Weekly Buzz: Small Batch Bourbon
December 23, 2011, By Jack Heffron 0 comments
With our offices located right across the Ohio River from Kentucky, we here at Man of the House tend to take for granted our easy access to the bourbon center of the universe. We don't take for granted, however, the quality of this truly American whiskey.
Lately people all over the country have been hearing more about small-batch bourbons as well as single-barrel bourbons. These liquors don't sell as well as the latest trendy vodkas, favored by college students and the young party crowd, but true connoisseurs and myriad wannabes are clamoring about them.
And have been for a while, actually. These super-premium brands began stirring up a little fuss as far back as the 1990s, when seeing the brand-centric trends in vodka and tequila begin to dominate the market, and while fighting off The Scottish Invasion of single malts, bourbon distillers figured they should make a move. They'd been making a few small-batch and single-barrel products since the 1980s but hadn't pushed them beyond a selective niche market.
To give you the basics: To be considered a bourbon, the whiskey must be made in the United States, though according to kentuckybarrels.com 95 percent is made in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where the iron-free waters run through limestone, ideal for creating bourbon's unique flavor. Contrary to popular myth, it doesn't have to be made in Kentucky. (For more whiskey debunking, check out Chuck Cowdery's blog here.) Bourbon does have to be aged in new charred oak barrels, from which it gains its amber color. It also must contain at least 51 percent corn and be at least 80 proof.
In terms of its social standing—and market value—bourbon has come a long way. For many decades, bourbon was considered a down-market drink, the poor relation of scotch and Canadian blended whiskeys. Check out a copy of "Esquire" magazine from the '40s, '50s and '60s, and you'll see endless ads for blended whiskey, touted for being "light" and "smooth." You won't find many bourbon ads. If there was actually whiskey in the fancy office decanters on "Mad Men," it would be a Canadian blend.
Bourbon earned its bad rep after Prohibition ended in 1933. Scotch and blended Canadians flooded the market, along with gin and vodka, while American bourbon makers had to fire up the distilleries and begin from square one. To survive, they rushed the process, making an inferior product known to be harsh and tasteless. Though they eventually got it right, creating such quality bourbons as Wild Turkey and Maker's Mark, for many years bourbon was what the town drunk in movies and on TV—and, often, in real life—glugged out of a pint bottle. It wasn't until the 1970s that bourbon re-established its reputation for high quality.
Small-batch bourbons enhanced that reputation. They are made, obviously, in smaller batches than their label kin and are aged longer, creating a richer, smoother taste. The master distiller selects what he deems the best barrels of aging bourbon in the warehouse, and these are then set aside for longer aging and eventual blending together. The best brands of small-batch bourbons include Woodford Reserve, Booker's, Baker's, Basil Hayden's and Knob Creek.
Single-barrel bourbons undergo an even more refined selection process. As the name suggests, they are made from the single barrel that the master distiller chooses as the best in the warehouse. Some experts feel that single barrel bourbons will vary too widely from year to year to be reliably consistent, while others celebrate the uniqueness. The best single-barrel bourbons include Four Roses, Elijah Craig and Kentucky Spirit.
Small-batch and single-barrel bourbons tend to have a higher proof and are aged seven to 10 years, sometimes even longer, while the more mass-produced brand usually is aged four or five years. For a good primer on how these specialty bourbons are distilled, check out this article from straightbourbon.com.
The boutique brands also feature beautifully designed bottles and labels, as well as a higher price, though given the steadily increasing sales, people don't mind paying it. Bourbon now has a snob appeal all its own. It has moved from the back pocket of Mayberry's Otis Campbell to the snootiest restaurants and bars in the world.
