-Bourbon-Whiskey-10l.jpg
 
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