Corn Whiskey. homemade corn whiskey recipe

American corn whiskey or bourbon is the real pride of the people of the United States. The small homeland of this drink is the town of the same name, lost in the vastness of Kentucky.

Currently, bourbon has gained incredible fame and popularity around the world. However, many fans of American corn whiskey know not so many of its brands. For most of them, everything comes down to just two varieties of drink. The first is Jim Beam (Jim Beam), and the second is Jack Daniel's (Jack Daniels). But believe me, this is a very superficial view of the question.

There are now dozens of quality corn whiskeys being produced in the states. Especially for you, we have prepared an overview of the most famous bourbon brands.

Jim Beam (Jim Beam)

Jim Beam Bourbon is one of the most popular and best-selling American corn whiskeys today. For many gourmets and connoisseurs of alcohol, it is important that it is produced in the state of Kentucky.

It owes the second word in its name to the names of the founders and owners. At the very end of the 18th century, the first batch of it was made by Jacob Beam himself. The first word goes back to the days of Prohibition in the United States. At this time the company was run by James or Jim Beam. It was thanks to this man that this brand survived the most difficult times for the American alcohol industry, and the bourbon itself received the name used to this day.

Today, the company produces several varieties of bourbon, which differ in aging time and production recipe:

• four-year Jim Beam White label;
• eight-year-old Jim Beam Black Label;
• collectible Booker's with a strength of 63.25 degrees;
• Baker's, featuring a special fermentation technology;
• hot and spicy Basil Hayden's;
• nine-year-old Knob Creek.

Whichever bottle of Jim Beam Bourbon you get your hands on, know that tasting it will reveal the true taste of America for you.

Jack Daniel's (Jack Daniels)

Among all its many brothers, Jack Daniel's bourbon stands out for its unique way of filtering. The drink passes through a three-meter layer of charcoal. The usual duration of this procedure is 8-10 days.

Its originality is further emphasized by the fact that this corn whiskey has received its own name. It is commonly referred to as Jack Daniel's Tennessee Wiskey.

Other features of Jack Daniels are the special chemical composition of the water, as well as the special fermentation process, which is carried out using sour wort.

The last features of this oldest bourbon are the unusual shape of the bottle and the mysterious number 7 in its name. The shape of the bottle is a real parallelepiped with a neck extending from it. Jack Daniel's owes the number seven to its creator, Jasper Newton Daniel. There are different versions explaining the origin of this number on the label. We like the one that says the 7 symbolizes good luck.

Admirers of quality alcohol will find a deep sweetish taste and delicate aroma under each cover of Jack Daniels. For lovers of the exotic, we recommend tasting Jack Daniel's Honey, which is made with the addition of honey.

Heaven Hill (Heaven Hill)

This corn whiskey traces its history back to the repeal of Prohibition in the States. It was then that the Shapira brothers decided to invest their capital in alcohol production.

This bourbon got its name in honor of the hero of the war with the Indians William Heavenhill. And then, as often happens, His Majesty chance intervened. One of the employees assigned to register the name made the mistake of writing it in two words. That is how the world-famous "heavenly hill" was born. This is a literal translation from English.

A bottle of Heaven Hill bourbon will undoubtedly bring real pleasure to all fans of hard liquor. This drink is distinguished by a golden-bronze color; aroma with hints of noble wood, caramel, cinnamon, smoke and leather; taste with clear notes of nuts, spices, fruits, honey and herbs.

If you are going to taste it, we recommend that you buy a bottle that says Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon. In this context, the words Old Style or old style emphasize its belonging to the classic traditions of producing quality alcohol in the United States.

Four Roses (Four Roses)

By tradition, this bourbon got its name in honor of its creator, Rufus Rose. That is, he himself became one of the roses. The remaining three are accounted for by his wife and two children. This is how the famous Four Roses bourbon or in Russian 4 roses appeared.

This corn whiskey is also produced in Kentucky. This gives his admirers the right to look somewhat down on lovers of alcohol, which is produced, say, in Tennessee, Montana, Pennsylvania or Ohio.

Four Roses is distinguished by its refined and light taste. Connoisseurs say that its secret lies in the purest spring water from Kentucky. In the manufacture of this bourbon, at least 60% corn is used. As you know, it is she who gives the main American alcohol a sweet aftertaste. Thus, the more corn grains in the composition, the sweeter the alcohol.

