High Proof or Low Proof?
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:44 pm
There has been a lot of complaining about Jack Daniel's lowering the proof of their product, but the fact is they are simply following the trend in the industry. In my opinion, there are way too many 80 proof products out there now. I agree with Pappy Van Winkle when he said that it is foolosh to buy water. Buy 100 proof bourbon and add your own water if you drink it at a lower proof.
What Pappy did not say is that when they bottle a bourbon at 80 proof they have to filter it much more than they do the higher proof products to prevent "flocking" - the cloudiness caused by vegetable oils when unfiltered whiskey is chilled. This removes the oils and a lot of the flavors as well, so the 100 proof bourbon reduced by the drinker to 80 proof will taste better than the 80 proof bought from the distiller (unless you like bland whiskey then the reverse is true).
At the same time I am more impressed with the George T Stagg this year than last year. For the proof to get that high last year, the barrel proof to start with was probably 125. The lower proof this year means either it was all stored in the lowest part of the warehouse or the barrel proof was lower than 125 to start with. Lower Barrel Proof usually means more grain flavors in the final product.
What is your opinion High proof or Low proof for your bourbon?
Mike Veach
What Pappy did not say is that when they bottle a bourbon at 80 proof they have to filter it much more than they do the higher proof products to prevent "flocking" - the cloudiness caused by vegetable oils when unfiltered whiskey is chilled. This removes the oils and a lot of the flavors as well, so the 100 proof bourbon reduced by the drinker to 80 proof will taste better than the 80 proof bought from the distiller (unless you like bland whiskey then the reverse is true).
At the same time I am more impressed with the George T Stagg this year than last year. For the proof to get that high last year, the barrel proof to start with was probably 125. The lower proof this year means either it was all stored in the lowest part of the warehouse or the barrel proof was lower than 125 to start with. Lower Barrel Proof usually means more grain flavors in the final product.
What is your opinion High proof or Low proof for your bourbon?
Mike Veach