A short time ago, I was introducing my friend Chris to the ways of whiskey when he asked me a question I never heard. Chris, an avid beer drinker, asked if the barley used in whiskey making was the same as that used to brew beer. I told him that to my knowledge, the strains of barley used for whiskey were very different, but I would do some research.
Chris did not know it, but he was ahead of the curve. Recently, several distilleries have introduced beer malts into the traditional whiskey mix while others have taken to making whiskey directly from commercially available beer (or from commercial breweries). There are several things driving this decision. There is currently a boom in the whiskey market and boom leads to innovation. Distillers all over the world are trying to find ways to distinguish their product from everything else out there. A few years ago, wine finishes were all the rage. This led to some wonderful experiments that paid off (Glenfiddich 21 aged in rum casks) and some that did not (Glenmorangie Burgundy Finish). This also opened up the market for all the French Oak varieties (Glenlivet, The Macallan, etc.) that I so love.
For a handful of micro (or craft) distilleries this innovation is completely economical. The distilleries are so small that they lack the capability to produce the beer necessary to make whiskey.
So, you may ask, what do these whiskeys taste like? Well, like anything, there are some hits and some misses. Bushmills 1608 (made with crystal malt) gets good reviews and I can personally attest to the quality of Glenmorangie’s The Signet. The Signet is partially made from chocolate malt and offers a very complex and wonderful experience that goes very well with dark chocolate or a good cigar. Charbay makes an American whiskey with pilsner beer. Unfortunately, at $325 a bottle, I doubt that I will get to try the results and further doubt that it would be worth the absurd cost (it’s three years old and aged in stainless steel!). Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey has a local brewery make their beer, but I’m not sure what kind of malt is used. The results, I can say, are uninspiring. This is one of the blandest whiskeys I’ve tasted. Since I tasted Stranahan’s at a large tasting event, in between some bourbon heavy hitters, I would be willing to give it another shot (so to speak).
So, there you have it, the results of my malt research. The beer malt trend is so big that it made Malt Advocate‘s ‘What’s in Store For 2009’ list. So far, the results are somewhat expensive (except for Stranahan’s) so your best bet is to find them at a tasting event, but I hope you get to try them. Experiments can be pretty tastey. Thanks for the inspiration Chris.
-Matt
Dear Matt,
Keep up the reporting – whiskey/spirits writing is a field that is so facinating and evolving that with your style, you will build a loyal following with your commitment to writing.
Please, may I send you some info about Charbay Whiskey? Charbay Whiskey, Release II, is part of a collection distilled in 1999.
Yes, it is expensive to many of us but it well worth tasting to watch the evolution of a unique distillation.
We are a family that distills not for writers, we distill for the really neat people we have met through the last 25 years that we’ve been hand distilling. We fly under the radar of most writers, certainly we don’t make the publications that require a deposit. May I send a press release explaining more about our Whiskey program so you will hear from us what Charbay is all about, who we are since it sounds as if we share some heartfelt interest in distillations & spirits.
And we at Charbay wish you tons of continued success – we believe in writers such as you who write from the heart…Well, we’d like a chance to connect with your soul… Best Wishes, Susan/AKA Mom at Charbay
Very interesting. To paraphrase…We drink in interesting times my friend!
Hi Matt, here is start to finish what make Charbay Whiskey so wild and wonderful 🙂
CHARBAY Whiskey Release II (120 Cases)
The in-depth notes that whiskey aficionados will appreciate for this must-have whiskey
• A lifetime collector’s series – In 1999, Miles and Marko distilled just 24 barrels of Whiskey. These barrels will be watched (and certainly tasted) over many years – they are an art endeavor, not an
on-going production. Release I of the series was just 2 years old when it was bottled at cask-strength (124.9 proof) & it was unheard of to taste a whiskey as smooth as a fine 15-year-old (80 proof) ones.
• A Break-through in Whiskey History – Little-known fact: Whiskey IS distilled beer! In this case, 12th & 13th Generation Distillers started with a great bottle-ready Pilsner from a Northern CA micro-brewery
• Single-Malt – 100% European Two-Row Barley, grown & malted in British Columbia, which has much more concentrated flavors than the more mainstream 6-row barley, was first made by professional brewers into bottle-ready beer. Choice hops were added just before distillation – to add the floral & spice notes Marko envisioned in his mind. No peat was used during malting – our brewers, as well as Marko & Miles, the distillers, prefer to focus on the pure grain & hops flavors.
• Classical 7-Fraction Pot Still Distillation: The Art Where “the Men Get Separated from the Boys” 99% of whiskey today is made in column stills at the expense of quality and, ultimately, taste. Why? It’s consistent, yields the highest volume of whiskey, and, best of all, can be run on auto-pilot to create the millions of gallons that are consumed each year.
Miles & Marko use a classical Alambic Charentais Pot Still – no automation. Period. They separate (“cut”) the batch into 7 sections to find the ultimate “heart” of the distillation – an art passed down, not taught in any university. From 20,000 gallons of Pilsner, just 1,000 gallons of Whiskey results.
It took 3 ½ WEEKS (24/7) to distill. As you see, this not commercially viable – it’s fine art.
• Our Barrel-Aging Philosophy – Miles & Marko used custom-made new American oak barrels (Missouri & Pennsylvania), charred to #3 Gator Skin. They purposely age the barrels of Whiskey at variable temperatures to create added flavor complexities. Six years later, five barrels were selected for their profiles and transferred to stainless steel to age (yes) for another 3 years. (Want to talk molecular? Call Miles.)
• Cut with water that makes Fiji jealous – Ultra-soft…only 3 ppm (parts per million) dissolved solids remain in the water when Miles & Marko slide it into the whiskey. (Fiji water has 210 pppm)
• Angel’s Share – the amount of whiskey that evaporates while barrel-aging is between 3-4% per year. That amounts to TWO GALLONS lost per year out of each barrel.
• Hand-produced entirely in-house by a legendary artisan family – from the label design, to the distillation, bottling, labeling, wax dipping, “coining”…truly an exceptional story in a bottle.
Where are you located? We would love you to come up for a visit!
Jenni Olson
CA Sales Director
Charbay Winery & Distillery