Like other bourbons, Four Roses is necessarily infused in oak barrels, which are pre-fired from the inside.

You can easily identify a bottle of Four Roses by the same four red roses that stand out in relief on its label.

Maker's Mark (Makers Mark)

Maker's Mark Corn Whiskey is an expensive premium bourbon. Its name is translated into Russian as "the sign of the master." We are sure that all connoisseurs of strong alcohol who have tried this wonderful drink will have no complaints about this.

First of all, Maker's Mark is distinguished by a unique production recipe. Naturally, it all starts with the right water. It is taken from a private lake located on the company's own lands.

The cereal composition of Maker's Mark bourbon is also quite unusual. It is made from sweet corn, winter red wheat and selected malt, mixed in secret proportions.

Cereals are ground in a special way in an old mill. After that, they undergo heat treatment in furnaces. Then they are mixed with the same water and filled with yeast. The fermentation process takes place in large barrels of noble cypress. But then everything happens according to the classic technology used by all other bourbon producers.

Another feature of Maker's Mark bourbon is its small production volumes. Thus, the company shows the whole world that it is not primarily chasing profit, but the preservation of traditions and high quality.

Early Times (Early Times)

Early Times American whiskey is interesting because during the famous Prohibition period, it was produced as a medicine. Now it is difficult to say definitely why these liquid corn pills were supposed to treat. However, it seems that there was no shortage of patients with this mysterious disease in those days.

The name Early Times in translation into Russian means old times. It should convince all buyers that the creators of this drink properly honor alcohol traditions.

Interestingly, according to US law, Early Times cannot be sold as bourbon. It should have the words "Kentucky Whiskey" on the label. This point is directly related to the process of its exposure. Unlike other bourbons, Early Times is aged not in new, but in old oak barrels. This circumstance explains the fact that it is much lighter than other brands.

Despite this peculiarity, the Early Times has always had its own grateful customer. It is believed that this is the most balanced bourbon produced today in the States.

Blanton's (Blantons)

The recipe for this bourbon is the work of Colonel Albert Blanton. It is believed that he went to the reference final version of his offspring for a long five decades. Long years of experiments led the colonel to the conclusion that everything ingenious is very simple.

The composition of Blanton's bourbon includes sweet corn, selected rye and malted barley. That's all. There should not be any foreign impurities and additives. This is the only way to get the taste of the good old Blanton's whiskey.

It is believed that this bourbon is one of the standards of quality. Sommeliers distinguish notes of citrus fruits, spices, honey, apples, chocolate and toffee in its rich aftertaste.

Of course, you can not ignore the branded bottle of Bluntons, famous all over the globe. It is crowned by the figure of a jockey stuck to the body of a galloping mustang. Believe me, Blanton's is worth trying.

Benchmark (Benchmark)

Benchmark is another bourbon produced in the vastness of Kentucky. In addition to the usual corn, its ingredient is also selected rye and barley. And, surprisingly, it is rye that occupies the main share in its composition. According to the recipe, the content of this cereal should be 51%.

Benchmark Bourbon has a minimum age of 4 years. The drink, as it should be, is infused in new wooden barrels made of American oak.

Externally, a bottle of Benchmark bourbon resembles a container from Jack Daniel's. However, the taste will be two completely different drinks. Benchmark is distinguished by having a dryish and delicate taste, which is suddenly replaced by a burning and somewhere even sharp aftertaste.

If during the tasting you listen to your taste buds, then incredibly soft chocolate, caramel and somewhere even cinnamon notes will not escape you.

Daniel Stewart (Daniel Stewart)

It cannot be said that Daniel Stewart is some particularly famous and popular bourbon in the USA. Rather, the opposite is true. We included it in this review for a very prosaic reason. Bottles of Daniel Stewart at fairly budget prices are sold in Russian chain stores. We decided to tell a little about it so that buyers understand what they will face.

In general, consumer reviews of Daniel Stewart bourbon are quite positive. To be precise to the end, they are neutral without any pronounced negative.

Its color, taste and smell are quite consistent with generally accepted standards. But the aftertaste let us down. Although it is bright, it breaks off very quickly. This should not be.

