Check Out My LDI Story In The New Whisky Advocate.

The new issue of Whisky Advocate, for Winter 2011, is out now. Whisky Advocate is the new name for Malt Advocate, to which I am a long-time contributor.

My piece in the new issue is "LDI: the Mystery Distillery." As the teaser says, many of today's new and notable bourbons and ryes come from this large distillery near Lawrenceburg, Indiana; a distillery that most whiskey drinkers don't even know about.

But you do, if you are a regular follower of this blog.

I have been fascinated by LDI for a long time. I last posted about it here, here and here.

One thing about writing for print magazines is that they still have very long lead times. I submitted the LDI story before the sale was announced. The magazine was just about to go to press when I heard LDI had sold. Happily, we were able to include that rather crucial piece of news, so the story is up-to-date.

If you want to learn all you can about whiskey, I recommend* Whisky Advocate. With its recent redesign the magazine smartly exploits the unique tactile and visual pleasures of print. The result is a thing of beauty. (I try not to sully it too much.) Subscriptions are $18 a year.


* I also recommend that other whiskey magazine that I also write for. I'll write glowingly about it the next time one of my articles is published there.

Thoughts on WhiskeyFest 2011.

WhiskeyFest Chicago, presented by Malt Advocate Magazine, was last Friday night at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Chicago.

I didn’t feel quite myself Thursday and Friday as I attended WhiskeyFest and related events. I was tired and achy most of the time. Everywhere I went it was too warm inside and too cold outside. The weather has been and still is miserable here. By the time I headed home Friday evening I was exhausted and my feet and legs were killing me.

Am I getting too old, and too fat, for my debauched lifestyle?

I mention all this not just to kvetch, but because in spite of it I had a great time. Then on Saturday I saw an excellent production of “Bleacher Bums” at NEIU’s Stage Center Theatre and on Sunday spent a pleasant afternoon at Toyota Park, despite the Fire’s disappointing performance. So even though I felt under the weather, it was a fun few days.

Back to WhiskeyFest and Whiskey Week. For me these are mostly social events, a chance to chat with old friends I rarely see, and a chance to meet new ones. I wear a press badge so people will know it’s me and if they know me from here or somewhere else, they can introduce themselves and we can meet in person.

I always hope they’re not too disappointed.

I saw Scott Bush, president of Templeton Rye. We chatted amiably. He wants credit for the film he posted showing Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (LDI), the distillery where Templeton Rye is actually made. I'll grant that it's a good video glimpse inside a secretive and thus little-known distillery. The video contains some very good information and is well worth watching.

Bush confirmed that they are now aging Templeton Rye in Templeton, Iowa, some of it coming to them from LDI in barrels as young as new make. He said they still hope to move all production to Templeton but admits that is a long way off. He mentioned 25 years.

Scott Bush is a young man so he can talk about 25-year horizons.

He also said they intend to remain a single-product company and if they move distilling to Iowa they won’t be able to do it with their current facility.

I talked to Bush and several other people about the precarious state of LDI. Several small (Templeton, Redemption, Harrison, Big Bottom, High West) and not-so-small (Diageo) outfits rely on LDI for some or all of their products. Templeton and perhaps others have product in the pipeline, but all are holding their breath as they await news of LDI’s fate.

At least half a dozen times after we talked, Bush swooped in on conversations I was having with someone else to greet the other person. It happened too many times to be coincidence. What's that about?

I had a nice conversation with John Hall of Forty Creek Canadian Whiskey. We talked about how he modified his pot still by adding a short column to it just below the helmet. He confirmed that he does distill his corn whiskey out to a high, nearly-neutral proof in the Canadian style. (I’ve had some conversations with other people who questioned this.)

We also talked a lot about wood. He recently got some barrels of 100 percent Canadian-grown white oak. It sounded comparable to the Minnesota white oak terroir, which is characterized by slow growth due to the short growing season. (Short relative to the Ozarks, where most oak for whiskey barrels is produced.) He agreed that one characteristic of northern oak is a big butterscotch flavor.

It also occurs to me as I think about that conversation that northern oak seems to give up more flavor in less time. I have noticed this in whiskey aged in smaller barrels. Hall doesn’t believe size makes a difference and he strictly uses standard 53 gallon barrels but he has observed this too.

Hall also said he had his Canadian-grown wood air-seasoned for 2 ½ years. That’s more than twice what most people do.

A tip for craft distillers: if you want your whiskey to mature quickly, invest in barrels that have had longer open-air seasoning, as the partial decomposition that occurs during natural seasoning makes flavors more available.

Hall drew an analogy to strawberries. He said Nova Scotia strawberries are very small but flavorful, whereas strawberries grown in California or Mexico are often large but mealy and flavorless. He believes most people don't realize how much of a whiskey's flavor comes from the wood.

Speaking of Canadians, I tried some Crown Royal Cask No. 16. I wanted to be more impressed with it than I was. Brown-Forman was pouring their new Canadian, Collingwood. I like the theme: “whiskey should be enjoyed, not endured.” Canadian whiskey can be bland but it’s rarely offensive.

Jim Beam’s Fred Noe, talking about the new Jim Beam Devil’s Cut bourbon, was asked if the process they’re using to extract more ‘soakage whiskey’ from their barrels had made those barrels less desirable to the scotch distillers who usually buy them. “We don’t care,” answered Noe, although he said it more colorfully, which drew a big laugh.

Also on barrels, Jim Rutledge was asked which Scottish distillery gets Four Roses barrels when he’s through with them. Turns out they don’t go to Scotland, they all go to Diageo’s distillery in Gimli, Manitoba, where Crown Royal and other Diageo Canadians are made. That was part of the deal Diageo made when they sold the distillery to Kirin more than a decade ago.

