Stateways

here is a point of diminishing returns with every barrel of aging whiskey, which means that leaving whiskey in a barrel longer doesn't necessarily means that it will continue to improve. It's a delicate process that is as much science as it is art. The climate is a variable. The warmer the climate the faster whiskey matures in oak. Where a barrel is stored in a rick house is also a factor. Suffice to say, aging whiskey to its absolute prime is challenging. That said, there are increasingly more whiskeys on the market being aged 18 years or older. Likely the first name in extended aging is the venerable Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve from the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery of Lawrenceberg, KY. This rare limited edition is aged 23 years. The barrels were carefully selected from the heart of the warehouse. Only the most careful and expensive distill- ing method and aging techniques can be used to create a handcrafted whiskey of this caliber. EXTENDED AGED AMERICAN WHISKIES T "Managing a program like that is extremely difficult," says distiller Dave Scheurich. "Among the challenges are projecting supply/demand needs so far out into the future, predicting the loss through evaporation—dubbed the Angel's Share—and managing the barrels in the ware- house so that the whiskey doesn't get too much interac- tion with the barrel, which would drive the whiskey toward being too tannic, smoky and woody." here is something compelling about a single barrel bourbon. As the name implies, the whiskey is drawn from a single barrel and when that individual cask is emptied, that's it. A whiskey in a neighboring cask may be similar, but its taste profile won't be an exact match. A typical barrel of whiskey yields around 230-250 (750 ml) bottles. In short, the whiskey is a slice of life never to be duplicated. SINGLE BARREL BOTTLINGS T Introduced in 1984, Blanton's was the first single barrel bourbon on the market and is likely the best known. The Kentucky straight bourbon is distilled and aged at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. While Blanton's makes no age declaration on its label, it is aged approxi- mately 10 to 12 years and bottled at 93 proof. As is the case with all single barrel whiskeys, each bot- tling is a singular experience never to be repeated. Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey is filled one barrel at a time from those selected by the master distiller. Each label is marked with the rick and barrel number, as 36 Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey is an example of the trend toward single barrel releases. well as the date of bottling. The 94-proof whiskey has a deep copper color, semisweet bouquet and the rich, distinctive flavor that has made Jack Daniel's an iconic brand. "Sometimes we find barrels that are just too good to blend," says Tuthilltown Spirits' Gable Erenzo. "For us, these are the casks we set aside for a single barrel edition. In larger format distilleries, I still like this expression because each individual barrel will offer slight nuances. For me, those nuances are what make whiskey so interesting. Same grain, same process, same wood, same dis- tillers...slight differences. That's the beauty of these types of spirits, in my opinion." Founded in 1795, Jim Beam launched its first single barrel expression last year. According to Bauder, the distillery waited until it had the perfect whiskey to bottle as a single barrel. "Our first such offering is Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve. Aged 9 years, the bourbon is carefully hand-selected and bottled barrel-by-barrel at 120 proof in order to offer fans even more of the signa- ture big, full flavor that they love about Knob Creek." Made in Lawrenceburg, KY, the limited edition 2012 Four Roses Single Barrel is aged for a minimum of 12 years and bottled at barrel strength at 109.4 proof. Master Distiller Jim Rutledge hand selected the barrels for this expression and only (750ml) 4,000 bottles are being produced. American whiskey is constantly reinventing itself and is on track to grab an increasingly larger share of the pop- ular limelight. They are loaded with big complex flavors and have about the most captivating aroma of any whiskey. Their mixability, affordability and easy to appreciate char- acter seem to be what consumers are looking for. SW Maximize your positive press from your feature in Reprints Maximize the marketing power of your feature. Eprint Give your feature a presence on the World Wide Web. Fame Frame TM Transform your feature into an impressive work of art with a customized wall plaque. For custom reprints of articles in this magazine contact: Cheryl Naughton, M2MEDIA360, (678) 292-6054 or cnaughton@m2media360.com StateWays s www.stateways.com s September/October 2012

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• From the Editor
• Dateline
• Control States Executive Forum
• Computer/POS
• American Whiskey
• Prosecco
• Products & Packaging
• Ad Index