Whiskey is made mostly from malted barley while bourbon is made from corn.
What is the difference between whiskey and bourbon?
First, where it’s made. Whiskey is made in Scotland, hence called Scotch, while bourbon is made in the United States, generally in Kentucky. Bourbon is actually a whiskey, albeit an American whiskey. The name originated from an area in Kentucky called Old Bourbon, now known as Bourbon County. That is why they say that all bourbons are whiskeys but not all whiskeys are bourbons.
Second, what it’s made of. Whiskey is made mostly from malted barley while bourbon is made from corn. Actually, it’s a little more technical than that: Whiskey is distilled from a “mash bill” or a fermented blend of grains, commonly barley, wheat, rye and even corn. If this mash bill is 51-percent or more corn, it becomes bourbon. If the balance (after the 51 percent or more) is mostly wheat, it can be called a wheated bourbon; if it’s mostly rye, it’s rye bourbon.
Also, to be called a bourbon, the mash must be distilled at 160 proof or less, put into the barrel at 125 proof or less. Additionally, by law, bourbon also has to be aged in a brand new charred white oak barrel.
First whiskey company
My conversion to bourbon happened during the Manila visit of Matthew Magliocco of Michter’s, a maker of whiskey based in Louisville, Kentucky. They make some of the finest single barrel and truly small batch whiskeys in the United States, and its products have been described by Wine and Spirits magazine in the US as “big rich whiskey that lingers in the glass and makes an old-fashioned to tell your grandkids about.”
Michter’s is very proud of its heritage, which dates back to the founding of America’s first whiskey company in 1753 by John Shenk, a Swiss farmer in Pennsylvania, who produced whiskey from rye grain, which was so valued that then-General George Washington purchased this for his troops, so they claim that Michter’s was “the whiskey that warmed the American Revolution.” Shenk’s distillery was purchased by Dutchman Abraham Bomberger in the mid-1800s and became known as Bomberger’s before it was closed during the Prohibition. It reopened after the Prohibition and changed owners a few times until the 1950s when Lou Forman took over and created Michter’s, combining his sons’ names, Michael and Peter. Michter’s today is owned by Joseph Magliocco and Richard “Dick” Newman, who retained the name and are committed to maintaining Shenk’s traditions as they have been fans of the brand since Magliocco’s days of drinking Michter’s while studying in Harvard and Yale.
Whiskey tasting
At a whiskey tasting hosted by Wine Depot’s Brett Tolhurst, we tried a US*1 Bourbon , a US*1 Rye, a Sour Mash, a 10-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon and a 10-year-old Kentucky Straight Rye. (The US*1 expressions were created to honor Michter’s heritage dating back to Shenk.)
My favorite was the 10-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, which had hints of oak alongside a sweetness that resonated as vanilla and maple syrup. It’s the kind of drink I would want as company, whether happy or sad.
A note on aging: Apparently, the age statement on the bottle is not necessarily its real age, i.e., while the bottle may reflect 10 years, it can actually be anywhere between 10-17 years aged. Matthew believes what we sampled at our tasting was aged 12 years. Same goes for other limited releases like the 10-year rye and the 20-year bourbon.
Matthew himself prefers the US*1 American Whiskey while he shared that Michter’s current master blender Pamela is especially proud of the US*1 Kentucky Straight Rye, which has made a comeback recently with the popularity of Prohibition cocktails.
Cost be damned
Matthew very passionately talked about the devotion of the makers of Michter’s to producing the best American whiskey. First, they air-dry their wood, making sure the barrel is thoroughly and properly dried, for as long as 18-48 months, and is therefore more expensive than kiln-drying. This is to enhance the natural properties of the wood, with the objective of attaining better flavor and reducing levels of tannin. The barrel is also toasted before charring to help make the wood’s sugars more accessible as they caramelize and concentrate to form the “red line,” ultimately adding more flavor and color to the whiskey as it seeps through the char to the caramel red line.
For the alcohol itself, Michter’s also goes the extra mile by having its entry proof at just 103 (51.5-percent ABV) although the industry entry required by law to consider the bottle a bourbon is 125 proof. Michter’s uses 103 even though the lower entry proof yields fewer bottles per barrel because this has historically been the “gold standard” in Kentucky for good bourbon. It is this level that allows for the concentrated sugars in the toasted and charred wood to dissolve more readily into the distillate as it cycles in and out of the barrel, resulting in a smoother flavor and richer mouthfeel.
The whiskey also undergoes a process called chill filtration instead of carbon filtration to maintain the desired flavor and aroma. Michter’s also goes so far as customizing the filtration mediums and techniques for each whiskey, offering to highlight their individual qualities.
Finally, in the aging process, they also do heat cycling, an uncommon practice because it is extremely costly as it raises the “angel’s share” evaporation during aging, but worth it for Michter’s because it enhances the flavor of the whiskey.
Whiskeys
Michter’s offers US*1 Kentucky Straight Rye, Kentucky Straight Bourbon, American Whiskey and Sour Mash. They also have a limited offering of 10-, 20- and 25-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon and a 10- and 25-year Kentucky Straight Rye.
For the collectors, you might want to try the following limited edition bourbons: Michters US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon, US*1 Limited Release Barrel Strength Bourbon. There are also limited edition ryes: US*1 Barrel Strength Rye and US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye.
They also have sour mash, which is a combination of corn, rye and barley, that has become the favorite of youthful drinkers. For those who like this, there is a celebration sour mash 2013 and 2016.
I confess I had not been a fan of bourbon, although some also consider it whiskey, until this tasting. I’m now quite the convert. You’ll find me this weekend at our farm, doing a marathon of Jennifer Lawrence movies (she hails from Louisville, Kentucky, where the Michter’s distilleries are located) while eating barbecue and drinking my 10-year aged Michter’s bourbon.
To order or inquire about Michter’s, contact Wine Depot at +63 2 8973220 (Makati), +63 2 7719463 (Alabang), +63 2 7225952 (Greenhills), +63 2 8433457 (Taguig), +63 032 2617212 (Cebu).