Gary’s Blog

First, while both bourbon and scotch are “whisk(e)y”, they’re very different products. Expecting to enjoy one just because you enjoy the other would be like expecting to enjoy grapefruit juice because you enjoy apple juice (I mean, they are both fruit juices, right?)  Sure – there are loads of folks who happen to enjoy both (including me!) but a fondness for one isn’t a strong predictor necessarily of how one feels about the other.  I know plenty of folks who love one group intensely, and scratch their heads over what the fuss is all about over the other.

I believe this question may come from a misplaced expectation that they’ll be somewhat similar. If you love bourbon and are hoping to find what you love about bourbon in a scotch – you’re probably setting yourself up to be disappointed. The opposite is just as true; someone who loves a delicate, fruity, smokey single malt and is looking for that same profile in a bourbon is likely to have their expectations fall short.

Let’s cover some of the major differences between these two broad categories of whisk(e)y:

1. GRAINS

• Bourbon includes by law a minimum of 51% corn in its mashbill.  Typically it is higher than that – 60-70% corn – with the remainder consisting of other grains (such as wheat or rye, and barley). Each of these grains have different purposes, characteristics and impart different flavors. Compare products that are a majority of one grain (like Mellow Corn BIB, Bernheim Wheat or Rittenhouse Rye) with Evan Williams and you get the idea. The proportion of these grains in the mashbill provide unique character to different bourbons (along with a bunch of other factors).
• Scotch (single malt at least) is made with barley – period. No other grains involved. Blended scotch or single grain scotch whisky may use other grains, so let’s set those aside for now.  While barley is often a grain in many bourbon mashbills, it is typically the smallest grain component (like 12% or less).

2. WOOD

• Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak containers (almost always a barrel, but the regs state “container”). This is a critical point, as the charring of that new oak leads to the caramelization of the natural sugars in the wood. As the spirit moves in and out of the wood during the aging period, it is picking up flavors from that caramelization, such as vanilla and caramel. It also gets its dark color from moving in/out of the charred oak.  This is why a 4 yr old bourbon will almost always have more color than any 4 yr old scotch (assuming no artificial color is added – which is allowed in scotch but NOT in bourbon).
• Scotch is rarely aged in new oak and is typically aged in used barrels. This makes a huge difference in terms of how quickly the spirit takes on color and flavor, as well as what flavors. Yet another facet is how those barrels were previously used. Because bourbon requires the use of a new barrel, there are a LOT of barrels which previously held bourbon on the market, and a lot of them wind up holding scotch. But scotch can also be aged in barrels which once held sherry, port, and other products. These products each impart different flavors and characters on the spirit. For example, sherry casks give a lot of deep color and dark fruit flavors (and whether it is the first fill of a sherry cask vs a second or even third fill will have an impact).  While these used barrels are charred again to ensure there aren’t ugly baddies taking up shop in the wood, this won’t have the same affect as when the wood is new (the sugars were already caramelized the first go round, and have given up some portion of what they have to offer).  Oh – and a “single malt scotch” may consists of whisky aged in different containers blended together in the final product.

3. CLIMATE

• Bourbon has to be made in the United States by law, and the overwhelming majority of it is produced in Kentucky – which sits between 36th and 39th parallel (the entire continental US runs from the 25th to the 49th parallel). Bardstown, the “bourbon capital of the world” (just ask anyone from Bardstown; they’ll confirm this is THEIR title), sees average high temps ranging from 43°F in January to 87°F in July, with a typical swing of 20-25 degrees between the average lows and highs each month. What that has to do with bourbon is how much that spirit goes into and out of the wood. Keep in mind that within those rickhouses, the summer temps get considerably hotter in the summer (and vary based on location within the rickhouse), and maintain more steady temps in the winter – but let’s set that aside for the sake of a more direct comparison to scotch. Besides going in/out of the wood, the temps (along with some other factors like humidity, etc) tend to drive the proof of the whiskey up in casks aged higher in the rickhouses.
• Scotch has to be made in Scotland by law, and the mainland all sits between the 55th and 59th parallel – only a slightly larger zone than Kentucky (but much further north!) Just for the sake of comparison, let’s look at Glasgow’s climate. Their average low temp is also 43°F in January, but in July their average high is only 66°F – about half the jump that Bardstown sees! As important as that, they see a typical swing of only 7-12 degrees between their average low and high temps. This all means that the spirit is interacting with the wood a lot more slowly. Besides taking longer for the cask to impart flavors, it provides for more of an impact from oxidation and good ol’ time. Coupled with humidity and other factors, the proof tends to go down in the whisky as it ages – which is one reason you don’t see a lot of “high proof” scotch compared to bourbon.

