Is distilling legal if you’re just making it for personal consumption? NO. It is very much ILLEGAL. I get these questions a lot. Why would they sell stills smaller than […]
Angel’s Share Effect
How does the angel’s share affect my whiskey? A lot of different things affect the flavors in whiskey, not least of which is the addition of water or loss of […]
Springbank, 2 1/2 Times Distilled Whisky
We know American whiskey and scotch are usually distilled twice, and Irish whiskey is often distilled three times, but 2 1/2 times? Springbank whisky is distilled two and half times. […]
Bourbon County History
Did you know that Bourbon County was originally part of Virginia? Bourbon County, Kentucky may not be the namesake for our favorite American liquor…So if not Bourbon County, KY, where […]
Laird’s Apple Jack- America’s First Licensed Distillery
It’s autumn now and that makes me think of applejack… Laird’s applejack is not whiskey, but it was the first licensed distillery in the United States. I’m particularly proud of […]
Mash Bills in America
Did you know that mash bills are really only used in American whiskey production? American distilleries refer to the proportions of grains used as their “mash bill”. There are quite […]
History of Rebel Yell in America
Rebel Yell is one of those old throwbacks. A “wheated” Kentucky bourbon. And yes, it was manufactured at Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville beside whiskeys that were bottled by the Van […]
Corks- Why Are They Still Used?
Why is cork still used to seal whiskey bottles? Seems like a bad idea in the modern times we live in. Collectors know that one should only store whiskey bottles […]
The Science of Nosing
Why does my bourbon smell like vanilla? There’s no added flavorings or additives, right? Correct. Bourbon can not have anything added to it like colorings or flavor additives. The vanilla […]
Scottish Oak barrels for Scotch?
Did you know that there are only a couple scotches that have actually been aged in Scottish Oak? Seems like a pretty obvious thing to age your whiskies in locally […]