Vatted American Whiskey

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Vatted American Whiskey

Unread postby cowdery » Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:03 pm

About five years ago, our own Linn Spencer was on hand when barrels of American whiskey from most of the major distilleries were ceremoniously delivered to Mount Vernon, the Virginia home of our first president.

Two years later, some of that whiskey was placed in special bottles and auctioned off to support Mount Vernon educational activities.

But not all of it.

The remaining whiskey continued to age in an "undisclosed location" on the Mount Vernon grounds. Some of it was getting up toward 17 years in wood. Something needed to be done with it.

Last week at Mount Vernon I watched three veteran distillers create a "vatting" of American whiskeys from the barrels donated five years ago by members of the Distilled Spirits Council, which sponsored the event in conjuction with the reconstruction of George Washington's 18th century distillery.

Joe Dangler from Virgina Gentleman figured out the formula, Dave Pickerell (Maker's) and Ron Call (Cruzan Rum) tasted it and pronounced it good, so that's what we used. The components were Maker's, VOB, JD, Woodford, Rebel Yell, Harper, Dickel, Beam, Platte Valley (McCormick), Turkey and Virginia Gent. We rebarreled it to mingle for about a month, then it will be bottled and sold, probably auctioned, with the proceeds to benefit Mount Vernon educational activities.

Mount Vernon, for anyone who doesn't know, was the home of George Washington, our first president. Recent scholarship is revealing him to be quite an entrepreneur. His distillery--which made fruit brandy, rye whiskey and other spirits--had five stills and was one of the largest of its day. The Mount Vernon estate is privately owned, not government owned.

Just so nobody wonders what a rum guy was doing there, Ron Call is a Kentucky boy with twelve years at Jim Beam, working for Booker Noe, before he went to Cruzan.
- Chuck Cowdery

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Unread postby bunghole » Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:06 pm

Good Lord Charles! What Is That Going To Taste Like?


Coochie-Coochie!

Pants Away Baby!


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Unread postby kbuzbee » Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:53 pm

then it will be bottled and sold, probably auctioned, with the proceeds to benefit Mount Vernon educational activities.


Is this one of those auctions for people with tons of money who just want to donate some to a cause they believe in? Or is this an auction for folks who want to try a unique Bourbon??? Seems like the former.

Cheers,

Ken
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Unread postby cowdery » Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:38 pm

It tastes pretty good, very well aged, but a little generic. I should say, though, that the tasting conditions were less than ideal.

On the other hand, maybe they were absolutely ideal, as all I had to do was dip a glass into the tub. Maybe that crosses the line between "tasting" and "drinking."

We made 250 gallons, or five barrels worth, which is something close to 1,300 bottles. In other words, there won't be a lot of it around, but it's possible some will fall into the hands of people who will drink it. Unfortunately, the bottling is taking place one week after the Boubon Festival.
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Unread postby gillmang » Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:59 am

I wonder what Joe Dangler's formula was. Unless they had some whisky left over in the barrels after they did this (which sounds unlikely unless they did more bottling of each brand) it sounds like it was, pour 'em in there boys. If in fact it was done that way, the result is probably quite good because, with good quality to begin with which I'm sure all this was, how could you go far wrong?

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Unread postby cowdery » Mon Aug 29, 2005 2:33 pm

Joe's starting point was the volume of whiskey available in each barrel, but they made some adjustments from there. At the end of the day, seven of the eleven barrels were empty. Of the barrels with whiskey still in them, one was Joe's own, so he wasn't playing favorites.
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Unread postby gillmang » Tue Aug 30, 2005 7:07 am

That's interesting. I wonder what will be done with the surplus whiskey since the idea was to use up the surplus after the bottling some years ago. Maybe they will do another bottling of the individual makes.

Glad to hear he took a considered approach since that can only make for a better result and one not left to chance (or as much).

When I do such vattings I try to use a plan. One I've adopted from known practice: "stack" ages, starting with a greater volume of younger and decreasing the older progressively. Say, start with Jim Beam White Label, add small amounts of an older whiskey, and yet smaller amounts of the oldest. Say, 60% Beam White, 30% VOB, 10% Craig 12. I think this is how Rare Breed must be made (approximately). Or Joe Dangler may have considered the palate of each and combined ones that are broadly similar, adding smaller amounts of whiskey with a considerably different flavor. Eg, I might add small amounts of Jack Daniels (or a very old bourbon) to a bourbon combo, to "season" it, like the final spices added to a dish.

I have also though combined bottle ends without regard to a plan so that I forget ultimately what exactly is in them other than to know it is all-straight whiskey (sometimes with a touch of flavouring). Rarely will the result be bad but sometimes it will be too bitter or acidic or sweet. So, I just add more of another such blend to it. Sometimes that changes the taste around to a much better palate. The group I've got going now haven't been added to in a while (i.e. I haven't bought anything for some time). They have kind of concentrated, specific taste which actually is quite good. The signature is a rye edge or punch since there is a lot of Overholt and Wild Turkey Rye in them and that shows through despite the many bourbon additions. Anyway it's fun to do this as an aspect of bourbon and rye whiskey appreciation. As I suggest on the other board, the practice does not replace - but rather complements - appreciating the brands on their own.

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