Now there are absolutely other differences between these two (notice how I’m avoiding peat entirely?)  In fact, if you’re curious about what other variables impact a whiskey, Richard did a great job of listing many more here.  When you start combining just the three mentioned above – hopefully it is clear why these whiskies are so different. In my opinion, those differences aren’t a disappointment in any way/shape/form.  They’re wonderful and should be celebrated!

At the end of the day – it is perfectly OK to not like one or the other (or either, although I’m not sure why you’re reading this if that’s the case). It shouldn’t be a chore to “like” something for crying out loud (in-laws and co-workers excluded). But I hope you’ll continue to try new things because that’s the only way to learn what you will or won’t like. Keep an open mind going in, and most importantly – have fun. A wise old man once told me “If you’re having fun, you’re doing it right”. I’m not sure exactly how wise he is, but on that note I think he got it exactly right.

Cheers!
Gary

I’ve shared some thoughts on how to guestimate if you might like something that you’ve never tried before, and admitted there that the only foolproof method IS to try it.  But – trying doesn’t means you have to run out and buy an entire bottle.

If you’re just starting out on your whiskey journey, the good news is that you can find a lot of brands offered in “mini” bottles (50 mL; the size you get on an airplane).  Some stores have a pretty wide selection, others not so much.  Now you’re paying a premium when buying a smaller size, but I’d much rather spend $4 on a 50 mL of something and discover I don’t like it than spend $25 on a 750 mL of the same with the same results.  The availability varies based on location, so I’ll focus here on bourbon to illustrate.

Between Georgia and Kentucky (the two states where I’ve made the majority of my whiskey purchases), I’ve seen the following offered in 50 mL mini bottles – typically for $4 or less:

Jim Beam white label, Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey 101, Evan Williams black label, Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniel’s (spare me the ‘not a bourbon’ emails please), Buffalo Trace, Larceny, Old Forester, and Bulleit bourbon.

Some larger retailers (especially in Kentucky) carry a selection of some higher-end labels in 50 mL minis, which may run $5-$10, but again – same logic applies.  Examples I’ve seen include:

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Baker’s, Booker’s, Four Roses Single Barrel, Knob Creek, Wild Turkey Rare Breed, and Blanton’s.

Most premium whiskies (which for this definition I’ll say are $90 or more for a 700/750 mL bottle) unfortunately aren’t offered in “mini” bottles.  Hell, most aren’t offered in any size other than the standard bottle (700/750 mL), although sometimes you’re pleasantly surprised.  Switching styles to scotch – there is a Johnnie Walker sampler pack with 4 200 mL bottles, including Johnnie Walker Blue Label (locally, this runs about $100).  I looked for that as I wanted to try Johnnie Walker Blue, but didn’t want to spend on a full price bottle (and while paying a premium, the chance to have several visits across their lineup was a lot of fun, and well worth it).