The conclusion is simple - Daniel Stewart can be bought as a normal cheap bourbon. Its choice will be especially justified if you buy corn whiskey for making cocktails. However, for the first acquaintance with the American alcohol tradition, this option is definitely not suitable.

As you can see, there are many types of bourbon. Everyone must decide for himself which one is the best. Happy tasting!

Some consider Bourbon to be a vile sweetish corn moonshine, others value it for its expressive and original bouquet and even rank it as whiskey.

The dubious reputation of the drink should be left on the conscience of the largest producers, who have stocked the world market with millions of liters of low-grade conditionally aged liquor, which is not a sin to mix even with cola.

Shake, believes that real bourbon worthy of the name comes from small home distilleries. Such bourbon is not necessarily blended, single-barreled and released in small batches after a solid (the more, the better) aging period.

Bourbon - what is it

According to American law, bourbon is the national drink of the United States, meeting the following criteria:

1. Manufactured in the United States.
2. The composition of raw materials is exclusively from cereals (corn, rye, wheat, barley).
3. The content of corn in raw materials is from 51%.
4. No chemical additives.
5. The strength of the distillate at the end of the distillation is up to 80 degrees.
6. The alcohol content during aging is up to 62.5%.
7. Aging in new charred White American Oak barrels (with a aging period of up to 4 years, the corresponding mark must be on the bottles).
8. The ethanol content during bottling is from 40%.

There are also a number of unwritten rules:

1. The most authentic bourbon is produced in Kentucky, thanks to the most favorable chemical composition of local water (minimum iron, maximum limestone).
2. The main raw material for bourbon: corn, not malted.
3. A certain amount of cake left over from the previous fermentation is added to each new batch of mash.

In fact, all these rules correspond to the production of the so-called whiskey from Tennessee, led by the notorious Jack Daniels. Even the water used by Kentuckians and Tennessees to make their versions of corn is exactly the same. At the same time, despite the borrowing by many bourbon producers of the Tennessee practice of filtering the finished distillate through maple charcoal, Tennessee whiskey continues to be officially considered a non-bourbon drink.

By the way, there are two versions of the origin of the "royal" name of Kentucky moonshine. The first of them connects it with the district of the same name, located in Kentucky itself. The second is with Bourbon Street in New Orleans, where at the beginning of the 19th century there were several shamans in which the aforementioned strong drink was served, designed to represent cognac.

There are several criteria for dividing American corn into varieties.

According to the composition of raw materials:

1. Pure or straight straight bourbon - 100% corn and at least 2 years old.
2. The so-called corn whiskey (corn whiskey) - 80% corn and rather low quality.
3. Wheated bourbon - 2nd place in the composition of unmalted raw materials is occupied by wheat.
4. Rye rye bourbon (not to be confused with rye whiskey) - 2nd place in the composition of unmalted raw materials is rye.

By holding time:

1. Aged for several months - low-grade white white bourbon.
2. Exposure 2-4 years - conditionally aged drink, not much different from the first.
3. An aging of 4-6 years is an immature, but relatively decent option.
4. Exposure 6-10 years - a classic mature digestif.
5. Aging from 15 years is a premium drink, according to some experts, it suffers from a glut of tannins.

By the nature of the bottled product:

1. Single barrel bourbon is a drink with a long aging period, bottled from one barrel.
2. Small-batch small batch bourbon is a blend of perennial direct distillates aged on “gentle” medium storage tiers, produced in limited batches.
3. Strong Barrel proof bourbon is a single-barrel version with a decent aging period and a strength of 50-60 degrees.
4. Blended bourbon - plebeian, usually consisting of 51% pure bourbon and 49% of any grain alcohols (mostly rectified).

In addition, there are inexpensive blends that include corn distillate with different aging periods, as well as honey bourbon with the addition of the corresponding bee product.

Bourbon recipe at home

First of all, you need to deal with the ingredients. For the preparation of a drink a la bourbon, corn and other grain flour or cereals are best suited as a base, and any dry light unfermented malt as a saccharifier.

