Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
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Heaven Hill Distilleries just released Larceny to select markets nation- wide. The small batch bourbon is distilled using a mash bill contain- ing winter wheat instead of rye. latest of which, for example, is Larceny, from Heaven Hill Distilleries. Larceny is a small batch bourbon distilled using a mash bill containing winter wheat instead of rye, which produces a softer, fruitier whiskey. Master distiller Craig Beam selects 100 or fewer barrels aged 6 to 12 years in the distillery's open rick ware- houses. The whiskey is bottled at 92 proof and retails for $24.99 per 750 ml. Curious about what's behind the steady growth of American whiskeys, we polled our experts and came up with the five major trends that are behind the uptick in our indigenous whiskeys. growing trend within the category is transferring traditionally aged bourbon from charred American oak barrels into a different variety of oak — such as French oak or maple wood — or one that was used previously to mature wine or a different type of spirit — be it cognac, sherry or port, chardonnay, etc. Whiskeys derive most of the flavor and all of their color from being aged in wood. Finishing a whiskey in a differ- ent type of wood is an artisanal twist that greatly affects the flavor of the finished product. A recent example is Angel's Envy Bourbon from Louisville Distilling Company and mas- ter distiller Lincoln Henderson, former master distiller at Woodford Reserve. The bourbon begins with a mash bill of corn and rye and is aged between 4 and 6 years in charred DOUBLE BARRELED AND WOOD FINISHED A From Beam, both Maker's 46 and Jim Beam's Devil's Cut employ distinctive uses of their barrels in their produc- tion processes. American oak barrels. It is then transferred to hand-select- ed port casks for an additional 3 to 6 months. Jim Beam's Bauder thinks that as the bourbon boom continues we'll continue to see more distillers employ this type of production processes. "Wood finishes should certainly keep things interesting for whiskey drinkers. We are especially proud of two of our latest and most successful launches — Maker's 46, for which we rest fully matured Maker's Mark in a second barrel outfitted with additional French oak staves, and Devil's Cut, which is created using a proprietary process to extract liquid from within the barrel wood, producing a bold, intense whiskey. Both of these bourbon innovations have helped us offer new, one-of-a-kind options to our fans. We expect to continue blazing trails through innovation in the future." To create Devil's Cut, empty barrels of extra-aged Jim Beam Bourbon are filled with water to pull out the trapped bourbon and flavors from the wood. The barrel- extracted whiskey is later added back to the 6-year bour- bon to produce the 90-proof Devil's Cut. For Maker's 46, after pot-distilled Maker's Mark has been aged to maturity, it is dumped and seared French oak staves are affixed to the inside of the barrel. The staves are seared just enough such that their caramel and vanilla flavors are released and only a small amount of tannin, which adds bitterness, comes out of the wood. Afterwards the bourbon is returned to the barrels and allowed to age for another 2-3 months. It's bottled at 94 proof. Dan Garrison, proprietor, Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye, TX, is also a fan of wood finishing bourbons. "I have tried the double barreled bourbons from Woodford Reserve and master distiller Chris Morris. The Woodford Reserve Double Barreled bourbon is excellent and I love the experimental wood science that Chris Morris used in developing it. Understanding the nuances that different toast and char levels have on caramelizing the sugars in the wood is the key. We are currently developing our own Double Barreled expression, incorporating our knowledge of this science and the effects of the Texas climate, and will know in a few years whether it is something we want to release as a limited edition. Woodford Reserve Double Barrel Bourbon is another example of successful wood experimentation. The handmade pot-distilled Prichard's Double Barrel Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • September/October 2012 • 25