Now you can also try something at a bar or restaurant (also known as “on-premise”) before buying a whole bottle, but have you done the math for what that premium cost?  It isn’t an exact science (and there are different strategies involved, wholesale pricing, etc) – and this isn’t a complaint about on-premise mark-up either (they’ve got labor costs involved, insurance, etc).  But typically the product component is running 20-30% of the price you pay.  For example – one local bar pours 2 oz of Buffalo Trace for $10 (so $5/oz).  A full bottle (25 oz+) runs around $25 – so the retail cost is about $1/oz.  Now sometimes as the product cost increases, the mark-up decreases since the labor costs are really the same (again, NOT in the on-premise business; understand there are all sorts of strategies, market demand, etc).  I’ve seen Johnnie Walker Blue poured for $50 (and $75).  That’s a lot of coin, but again – if I hadn’t ever tried it, even $75 is a lot less than $200-$250 for a bottle (especially if I’m underwhelmed).  So that’s another option to try something before you buy – although personally I reserve that for the more premium offerings.

While most high-end labels aren’t available in the smaller sizes, I recently came across an exception:  Peerless Rye 24 month.  Now while I enjoyed the whiskey, the price (offered around $125, then discounted to $99, and now in some areas down to $69) I think is absurd.  Yes, it is an interesting whiskey to try if you’re a whiskey geek, but an expensive proposition.  So I was floored when browsing a local retailer and I saw they were offering 200 mL bottles of Peerless Rye 24 month for $28.  If I hadn’t tried that before, I absolutely would have bought one just to satisfy my curiosity.

“Wait . . . $28 for a 200 mL?  Seriously?”

Absolutely.  Hear me out – the premium you pay for a 200 mL size is typically 35% to 75%.  For example – Maker’s Mark goes for $10 for a 200 mL while a 750 mL is $22.50; a 67% premium when you calculate the price per mL.  The Peerless Rye 24 month has been going for $100 for a 750 mL.  At the 200 mL pricing, there is barely any premium (5%).  Even when they drop the price to $70; the premium you’re paying is 50%, which isn’t out of the norm.

Now I haven’t gone searching for Peerless Rye at local bars, but if I found it there, and their pricing is based on the new reduced rate of $70, depending upon how they set their price (which is a whole other thing; I get it) I can reasonably expect to pay $20-$25 for a 2 oz pour.  If I’m going to spend $20-$25 for 2 oz (just shut of 60 mL), why wouldn’t I spend $28 and get more than three times that amount?  Not only is it a better price, but with 200 mL I can revisit it multiple times, and better control my tasting environment.  Hell, I could test it in several cocktails, neat, etc.

The Peerless Rye example is an exception to be sure, but a great example of where buying small can save you some money – especially when you’re trying to figure out what you like or don’t like.  I made the mistake when starting out of buying a lot of bottles, only to discover I wasn’t crazy about some – and was stuck with 90% of a bottle.  Yeah, you can mix it in cocktails or cook with it – but life’s too short to have to find ways to get rid of whiskey you just don’t enjoy.

Some other alternatives to consider based on your situation:

1. 1. Find a whiskey society/club in your area!  These vary greatly in terms of how they work, what they do and don’t do.  I’ve attended function for one where you pay a reasonable fee for some snacks (sometimes a meal) and a tasting of 4-6 various pours (typically a 1/3 oz, but again – this can vary).  I belong to one where it is quite informal, and fellow enthusiasts gather together and share what they care to.  The generosity of this type of group can be (and still is to this day) humbling, and some of the most fun you can have legally and dressed.
   2. Split a bottle with friends!  Maybe you don’t have a club or society, but if you’ve got a couple of friends who are just as keenly interested as you are, but everyone is gun shy about buying a whole bottle “just to find out” – figure out some arrangement to split the cost.  Hell – a $120 bottle split three ways is only $40 for 8 oz (which is likely what you’d pay for a shot in a bar – so splurge and have the opportunity to try it in various settings, neat or on the rocks, in a cocktail, etc.)
   3. Amazon wish-list.  Ok – I’ll admit I’ve done this before when there was something I was interested in, but too cheap to spring for.  Granted – most of my family would rather not buy me another bottle of whiskey for a birthday or Christmas present, so I’d put this at the bottom of my list – but it has worked (although keep in mind pricing expectations and effort; don’t put something down that isn’t fairly easily attainable, and is in whatever price range you’d spend on them!)

Cheers!
Gary