Then, it is worth deciding on the ratio of cereals. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with the following proportions:

1. Straight Bourbon: corn - 80%, corn malt - 20%.
2. Corn whiskey1: corn - 80%, wheat or barley malt - 20%.
3. Corn whiskey2: corn - 80%, rye - 8%, barley malt - 12%.
4. Rye bourbon: corn - 51%, rye - 24%, barley or wheat malt - 25%.
5. Wheated bourbon: corn - 51%, wheat - 24%, wheat or barley malt - 25%.

And finally, yeast. It is necessary to add 20 g of dry yeast or 100 g of pressed yeast for every 10 liters of the substance prepared for fermentation.

Cooking Method

1. Pour corn and other flour or groats (except wheat) into the boiler and pour water heated to a temperature of 50-55 ° C (keep in mind that the vessel should not be more than three-quarters full). At the same time, pour water without haste, constantly stirring the contents of the container to avoid the formation of lumps.
2. Raise the temperature of the mixture to 70°C and add 10: crushed malt to the brew.
3. During further heating of the substance, add wheat flour or groats, if any, and mix everything again.
4. Next, bring the contents of the boiler to a boil and boil for 2 hours in order to obtain a completely homogeneous mushy mass.
5. Then, remove the kettle from the fire, wait until the future mash for the mash cools down to a temperature of 65-67 ° C and add all the remaining crushed malt, mixing everything again.
6. The container with the resulting mass, whose temperature should be 63-65 ° C, wrap tightly in several layers of heat-resistant fabric and place in a warm place for 2 hours. At the same time, during the first hour, the mash must be intensively mixed every 15 minutes. It is also very important not to allow the mixture to cool to a temperature of less than 55°C. After the above two hours, the mash in a hurry (so as not to turn sour) must be transferred to a fermentation tank, cooled to a temperature of 25-28 ° C and yeast is added to it (if we are talking about pressed ones, they must first be fermented in a small amount of water) .
7. A vessel with wort, equipped with a lid with a water seal, should be placed in a dark, warm and quiet place for the duration of fermentation (from 2 to 6 days). At the same time, the temperature of the substance should not go beyond the same 25-28°C.
8. The preparation of the fermented wort depends on the distiller. If your unit is equipped with a steam generator, then you can load it directly from the tank. In the case of a simpler apparatus, the liquid component of the wort should be filtered or squeezed through gauze. For example, the wort is poured into a gauze bag, placed in a metal bucket ahead of time, then the contents of the bag are carefully and firmly squeezed into the mentioned container, from which the liquid component of the wort is sent straight to the distillation cube. According to tradition, part of the spent cake should be saved for adding as an additional starter to a new portion of the future mash.
9. The raw material loaded into the distiller undergoes double distillation. Primary distillation takes place without separation into fractions. With repeated - there is a need to cut off the "heads" and "tails". At the same time, in order to avoid the risk of spoiling the final product, the head and tail fractions should contain 10% of the total distillate volume.
10. The resulting corn moonshine, also known as “white dog”, is necessary, according to American canons, up to a strength of 62.5 degrees.
11. Further, the future drink should be aged in a burnt oak barrel or on well-roasted oak chips. This is done not in special cellars, but in ground rooms at natural temperature. At the same time, it is believed that the optimal container for aging small batches of corn a la bourbon are small-sized oak barrels with a volume of 10 to 50 liters. Given the small volumes of containers in which your drink will be aged, it is enough to wait 8-10 months for a good result (although some, especially impatient subjects, argue that it is quite acceptable to split this period in two). At the same time, we would advise you to show character and withstand your drink for 2 years, and even better - 4 or all 6 years.

Bourbon, or as it is also called, corn whiskey is a true legend of American alcoholic beverages. Unlike its grain brother, it has the brighter flavor that has made it so popular. The production of bourbon began in the last century and does not slow down to this day due to high demand. To get acquainted with this drink, it is not necessary to spend big money on a purchase in a store, you can make it yourself.

Bourbon at home is made from grains or flour obtained from them and, of course, differs in taste from the original and is more often called moonshine from corn. Despite this, with independent production, it is possible to achieve a result close to the reference, it is enough to follow the indicated recipes. Homemade bourbon will also meet all quality standards and will bring no less pleasure.

Moonshine from corn, like any other, is prepared in several stages. The first is the preparation of the mash. The composition includes 3 ingredients: malt, cereals and yeast. Corn must be of good quality. Feed used for animals will not work. It is best to cook with cornmeal or grits bought at the grocery store. Malt is suitable for any of the lightest.

