A Brief History of Barrels and Aging
The history of barrels and aging begins with the discovery by Dutch merchants that distilled wine (brandywine) from Cognac took on an exceptional new flavor as it aged in barrels on route to its destination. The longer the voyage, the better it tasted, and the higher the asking price at port. Naturally, those clever Scotts […]
Irish Style Whiskey
IRISH WHISKEY Irish whiskey has a smoother finish, in contrast to the smoky, earthy overtones common to Scotch whisky, due in part to peating. Irish whiskey was one of the earliest known distilled spirits in Europe, arising around the 12th century. It is believed that Irish monks brought the technique of distilling perfume back to […]
Canadian Style Whiskey
CANADIAN WHISKEY During the Prohibition Era, seventy-five percent of all the alcohol smuggled into the United States was smuggled from Canada, where it was still legal. The Canadians were making the best quality whiskey, at the time when an American bootleggers were selling just about anything they could get their hands on to turn a […]
Bourbon Style Whiskey
BOURBON WHISKEY The name “Bourbon” derives from the French Bourbon dynasty, although the precise inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, both of which are named after the dynasty. The name “Bourbon” was not applied until the 1850s, and the Kentucky etymology was not advanced until the […]