With Christy Burkhalter and Gino Desalvatore of Franklin Wine and Spirits

 

For the ladies this month – are you ready to venture into the world of whiskey? While many may consider this a purely gentlemanly libation – we beg to differ. Here are a few bits of information you might find helpful when ordering at a bar or making a purchase at our store. I’ll start with a few very basic notes: Whiskey is a grain spirit, distilled and aged in barrels for a specified period. In essence, it is a beer that has been distilled to high proof and then aged in oak barrels. Whiskey is made all over the world and the time required in barrel for a grain spirit to earn the title of “whiskey” varies from country to country.  Both bourbon and Tennessee whiskeys require the producer use only brand-new charred oak barrels for aging. Both utilize corn as the dominant grain in the mash bill (51% or greater), along with barley and either wheat or rye. While Kentucky is the state most identified with bourbon, bourbon can legally come from any state in America. Tennessee whiskey must be produced in the state and requires only that the spirit be filtered through sugar maple charcoal prior to aging.  Rules for rye whiskey are the same as for bourbon and Tennessee whiskeys, except that the mash bill requires a minimum of fifty-one percent rye with corn and barley making up the remainder. Cocktails made with rye whiskey can seem crisper and more peppery than those made with corn.

 

The best way to find flavor and identify your favorite spirit is to taste several side by side. You can visit Franklin Wine and Spirits anytime for samples! Tasting Scotch next to a bourbon, or a bourbon next to Canadian whiskey, or an Irish whiskey next to Scotch, makes it easier to identify how they differ. A higher-proof single-barrel bourbon tasted alongside a more common whiskey will dramatically reveal the differences in the two products.

 

Do you enjoy baking? Notes you might pick up from a bourbon tasting are vanilla, all-spice, caramel, maple, molasses, butterscotch, toffee, butter, cinnamon. A rye might give you more herbaceous notes such as sage, rosemary, mint or fresh cut grass.

 

So, ladies, do not be afraid to get your whiskey on. Impress with your newly gained knowledge of this classic favorite and enjoy mixing up your cocktail options for something more aged and interesting! 

Nelson's Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey

Chattanooga Straight Bourbon Whiskey

• Tennessee High Malt - 91 Proof
• Mash Bill: Yellow Corn, Malted Rye, Caramel Malted Barley and Honey Malted Barley 
• Tasting Notes: Medium body and lingering, malty-sweet finish.

Maker's Mark Bourbon

• Kentucky Straight Bourbon - 90 Proof
• Mash Bill: Red Winter Wheat, Corn and Malted Barley
• Tasting Notes: Sweet and balanced with caramel, vanilla and fruity essence. Smooth and subtle finish. 

Bulleit Bourbon

 

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