The bourbon recipe and its final taste will depend on the ingredients used and the mash preparation technology. Moonshine on corn grits is more saturated than on flour, but it takes more time to prepare.

The second step in making bourbon is distillation. This requires a special device, which can be purchased at any specialized store. It is important to follow all the rules of distillation, as the taste and safety of the resulting product depends on it.

The final stage is the transformation of corn moonshine into bourbon. The original drink is aged for years in pre-charred oak barrels. Thanks to this, it acquires its woody-caramel color and the unique aroma of wood. At home, not many people can afford barrel aging. Therefore, it is replaced by insisting on wood chips. The wood is pre-burned and placed in the drink. After a certain time, homemade bourbon will be ready.

Each of the stages has its own nuances, which are important to follow exactly. Therefore, it is important to consider each item in detail separately.

The right brew for corn whiskey

Corn moonshine begins with the selection of raw materials. Groats, like malt, should be clean, free of debris and not have obvious spoilage. All ingredients are washed with running water to remove dust and only then applied.

Before making mash from corn, the base must first be boiled together with 10% of the total mass of malt. The mixture is boiled for a couple of hours until tender over low heat. After that, the rest of the malt is added, and the mash is kept for a couple of hours at a temperature of 60 - 70 degrees. The last step is adding yeast. The mixture for this is cooled to room temperature. Moonshine from corn can be prepared without yeast, but then the technology will change a little.

Corn mash on enzymes or malt is infused quickly enough. It takes a couple of days for it to be ready. The container must be kept in a room with a constant room temperature of about 25 degrees and protected from direct sunlight. The readiness of the mash can be determined by the completion of gas formation and a clear smell. After that, you can proceed to the next step.

Distillation of moonshine from corn

Corn moonshine is obtained by distilling mash through a distillation cube. Before pouring the mash into the apparatus, it must be carefully filtered. Otherwise, the resulting solid precipitate will burn, which will spoil the taste of the drink. Production takes 2 stages. The first distillation may be rapid and carried out to dryness. The strength of the first moonshine will be no higher than 35%.

The second distillation should be more thorough. At this stage, it is important to separate the tails and heads. The first and last 10% of alcohol are separated. The heads contain the largest amount of harmful substances that affect the quality and taste of alcohol. The average alcohol fraction will be the purest and has a strength in the region of 60 degrees. It is after the second distillation that you can proceed to the final stage. In this case, corn moonshine is obtained, from which a home-made analogue of bourbon is made.

Bourbon corn moonshine aging

Do-it-yourself bourbon excludes the use of barrels, as it is quite expensive and not entirely applicable in an apartment. Instead, wood chips are used. It is made from fresh wood. It is important that it does not have damage or is not rotten. The bar is divided into small chips, which must first be prepared.

The bars are first soaked and dried naturally. After that, they need to be burned in order for the drink to acquire a characteristic taste and aroma. For this, an oven is most often used. It is important to choose the right temperature, the higher it is, the brighter the bouquet will turn out. Optimal - 150 - 180 degrees.

Homemade corn moonshine is a very tasty drink in itself. And due to the addition of oak chips, it will sparkle with new colors. Wood is added to the bottles themselves, which are carefully sealed. It takes 3 to 8 months to turn such moonshine infusion into bourbon. The longer the exposure, the brighter and richer the drink will turn out. It is better to withstand in a dark cool room. The bottles do not need to be shaken, you can only slightly filter the drink before drinking.

The bourbon recipe at home is a strict adherence to technology. Only in this case the drink will turn out close to the original. Both the initial selection of ingredients and the cooking process are important.

To get mash on corn, you need malt. Due to it, the grain releases sugar, which subsequently ferments. Barley, rye or wheat products are best suited for this.

So that when preparing the mash, the mixture does not stick and does not burn to the bottom during cooking, you can use a water bath. Thus, the ingredients will be heated more evenly.

It is important to observe all indicated temperatures during cooking. In order not to make a mistake and not spoil the mash, it is best to use a kitchen thermometer. At this stage, the quality of the final product depends on the observance of the temperature regime.

