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We’re being lied to by corporate America, you guys! Again!
What’s disappointing in this scenario, though, is that you’re being lied to by something you’ve relied on, something you’ve trusted! Whiskey, that two-faced whore.
According to lawyer/food blogger Steve Ury, there’s a giant factory in Indiana that goes by the name of Midwest Grain Products, or MGP, mass-producing whiskey to be sold to big name distilleries. Essentially, you could honestly be paying for the home décor after you finish the bottle rather than the whiskey inside.
One way to find out if you’re getting screwed is to look at the wording on the label. “Does it say it is ‘distilled’ by that company, or does it say it’s ‘bottled by’ or ‘produced by’ that company? That sounds like a small difference, but it has a big legal meaning,” says Ury.
Though made by the same company and of 95% rye, the barrels may produce a different taste.
“Sometimes they blend it with other whiskeys; sometimes they put it in a barrel that previously held port or rum to give it a slightly different flavor. Sometimes they’ll filter it. But there’s a commonality of flavor of these MGP ryes because they are so distinct.”
Liars! Swindlers! I trusted you! I let you see a different side of me and you’re…you’re just fake!
LOL no, jk. I drink bourbon like a real (wo)man. Sucks for you whiskey connoisseurs, though.
[via NPR]
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@lnsayers
@lnsayers
I used to work for an alcohol distributor. The only thing that matters is the sticker they slap on the bottle.
Whiskey, yes. There is a large plant in Indiana. And bourbon, maybe. I worked for a small Distillery in KY, and although they didn’t barrel their own products, they do bottle it.
Bourbon is federally regulated and the Bourbon industry is extremely proud of their product being labeled BOURBON, especially KY Bourbon. Not whiskey.
For Bulleit, that’s only the for the rye. The bourbon is distilled by Four Roses in Kentucky.
Someone please promise me that “single barrel” means something.
“Single barrel” means just what you think it would: all of the bourbon in the bottle you purchase is from the same barrel. “Small batch” is a loose term — meaning they commingle a small number of barrels to capture a certain flavor profile. Distilling is the process that begets what some bourbon makers sell as “white whiskey” — basically more similar to moonshine than bourbon. Distilling is the least difficult part of the process. Bourbon has the variation it does because every barrel has different qualities that are ultimately out of the distiller’s control — due to changes in temperature while the bourbon ages (the harsher the winter and hotter the summer, the better — which is why KY is where most of the stuff is housed: we have every season, but on steroids). Single barrel is more expensive and more rare because it’s difficult to find one barrel that has all of the qualities of the flavor profile of a particular brand. That said, Eagle Rare (out of Buffalo Trace) is my favorite, and a great value for a 10 yr single barrel.
Calling Kentucky winters harsh is like calling a Rav4 a truck.
It does. The actual distilling, like I said downthread, is literally the least important part of the process. It’s like giving someone the recipe and ingredients for your chili for them to cook it, if chili had to age another 2-4 years in specific containers.
Distilling is probably the least important part of the whole liquor making process, and that plant is almost always using ingredients provided by the “manufacturer.” It makes sense for small distilleries to rely on companies with the capacity (like LDI) as it’s very cost prohibitive to to run your own distillery and make any significant amount of liquor (fed fees, equipment, licenses, insurance). Something like a million dollar investment nets you about 10 gallons of finished product.
Too bad for you, bourbon is a form of whiskey.
Bourbon is also highly regulated. Most importantly, the grist must be at least 51% corn, which means that you couldn’t age a mass-distilled spirit that is 95% rye in bourbon barrels and still call it bourbon. Also, to qualify as “straight bourbon,” there can’t be any added spirits. And finally, even a blended bourbon must be labeled as such, making it easy to identify the impostors.
why is this getting down voted? because it’s true?
Because the poster didn’t understand that the federal regulations on bourbon are similar to the federal regulations on wine. To call it what it is, you have to follow a lot of rules and see a lot of federal regulators, but damn if it doesn’t ensure a better product.