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AMS Corn Whiskey

Unread postPosted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 11:40 pm
by OakstoneSpirits
Hi All,

I just received a bottle of A.M.S. Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey. I am looking for information regarding whiskey and it's manufacturer. I can not seem to find any information on AMS or this particular bottling on the web. The bottle appears to be from the 70's (pure speculation).

Thanks, Ian

Re: AMS Corn Whiskey

Unread postPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 3:59 pm
by cowdery
Pictures would help.

AMS stands for American Medicinal Spirits, a company formed by the Wathen family in Louisville to serve as a consolidation warehouse and medicinal whiskey seller during Prohibition. After Prohibition, AMS became the main component of National Distillers, one of the top U.S. spirits companies until it was acquired by Jim Beam Brands Co. in 1987. AMS ceased to exist as a company with the formation of National, though it's possible that National continued to use the name as a DBA for some products. As Straight Corn Whiskey, the product would have been aged for at least two years in either new uncharred or (more likely) used charred barrels (most likely barrels that previously held bourbon). Corn whiskey has never been a big seller and isn't something whiskey enthusiasts pay much attention to. Corn whiskey does not have to be aged so most of it isn't, making a straight corn a fairly rare item in any era.

Re: AMS Corn Whiskey

Unread postPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:26 am
by delaware_phoenix
Unless the rules were different in the past, corn whiskey may not be stored in new charred oak barrels. Used barrels are ok, as are new uncharred oak barrels.

Re: AMS Corn Whiskey

Unread postPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 11:44 am
by gillmang
I am pretty sure I had a taste of this, from a bottle John Lipman had, and it was very good. If not this one, it was from the same era. It was tinted light brown.

The Early Times put out last year as a commemorative item, at 100 proof, is quite similar to what I tasted. Early Times is not a corn whiskey but rather a bourbon mash aged in mostly used barrels and some new charred barrels. Nonetheless I found the tastes quite similar.

Gary

Re: AMS Corn Whiskey

Unread postPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:48 pm
by cowdery
Early Times Kentucky Whisky is 80% new charred barrels, 20% used charred barrels.

Re: AMS Corn Whiskey

Unread postPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 6:33 am
by gillmang
Right, it's the other way around. But it has a marked corn taste still, similar to an aged corn.

Gary

Re: AMS Corn Whiskey

Unread postPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:09 pm
by cowdery
I agree, it does, That's a combination of its mash bill (79% corn), its youth (36 mo.) and the way it's aged.