To maintain the mash, you need to use a water seal. In the absence of a special device, a rubber medical glove is used. It is put on the neck of the vessel, and a hole is made in the finger to remove carbon dioxide.

Enzymes can be used instead of regular malt. They have the same property to form instant carbohydrates, in particular sugar.

If you use a yeast-free bourbon recipe, then it should be borne in mind that the maturation of the mash will take much longer. Basically, this period is from 1 to 2 months.

Making bourbon at home is definitely worth it. If you have the required equipment, this process will not take much time and effort, and the result will pleasantly surprise you.

Corn is one of America's favorite foods. In everyday life, they have corn as common as we have potatoes: it is used as the basis for a variety of dishes. Even alcohol is prepared from this plant. An example is corn whiskey, the second name of which is "bourbon".

Brief historical background

It is not known for certain who was the first to discover the secret of processing raw corn into an invigorating drink. However, we can say for sure: in the beginning and middle of the XVIII century. corn whiskey was made on farms. By 1783, production was put on an "industrial track": small factories began to produce bourbon.

Sold the first batch Evan Williams. The idea turned out to be successful, and since then, a strong alcoholic drink made from corn has not lost popularity.

At first, bourbon was not subjected to aging in, then a batch was obtained empirically that had been in such a container, and connoisseurs of the drink were convinced that the taste qualities benefit from aging.

A minister of the church contributed to the improvement of the recipe! The priest Elijah Williams once placed whiskey in charred barrels for storage and discovered - the taste of whiskey has become richer. The idea was quickly picked up. Americans appreciated the new corn drink at its true worth.

homemade corn whiskey recipe

Do you want to try your own whiskey, and not the one sold in stores? Let's make a fun drink at home from corn, taken in the form of flakes, cereals or flour. Let it be not quite a real whiskey, but only an experienced connoisseur will feel a significant difference in taste.

So, we take:

• water (5 gallons);
• corn flakes (3900 g);
• barley malt (700 g).

We heat 19 liters of water to a temperature of 74ºС. Add cornmeal and stir for 5 minutes. Watching the temperature! This is one of the main difficulties of making whiskey at home. When the temperature drops to 67ºС, we add barley malt.

We wrap up the resulting congestion. The next 90 minutes will have to be spent in the immediate vicinity of the kitchen: every 15 minutes. open the jam and interfere.

The next step is an iodine test. We scoop up a portion of the wort with a spoon and drip iodine into the spoon. Is there blueing? Leave the wort covered for 20 minutes. If there is no reaction, close the mash and wait until it cools down to 240C.

After cooling, we aerate the future whiskey, add yeast. The last stage remains - to put alcohol on fermentation.

With this method of making whiskey at home, the use of oak barrels is not required. The bourbon is immediately ready to drink.

Whichever bourbon recipe you choose, keep an eye on the composition: real corn whiskey should contain at least 70% corn in any form. Otherwise, it will turn out to be another alcoholic drink.

When choosing malt, opt for light varieties: they give the drink a characteristic taste.

And the last thing: even if the homemade corn whiskey turned out to be of amazing quality, do not get carried away with tasting it. Let alcohol be on your table only on holidays!

We told our recipe - now I would like to get acquainted with yours. Tell us how you make corn whiskey. Maybe you have special secrets that help you create a drink with unique taste? Or do you know a couple of simple recipes available to novice winemakers? Share, we will be happy!

The famous American writer William Faulkner said that there is no bad whiskey, just some varieties are better. Let's see what varieties of alcoholic beverages exist and how not to make a mistake with the choice.

whiskey classification

The number of varieties of the drink is not limited to Scotch, Irish whiskey and bourbon. It is one of the most popular and sought after alcoholic beverages. For its classification, several main criteria are used.

Types of whiskey according to the method of production of raw materials

1. Malty.

This is the highest quality and most expensive drink, the bottle is labeled “malt whiskey”. It is made from pure barley.

The group of malts is represented by two categories of alcohol:

• single malt (“single malt”) - produced by one distillery, sometimes several varieties of a drink of different aging are mixed;
• cask ("blended malt", "pure malt") - a mixture of malt varieties from different manufacturers.

