Have you ever ordered a Bourbon and Coke from a bar? When asked what type of Bourbon you wanted you said; “Crown Royal.” You my friend have made a serious mistake. I hope to shed a little light on the subject of Whiskey, Scotch, and Bourbon tonight.

If you didn’t realize my first Mana Buff article was written while I was 3 sheets gone. The second, I was good and drunk. I apologize for giving you write ups on such girlie drinks. Tonight we focus in on some extreme man alcohol choices.

We’ll Start with Scotch. (From Wikipedia)

Scotch whisky (often referred to simply as “Scotch”) is whisky made in Scotland.  Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (formerly called “vatted malt” or “pure malt”), Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.  All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years.  Any age statement written on a bottle of Scotch whisky, in the form of a number, must reflect the age of the youngest whisky used to produce that product. A whisky with an age statement is known as guaranteed age whisky.

Under the legislation, Scotch Whisky means whisky that has been:

• Produced at a distillery in Scotland from water and malted barley (to which only whole grains of other cereals may be added) all of which have been:
  • Processed at that distillery into a mash
  • Converted at that distillery to a fermentable substrate only by endogenous enzyme systems
  • Fermented at that distillery only by the addition of yeast
  • Distilled at an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 94.8%
• Wholly matured in an excise warehouse in Scotland in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 litres for at least three years
• Retains the colour, aroma, and taste of the raw materials used in, and the method of, its production and maturation
• Has no added substances, other than water and plain (E150A) caramel colouring
• Has a minimum alcoholic strength by volume of 40%

There are alot of other facts I could paste here about Scotch, but the  bottom line is “All Scotch is Whisky, but not all Whisky is Scotch.”

Scotch Whisky has a glorious past and infinte future.  Nothing beats a nice glass of scotch with the boys after a long day of bonding.  Much like Wine, which I’ll cover in a later article, Scotch takes on the flavor of the region it was made in.  It also takes on the flavor of ingredients used in the distilling process.  Ordering Scotch on the rock will inevitably dilute the flavor.  I like to order it with a single cube of ice, some call this ‘Bruised.’  If you visit a bar with alot of scotch selections ask your Bartender what he would recommend for someone who hasn’t enjoyed alot of scotch, but would like to try.

My personal favorites are:

Laphroaig – You can actually taste Scotland when you drink this.  It’s like you are there.  I’m not kidding.  Someone, bring my Kilt!

The Macallan – Go with the 18 year, do not pass go, do not order any other year.

Johnnie Walker Blue – A blended Scotch Whisky.  Some my frown upon this choice because they don’t give an age for the Scotch.  If you were to ever try it, you wouldn’t care.  It is quite possibly the closest thing to liquid silk on the planet.  It is created to be perfect.

There are more Whiskys, or Whiskeys, than just Scotch, but I’m sure you already knew that.  The most well known Whiskeys or than Scotch come from Ireland, Canada, and America.  American Whiskeys also contain the subset Bourbon.  To make things more confusing Bourbon can only be called Bourbon if it’s made in Kentucky!  So while Jack Daniels is often a choice for Bourbon, its not technically Bourbon.  Just like Crown Royal has nothing to do with Bourbon.

This is what it takes to be a Bourbon. (from Wikipedia)

Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky (which, in turn, was named after the French House of Bourbon royal family). It has been produced since the 18th century.^[1] While it may be made anywhere in the United States, it is strongly associated with the American South in general, and Kentucky in particular.

The legal definition of Bourbon may vary somewhat from country to country, although various trade agreements require the name Bourbon to be reserved for products made in the United States. The U.S. regulations for the labeling and advertising of Bourbon apply only to products made for consumption within the United States; they do not apply to distilled spirits made for export.^[2] Canadian law requires products labeled as Bourbon to be made in the United States and to also conform to the requirements that apply within the United States. However, in countries other than the United States and Canada, products labeled as Bourbon may not adhere to the same standards. European Union regulations require products labeled as Bourbon to be made in the United States, but do not require them to conform to all of the requirements that apply within the United States.

The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits (27 C.F.R. 5) state that bourbon made for consumption within the United States^[2] must meet these requirements:

• Only whiskey produced in the United States can be called bourbon.^[3]
• Bourbon must be made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.^[4]
• Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.^[4]
• Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume).^[4]
• Bourbon must be entered into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume).^[4]
• Bourbon, like other whiskeys, must be bottled at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume).^[5]

• Bourbon has no minimum specified duration for its aging period, although it must be aged at least briefly.^[6]However, the following definitions and requirements apply that relate to aging periods:
  • Bourbon that meets the above requirements, has been aged for a minimum of two years, and has no added coloring, flavoring, or other spirits may (but is not required to) be called Straight bourbon.^[7]
  • Bourbon that is labeled as Straight that has been aged for a period less than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.^[8]
  • 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).^[9]
• Bourbon that is labeled as Blended (or as ‘a blend’) may contain added coloring, flavoring, and other spirits (such as un-aged neutral grain spirits); however, at least 51% of such a product must be Straight Bourbon.

In practice, almost all bourbons marketed today are made from more than two-thirds corn, have been aged at least four years, and do qualify as “straight bourbon”—with or without the “straight bourbon” label.

Bourbon is generally sweeter and thicker on the palate.  Many liken a good bourbon to having the characteristics of Honey.

I personally recommend:

Maker’s Mark – I again recommend you enjoy this with minimal Ice.  Let the Bourbon shine all on it’s own.

Knob Creek – A Jim Beam Distillery Brand.  You can’t go wrong with this choice.

Jim Beam White Label – I do recommend a Jim Beam and 7, with a squeeze of Lime on a hot summer day.