Whiskey, not Whisky

All whiskies and whiskeys, whether Scottish, Irish, or American, hit a huge snag in the 1920s: Prohibition. Scotland dealt with this "inconvenient legality" by (hush-hush) co-operating with bootleggers smuggling from the Caribbean; Ireland didn't deal with it by refusing to co-operate with bootleggers; and it dealt American whiskey an almost fatal blow, which it hadn't really recovered from until the last twenty years. American whiskey is finally back again, its full-flavoured, slightly sweet style and range of base materials fitting in with the fashion for powerful single malts, but it's been a struggle.

a little history

Whiskey has been made in the States since the mid-eighteenth century; at first, the base material was rye, but corn was plentiful and affordable and became the core ingredient for most whiskeys. With the advent of railways, the nineteenth century saw whiskey grow commercially. There was only one thing holding American whiskey back: the temperance movement, which just happened to be strongest in the best whiskey-producing states. By 1915, twenty states were "dry"; whiskey production stopped completely on the US's entry into the First World War; and in 1920, Prohibition began. Were it not for Prohibition, it's easy to speculate that whiskey, and not whisky, would be the dominant style around the world.

After the repeal of Prohibition, the Second World War inconveniently got in the way; once things got back to normal in the 1950s, the American palate had forgotten how to appreciate the rich, full flavours of whiskey. So the rebirth of the American whiskey industry is relatively recent, in part fuelled by cocktails like the Manhattan, as well as the fashion for full-bodied drinks. On the back of the success of craft breweries, there are lots of interesting craft distilleries emerging with a whole new take on this great traditional drink. This is a fantastic time to discover American whiskey.

where's it made?

American whiskey, including bourbon, can be made anywhere in the States. The most important state is Kentucky, where the majority of bourbon is made. After that it's Tennessee, a state that's home both to many dry counties and the biggest-selling American whiskey, Jack Daniel's.

what is American whiskey?

The first word that comes to mind is bourbon, for which there are certain regulations. The most important is that it must be at least 51% corn, which gives bourbon its characteristic slight sweetness. A minimum of 51% gives a producer quite a bit of leeway when it comes to other grains. Rye gives the whiskey a spicy attack, which can be quite noticeable when the grain is used in large proportions. Less commonly, wheat is also used, giving round, bready flavours. Malted barley is another ingredient, though how much flavour it contributes to the whiskey is debated.

A rye or wheat whiskey can't be called bourbon, but it's still whiskey. Rye whiskey is where it all began, but it's only in the last few years, with its upfront spicy flavours, that it's made a comeback. Wheat whiskey is a fairly new and niche market, but its soft, doughy, bready flavours really mark it out. (Maker's Mark uses wheat instead of rye, and Bernheim Original is a good wheat whisky.)

Unlike Scotch, American whiskies are aged in new oak (usually American, though it's not a legal requirement), which have been charred. Oak barrels are created by firing the oak to bend the staves into shape: the story goes that one Elijah Craig accidentally over-toasted the oak but, despite the blackened wood, decided to use it for his barrels anyway. The resulting whiskey was extremely popular and charring the oak became standard practice. (No idea if this story is true; I was told it by the rep for Heaven Hill, who make a good whiskey called Elijah Craig.) This charred new oak gives the whiskey charcoal flavours, as well as sweet spices and tobacco.     

Another significant difference in maturation from Scotland is temperature. Unlike Scotland, the Deep South is hot, meaning the spirits age much quicker and integrate with the oak much more. This is why American whiskies are rarely aged as long as Scotch. Whiskeys are often aged on different levels of a warehouse - the higher the level, the warmer the temperature. Blending different barrels from different levels, or moving the barrels around, creates differences of style and complexity.

tasting

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 Sour Mash (Tennessee)

Like Smirnoff, Jack Daniel's is a drink that reminds me of university. I remember drinking it from a mug and having to pour more and more coke into it to make it drinkable. This is the first time I've tasted it since then, and to my surprise I didn't think it was too bad. Vanilla, coconut, and hot apple cider were my tasting notes.