2. Grain.

In this category - grain whiskey - the lowest quality alcohol is presented. The main component is corn with a slight addition of barley. In stores, this whiskey is practically not sold, it is used in the production of gin and vodka.

The most common type of alcohol is Blended whiskey. Presented in all specialized stores at a very affordable price. The blended drink contains malt and grain whiskey.

The main ingredient in burbon is corn. The most popular brand name is Jim Beam.

5. Tennessee.

American whiskey, which is produced in the state of the same name - Tennessee. In accordance with the technology, alcohol goes through a process of special cold filtration through coal of a certain tree - maple. The most popular brand is .

6. Straight.

American whiskey straight, aged for at least two years. This alcohol can only be diluted with water.

Types of whiskey by main product

1. Barley. The traditional and most popular raw material.
2. Corn. The main ingredient in American bourbon.
3. Wheat. In the United States of America, a special term is used - wheat whiskey. It is produced according to a special technology - wheat is mixed with oats.
4. Rye. The ingredient is used in the preparation of Irish alcohol. Its content is not less than 51%. The drink is inexpensive, suitable mainly for blending.

Whiskey by type of distillation

1. Distillate.

The drink is made from mash by means of a distillation cube. The technology is expensive, it allows you to get whiskey with a rich aroma. This technology is used by most luxury brands.

2. Rectified.

Instead of a distillation cube, a distillation column is used, where steam is condensed. This procedure is more accurate, the fractions are separated more completely.

This is interesting! Mark Twain said about an alcoholic drink like this: "Too much of something is bad, but too much whiskey is just right."

Whiskey by country of origin

For the right to be called the birthplace of whiskey, two countries are still arguing - Scotland and Ireland. However, the alcoholic drink is produced in America, Japan, Canada and Austria. Whiskeys differ in their taste characteristics and value.

1. Scottish.

For production, barley malt is used, which is dried with peat, after which it acquires a characteristic smoke aroma. The drink is distilled twice, the exposure period is not less than three years. Characteristics:

• soft taste;
• light golden hue.

The taste of the drink differs depending on the brand. Most often, fruity and spicy notes are felt with a hint of marmalade and toffee.

The leader in terms of sales is Johnie Walker whiskey - more than 110 million bottles are sold annually in the world. The product line is represented by 7 types of whiskey with a strength of 43%.

Scottish Collie scotch got its name from a collie dog that protected the owner and the barrels of the drink. Alcohol is amber in color, has a soft, velvety taste with citrus hues.

2. Irish.

In Ireland, triple distillation is used, the malt is additionally dried. The finished drink has a mild taste.

The main differences from Scottish whiskey production:

• drying malt in an oven;
• addition of rye and oats.

The most popular Jameson brand has been around for over two centuries. Whiskey is aged in sherry casks, acquires a golden hue. The secret ingredient is barley sauce.

Whiskey Bushmills is made from malted barley, the taste palette of the finished product is complex - there are citrus, vanilla and creamy shades.

3. American.

American brands are characterized by sweetish notes, since the main component is corn. The main feature of whiskey from other countries is aging in new barrels, charred from the inside.

It is important! To find out the strength of the drink in degrees, you need the value "proof» divided by two.

The most popular American-made whiskey is Jack Daniel's. It is slowly filtered and aged for at least five years. On the palate, there is a sweet caramel note, smoke and a light nutty tint.

- a classic golden-colored alcoholic drink with deep fruity notes and a woody tint. In the composition, in addition to corn and a mixture of grains, there is yeast.

Bookers whiskey production technology does not involve filtration, so the finished drink is a little cloudy. The taste palette is quite sharp, tart, spices, tobacco and oak bark are felt.

4. Japanese.

The taste is reminiscent of Scotch whiskey. In Japan, they produce mainly grain alcohol, which is aged in oak bourbon containers for at least three years. The aroma of the drink is exquisite, with a slight smoky coating, the taste is fruity.

5. Canadian.

It is called rye, it includes a grain mixture of corn, rye, barley, in some cases cognac is added. The taste is strong, pronounced.

6. Austrian.

This is the most original whiskey, fruit, malt, chocolate and spicy notes are harmoniously intertwined in its taste, there is a smoky shade.

Regardless of the raw materials, technology and country of production, whiskey is a drink with a rich taste palette and fragrant bouquet that deserves attention.