Distillery Summary – Part One
There is way too much bourbon information out there to keep it all straight. I’ve put together a Distillery Summary chart to help you remember each distillery’s mash bills, char level and barrel entry proof. There will be several posts in the upcoming weeks about how each item affects the finished bourbon. Part two of Distillery Summary will be posted next week with the remaining major distilleries.
This is also the first appearance of the new Bourbonr logo! Be on the lookout for a redesigned site in the next month or two.
Mash Bill Breakdown:
Want to know which bourbons are made from each mash bill? Check out the Bourbonr Mash Bill Breakdowns below:
14 comments
I like the new logo, Blake!
Thanks Blake! I greatly appreciate the summary and links to the detail pages!
Nice job Blake!….I was always intrigued by the Buffalo Trace “wheated mashbill”, simply because the Pappy Van Winkles and the entire Weller line share the exact same mashbill….with differences only in where they’re aged in the same warehouse (but on different floors) and how they are bottled (at different ages and proofs. Since they share the EXACT wheated mashbill, what makes a “Pappy” a “Pappy” or a “William Larue Weller” a “William Larue Weller “? Is the difference in the tastes of the Van Winkle Line and Weller Line ONLY due to specific barrel placement in the rickhouses/warehouses, and/or age/ proof of each individual spirit? What makes each bottling taste different if it’s from the exact recipe? Hope someone understands my nagging conundrum. Confusing…….
Like all the distilleries which serve multiple brands from a single mashbill, where and for how long a barrel is stored (and the resulting flavor produced) is the determining factor in which brand a barrel goes into. Eagle Rare, Stagg, and Buffalo Trace are from the same mashbill, the differences are down to maturation. The VW line is slightly different, it is generally believed that the VWs get first pick of wheated barrels for their brands, and they may have stocks that they owned before partnering with BT. The same concept of maturation determining brand applies to every other distillery (Knob Creek, Booker’s, and Baker’s are all the same mashbill).
Hey Chris, thanks for taking the time and interest to address my questions! Isn’t it funny how barrel placement, fermentation, temperature/climate controlled atmosphere, age/maturation and proof (amongst other factors) can determine how tasty a whiskey /bourbon is? I find that truly fascinating! I would like to see, hear more talk about mashbills this year on the blog…So, the Van Winkle family members ultimately decide what barrels will be “Pappy”, and the rest of the barrels that are left in that particular warehouse become the Weller Line (I suppose)…No wonder the Wellers are all so tasty….they are reject Pappy…..lol…All the new craft bourbons coming out these days, using different aging techniques, flavors and experimental grains in their mashbills are proving we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of the whiskey industry. I’m excited for the future of this industry. I think we will be blessed with a bounty of tasty offerings in the years to come…speaking of years to come —**”HAPPY NEW YEAR”!!! TO YOU AND THE BOURBONR BOARD!***
I need a poster of this and the next one??
Howdy!
Awesome work and congratulations. Two small Qs, is everyone using malted or unmalted barley? And how long do they let things ferment?
Thanks!
AFAIK, nobody uses unmalted barley (except for possible experiments). Barley is there solely for enzymes. Fermentation time varies by distillery, but is usually only a few days.
Howdy!
Thanks for the response, but I was looking for more definitive answers like those in Blake’s awesome infographic. I could have told you “A few days” and “AFAIK”.
Ha! ‘Thanks but no thanks.’ Chris was just trying to answer your question. Usually fermentation time is proprietary information, sorry that can’t be presented to you in an awesome infographic. There are other websites and forums you can visit if you’re trying to make your own stuff, this isn’t one of them.
Please, mind your manners and be nice to those who are helpful and kind enough to take the time and interest to help….we can all learn something here…this blog is a “shared space” for ALL to read *AND* comment, not just Blake……remember, ..not all of us are “know-it- alls”.
Hi Zeke, Yes, everyone is using malted barley. I wish I had a better answering on fermentation times but 5-12 days is typically the response I get. I think most distilleries don’t think it’s that important so they don’t make it public. I’ll try to do some more digging
I agree! Poster size would be amazing for the bar area @ home 🙂
What about Barton/1796/Old Tom? Do they use the same char and mashbills as BT? I’ve read they differ from BT.