If you go by book, rendering whiskey It is a straightforward and fairly painless process. In simpler terms, the whiskey production steps are mashing, fermentation, distillation and aging. But it’s much more complex than that, and it starts with the ingredients. Most commonly used for mashing are corn, rye, wheat or barley. However, distillers can also produce unique whiskeys.
says Jerroyd Cahill, distillery expert at The Company Slane is an Irish whiskey. Oats are another historically interesting grain for making whiskey. Hard to get to your brewery successfully, the effort pays off with a rich, smooth flavor with distinct notes of oatmeal (unsurprisingly), dried fruit, brown sugar, And a wonderful personality.”
That’s not all.
says Paul Helitko, President and Principal Director, Distiller Inc little lives In Evanston, Illinois.
Some use just a few of these pills to add nuance, he adds, while others have a heavier hand with tweaking, depending on their goals.
Attractiveness of shaking grain types in mills
Distillers may choose to use different grains for any number of reasons. They can range from flavor to yield to terroir for the beans that grow well nearby. Other reasons could include alternative uses for cover crops, preservation of heritage grains, and more. “We definitely see millet and quinoa used for flavoring purposes, but we’ve also seen more of the heirloom grains that some distillers are using,” adds Hletko.
The unique grains can add all kinds of interesting flavors, as well as textures, to the distillate.
“Truly the sky’s the limit as creative and talented distillers work with the grain to truly express what the creative spark creates,” he adds.
If you’ve ever wanted to try an American whiskey made with any of these (and other) unique ingredients, you’re in luck. There are loads of oats, millet, quinoa, buckwheat and even corn whiskey available on the market. Keep scrolling to see 10 of our favorite uniquely American whiskeys that you can drink right now.
10 Unique American Grain Whiskeys You Need to Try
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1. James Hyde Surgo whiskey
This whiskey got its name from James F.C. Hyde, a well-known Massachusetts businessman and avid farmer who published a guide to planting, harvesting, and eventually distilling sorghum. Made entirely from American sorghum, this award-winning whiskey is aged in new charred American oak barrels as if it were a classic bourbon. They bottle this naturally gluten-free whiskey with cask strength, and it packs a bold, rich flavor of maple fudge, caramel, vanilla bean, oakmoss, and light winter spices.
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