Tag: bourbon

  • What is a Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey?

    Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon WhiskeyI was about to casually add a product to the New Booze page when I realized I didn't know what it was: Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 

    I thought that "blended" and "straight" whiskey were at odds with each other, as blended whiskeys must contain at least 20% straight whiskeys in their blend.  

    The press release doesn't address what is a blended straight bourbon is in the description: 

    With four times more malted barley than conventional recipes and a slow cut proofing process which allows more time for flavors to marry between proofing stages, the Old Elk Bourbon recipe transcends tradition to craft a rich, smooth bourbon. 

    “We use traditional ingredients – malted barley, corn and rye – in an innovative, yet steadfast recipe to create a bourbon with smooth, rich flavors that act in harmony with caramel cues brought out by the charred barrels and spicy rye notes,” said Greg Metze, Master Distiller at Old Elk Distillery. “After testing a variety of proofing periods, we found that these flavors come together in a smoother bourbon when the proofing stages are longer. Instead of taking the usual 24 to 48 hours for proofing, we use a slow cut proofing process during which full-barrel proof bourbon is cut and left to rest – and we repeat this patient technique until the ideal character is achieved. It takes significantly longer than most common recipes, but taking the time to proof slowly makes all the difference.” 

     (SRP $49.99), now available in Colorado and California

    So I looked it up. 

    According to the US Government

    (5)(i) ‘‘A blend of straight whiskies’’
    (blended straight whiskies) is a mixture
    of straight whiskies which does
    not conform to the standard of identify
    for ‘‘straight whisky.’’ Products so designated
    may contain harmless coloring,
    flavoring, or blending materials as
    set forth in 27 CFR 5.23(a).
    (ii) ‘‘A blend of straight whiskies’’
    (blended straight whiskies) consisting
    entirely of one of the types of straight
    whisky, and not conforming to the
    standard for straight whisky, shall be
    further designated by that specific type
    of straight whisky; for example, ‘‘a
    blend of straight rye whiskies’’ (blended
    straight rye whiskies). ‘‘A blend of
    straight whiskies’’ consisting entirely
    of one of the types of straight whisky
    shall include straight whisky of the
    same type which was produced in the
    same State or by the same proprietor
    within the same State, provided that
    such whisky contains harmless coloring,
    flavoring, or blending materials as
    stated in 27 CFR 5.23(a).

    So a blended straight bourbon whiskey like this is a blend of straight bourbons that may contain coloring, flavoring, or blending materials. 

     

     Update: A PR representative for the brand clarified that although Old Elk could legally use additives in its formulation according to the whiskey category it is in, they do not. They wrote:

    Long story short:

    • Old Elk Bourbon conforms to Section 2 Grain Spirits (1)(i) Bourbon Whisky
    • Old Elk Bourbon also conforms to Section 2 Grain Spirits (1)(iii) as a “Straight Bourbon Whisky” except that it is a blend of straight bourbon whiskies from other states, not the same state.
    • Therefore, Old Elk Bourbon is relegated to Section 5 (ii) “A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies” which allows the use of coloring, flavoring or blending materials but does not mandate it.

    Old Elk Bourbon does not use additives, but still falls under the “Straight Bourbon Whiskey” designation since the bourbon whiskies used in the blend were produced in three different states (Colorado, New York and Indiana). They do plan to change that, as they’re expanding their distillery in Colorado.

     

  • Sensors in the Whiskey Warehouse Sending Data in Real-Time

    In my latest story for SevenFifty Daily, I wrote about new temperature and humidity sensors installed in warehouses at Buffalo Trace, and what those could mean for studying aging of spirits and adjusting future blends.

    Check it out here.

    Bt

  • Turkey Cocktail

    OldFashionedMedRes_lg In my latest post on FineCooking.com, I tell the tale of a recent Thanksgiving tradition: drinking Wild Turkey. 

    I also link to my experiments with Wild Tofurkey and share a new-fangled Old Fashioned recipe from the brand.

    Check it out here.