tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-840930092789285091.post6534811777725980942..comments2024-03-17T14:10:05.912-05:00Comments on The Chuck Cowdery Blog: SMS. The Straw That Stirs The Drink.Chuck Cowderyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12191121480961526039noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-840930092789285091.post-38346257255229602352011-02-01T11:41:34.888-06:002011-02-01T11:41:34.888-06:00Outstanding post Chuck. I too love SMS but had to...Outstanding post Chuck. I too love SMS but had to remind myself this weekend that there are plenty of other outstanding whiskies out there. After listening to Mark Gillespie's most recent podcast I went out and purchased a bottle of Forty Creek. It is a fantastic spirit that I would recommend to any Scotch lover.<br /><br />Thanks again Chuck. I love your perspectives of the whiskey world at large.Justin Victornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-840930092789285091.post-82765932858133210992011-01-28T19:17:08.763-06:002011-01-28T19:17:08.763-06:00Scotch as a category I think does well for a numbe...Scotch as a category I think does well for a number of reasons. The category itself is broad, with many subcategories. And while those subcategories can be very different, it all falls under the umbrella of Scotch. So even if you're drinking Clan MacGregor, you can feel that you're tasting a bit of the old country.<br /><br />American whiskey suffers a bit in this area, because whiskey as a category just isn't an interesting name, it's too broad. And the government regulations in force after March 1, 1938 to distinguish between bourbon stored in new charred oak barrels vs. used or uncharred barrels vs unaged in any kind of barrel has created narrow categories that the customer doesn't understand. (Similarly for rye whiskey, etc.) And it's much harder to create an interesting bourbon (or rye whiskey etc) category when all you can talk about is the effect/flavor of the oak.<br /><br />It's like if the Scotch had said that you'd have to age a Scottish whiskey distillate in sherry casks for it be called Scotch. It used to be that a lot of Scottish whiskey was made from corn, now it's made from wheat. But no one is complaining that it's not Scotch anymore.<br /><br />Is this making sense?<br /><br />I think there will be interesting whiskies made by small distilleries, but it may end up being called <i>whiskey</i> on the label because the TTB either doesn't have a category name for it, or that <i>whiskey distilled from rye mash and aged in 100% used barrels</i> is simply too burdensome.<br /><br />I also think the single malt enthusiast might not be as interested in American small distillery whiskies except when they make an actual single malt.<br /><br />In the interest of full disclosure, I operate a small distillery, but make no claim that what I make is interesting. That's for others to decide.Cheryl - Delaware Phoenixhttp://www.delawarephoenix.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-840930092789285091.post-69972104230931015402011-01-28T17:12:06.260-06:002011-01-28T17:12:06.260-06:00Canadian whisky is very big in the northern Midwes...Canadian whisky is very big in the northern Midwest.Chuck Cowderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12191121480961526039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-840930092789285091.post-12127403690959123592011-01-28T17:03:39.473-06:002011-01-28T17:03:39.473-06:00Yes, very interesting! Thirty years ago, a micro ...Yes, very interesting! Thirty years ago, a micro distillery movement developed on the West Coast. But distillers made brandy, not whiskey. Then the movement ran out of steam. Some of the distilleries closed, and you hear little about those that remain. (Clear Creek in Oregon is an exception.) So it will be interesting to see how the current generation of micros develops. Of course, whiskey is much more popular than brandy, and most new micros are making whiskey.<br /><br />Speaking of whiskey, I was surprised to see that 50% more Canadian whiskey is sold in the U.S. than scotch and Irish combined. Most liquor stores I go to have very little shelf space devoted to Canadian whiskey. This is even true in Buffalo NY where Canadian beer is very popular. So who is buying up all the Canadian whiskey?<br /><br />Tom TrolandAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-840930092789285091.post-73739537538120696692011-01-28T14:16:13.338-06:002011-01-28T14:16:13.338-06:00Chuck - informative post. I recently made the com...Chuck - informative post. I recently made the comment to David Perkins at High West about the American Single Malt void and he commented that he has distilled and is currently maturing a single malt whiskey (not peated). I believe the first iteration will be "Silver" and released later this year (it will be a young malt whiskey). I'm very interested in the micro distilleries and the potential they bring to the future of American whiskey.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03084821666852687199noreply@blogger.com