Woodford Reserve (Kentucky)

Made by the owners of Jack Daniel's in a different distillery in Kentucky, this is a more complex whiskey, with floral, fruity, citrus, toasty, and smoky aromas. I didn't think it was quite as amazing as our tutor did, though...

Pikesville Supreme Straight Rye Whiskey (Kentucky)

This was a drink which made me want to get into an argument with our tutor (an argument which found its fruition in Cognac). He described the recent rise in popularity of rye whiskey as down to patriotic Americans drinking the great traditional whiskey to support the country in difficult economic times. If there's any truth to that, it's not enough to explain the resurgence in the production of rye whiskey which had almost disappeared by the 1990s. It's down to the gradual re-emergence of American whiskey in general, as well as the unique, expressive, spicy qualities of rye whiskey itself. Rye whiskey can be an expensive, keenly sought-after drink, which doesn't really fit into the all-American story either. Having said all of which, this was a fairly unmemorable example which the tutor admitted was the only rye whiskey he'd ever tasted.

Roughstock Whiskey (Montana)

I bought this for sentimental reasons, as @winebizkid is currently in Montana. It's not actually the best whiskey to practise tasting on, as it's made from malted barley, making it much closer to a Scotch than a bourbon. However, it's aged in new, charred oak, making it much closer to a bourbon than a Scotch. It's a big, spicy, fruity whiskey, with custard apple and toffee flavours, and dried flowers giving it a bit of a delicate edge. I found the alcohol slightly too aggressive, but there were lots of complex flavours to compensate for that. Like a lot of American whiskey, the bottle is impressively big.
 

Irish Whiskey

It's amazing that Irish whiskey still exists, given its history of incompetence. Scottish whisky found global success for two important reasons: they embraced the continuous still and allowed their whiskies to be smuggled into the States during Prohibition. In both cases, the Irish did the exact opposite. And then Eamon de Valera, the dominant figure in twentieth-century Irish politics who did his best to keep Ireland in the seventeenth century, capped exports and raised taxes on the country's whiskies.

There are only three major distilleries in Ireland, with another in the North. These use different methods of distilling, but the style favoured by Irish Distillers Ltd (in Midleton, near Cork) dominates (they make Jameson and Powers). It's triple-distilled and unpeated, which gives the whiskey a smooth easiness, especially compared to the more aggressive flavours of Scotch. Unmalted barley is used - varying from 20-60% - a use which dates back to the nineteenth century when malted barley was taxed. The use of oak has become more important too, adding complexity to the more expensive whiskeys. Bushmills in Antrim has some differences: also triple-distilled, but using malted barley. Cooley, back on the other side of the border, double-distills using pot stills and peat is sometimes used (e.g. Connemara 12YO); a continuous still is used to produce grain whiskey. These descriptions of the distilleries may not seem very evocative of place, but they are what gives Irish whiskey its different flavours.

I don't find Irish whiskey a particularly exciting category, but the industry is more vibrant than it's been since its heyday in the nineteenth century. The major labels are fast increasing their sales, particularly in the USA, while new, small distilleries are opening, creating individual whiskeys which go beyond the straightforward smoothness of the major names. It will probably take them a while to break into the market, but they're worth keeping an eye out for.

tasting

Jameson (Diploma tasting)

I find it hard to say anything interesting about this whiskey. As a smooth, simple drink, I used to like it, but compared to the rich, fuller spirits of Scotland and the US, there's little going on. There are floral and herbal notes, with a malty creaminess and a lightly spicy finish. I think that's overdescribing it, though.

Teeling (tasted in Madeira on a balmy February evening)

An example of a new Irish whiskey not coming from one of the established distilleries. I tasted this and thought, How can an Irish whiskey have tropical fruit aromas? The label had an easy answer: it's been aged in rum casks. The banana and mango are so smooth, as well as more Irish flavours of porridge and oats. If this is the future of Irish whiskey, I like it.