In the world of whiskey, there are some phrases cut and dry. These include terms such as Bottled Bond And the small batch. The first means that the whiskey in question follows the guidelines set out in the “Bottled In Bond Act” of 1897. This includes aging the whiskey in a federally mortgaged warehouse and packing it into 100 proofs, among other rules. The latter means that whiskey was made by mixing a small number (this number is debatable) from barrels together. one phrase he is Open to debate, however, is the proof.
A barrel proof can mean a lot of different things depending on the responsible marketer. “Nominally, this means that it is the exact liquid coming straight from the barrel, uncut with water, and that every drop of liquid in the bottle was previously in the barrel,” says Paul Heltko, founder and director of distilleries at Few Lives in Evanston, Illinois. “In practice, marketers don’t always understand this and apply the term to any bourbon beyond ‘ordinary’ proof.”
In simpler terms, barrel or barrel strength is used to refer to whiskey that has not been diluted much (if any) with water after the maturation process. This results in a highly resistant whiskey in the 60- to 70-inch range.
The allure of anti-barrel whiskey
“There are a number of reasons why drinkers like barrel-proof bourbon, ranging from wanting to add their own amounts of water to wanting to only buy the liquid in the barrel,” Hletko says. “Others claim that higher proof holds the flavor of whiskey better, which is true, but only to an extent.”
However, many barrel-resistant whiskeys are not suitable for everyone. Due to the high alcohol content, some are not good to drink unless you add a few drops of water. “The alcohol is simply too high to allow most people to savor the flavor after the first sip that goes off their palate,” Hiltko says. “They can be great for mixing because higher alcohol levels will stand out more in cocktails if the same volume is poured. Other mixers may reduce the volume of their cocktails and keep the same final alcohol level in the cocktail in smaller quantities.”
Now that we know a little more about barrel-resistant bourbon, it’s time to drink some. To help you on your hectic journey, here are 10 of our favorites right now.
10 barrel resistant bourbon to drink now
photo courtesy
1. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
While history is cloudy, many people believe that bourbon was first created by Elijah Craig, a former Baptist preacher. Specifically, when he decided to age corn whiskey in charred casks. Regardless of whether this story is true or not, the brand that bears his name makes one of the best barrel-proof and well-priced bourbons on the market. They release this award-winning bourbon in batches twice a year. While the overall flavor, proof, and recipe change quite a bit depending on the batch, you can be guaranteed to get flavors like fresh skin, toffee, vanilla, and spicy cinnamon sugar.
Discussion about this post