I’m sure there was more. If I recall anything else I’ll make a subsequent post.

Value Isn't The Same As Cheap.

I don't write much about awards. I have nothing against them, I pay attention to them. I just don't find them very interesting to write about.

But John Hansell wrote something terrific on Wednesday as he bestowed the Malt Advocate Best Buy Whiskey of the Year Award on Evan Williams and Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond. I wholeheartedly agree with the choice but I particularly appreciate what he wrote by way of introduction to the category:

"Best Buy is always a touchy category. It’s not cheap whisky, and it’s not barely endurable whisky -- there are plenty of both, but we’re not interested —- it’s about whisky that’s a great combination of flavor and price."

Value is never just about price, it's about the intersection of price and quality. Yes, value is intangible and subjective. So is love. That's why it's so touchy. If I say a product isn't worth its price, that's not the same as saying it's bad. And if I say something is a good value, rarely does that mean it's the cheapest bottle in the store.

It also shouldn't be lost that there are really two awards here, not just two winners. Before they narrowed it down to these two products, the Malt Advocate judges decreed that American whiskey is where the best whiskey values are to be found. That may be slightly less true outside the USA than it is here, but it's still true.

I'm also intrigued by Artisan Whisky of the Year going to a very young Islay malt. Maybe awards are getting more interesting.

(By way of transparency, I should tell you that while I write for Malt Advocate I do not participate in the judging for these awards.)

Too Woody?

I don’t usually post here about articles I’ve written for Malt Advocate, WHISKY Magazine, and other publications. For one thing, the lead times are so long I’ve usually forgotten all about them by the time they’re published.

But I’m very excited about a piece I have in the new issue of Malt Advocate. (Volume 19, Number 4. Winter 2010.) My enthusiasm starts with the title: “Quercus Alba and the Rise of the Eumycotians.”
For a writer, the most satisfying work is when you learn something new that you can then share with readers. On this project I learned a lot about how new whiskey barrels are made and, in particular, how they are being improved. “Quercus Alba,” in case you don’t know, is American white oak, the wood used to make whiskey barrels. “Eumycota” are true fungi, including yeasts and mushrooms, the latter of which figure prominently in stave seasoning.

If that intrigues you, there is also a fascinating story by Jonny McCormick about barrel management practices in Scotland.

It’s an issue with major wood.

WhiskeyFest Tickets For The Holidays.

You can only give the whiskey lover in your life so much whiskey and while that may be a debatable proposition, there are other choices.

My book, for example, or my DVD, or a subscription to my newsletter. Those all make great gifts that any whiskey lover would be glad to receive and probably will declare to be the best gifts ever.

But what if the whiskey lover in your life already has my book, DVD, and newsletter?

Get them tickets to WhiskeyFest.

Right now and through the end of the year, tickets for all WhiskeyFest 2011 events are on sale at $15 off the regular price. You can nail down those tickets now (they always sell out) and save a little money in the process.

The first WhiskeyFest of the new year is our beloved WhiskeyFest Chicago, Friday, April 15, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency. WhiskeyFest San Francisco is Friday, October 7, 2011, at the Marriott Marquis. WhiskeyFest New York is Tuesday, November 1, 2011, at the Marriott Marquis.

Although I am a regular contributor to Malt Advocate Magazine, which puts on WhiskeyFest, I have no official role. I go to WhiskeyFest Chicago the same way everybody else does and for the same reasons; because it's a chance to try different whiskeys and to learn more about whiskey, because I always see a whole bunch of friends, and because it's fun.

Click here for more information.

Malt Advocate Joins M. Shanken, Inc.

It may just be a coincidence, but on Friday I guest-blogged for John Hansell on "What Does John Know" and today he announced that his Malt Advocate Inc. has joined M. Shanken, Inc., publishers of the Wine Spectator, Cigar Aficionado, Market Watch, Food Arts, and Impact. In addition to publishing Malt Advocate magazine, Malt Advocate Inc. produces annual WhiskeyFest events in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Both companies have interests in publishing and events, and both cater to the beverage alcohol industry.

I am a regular contributor to Malt Advocate magazine.

John Hansell will remain Malt Advocate magazine’s Publisher & Editor, and Amy Westlake will continue as Director of WhiskyFest events. Malt Advocate, Inc. operations will remain at their current office in Emmaus, PA.

Congratulations John and Amy, and bravo!

Guest Blogging Today At "What Does John Know?"

Perhaps today John Hansell's blog should be called "What Does Chuck Know," or maybe, "What Does Chuck Do A Convincining Job Of Pretending He Knows."

Either way, if you want to read my guest blog post about some of the laws that govern bourbon labeling, click here.

For those of you who may not know him, John Hansell is Publisher and Editor of Malt Advocate Magazine, for which I am a regular contributor.

Whiskey Week Chicago Is April 19-23.

WhiskeyFest is a one-evening, by-ticket-only event, a type of trade show at which producers have booths where they pour samples of their products for eager fans. The event also includes presentations by producer-supplied authorities. It is sponsored by Malt Advocate Magazine, a publication for which I write.

Scheduled for April 23, this is the 10th annual WhiskeyFest in Chicago, which began a year or two after the first WhiskeyFest was held in New York.

As WhiskeyFest in Chicago has grown, producers and local retailers have taken the opportunity to put on other events in proximity to it, during what has come to be called Whiskey Week, despite the lack of an official proclamation from City Hall. Malt Advocate has even begun to publicize these ancillary events. You can find that schedule here.

As they usually do, tickets for WhiskeyFest itself have sold out, but even without one you can still enjoy some of the other Whiskey Week activities.

WhiskeyFest Chicago, Almost Sold Out.

The 10th Annual WhiskyFest Chicago is Friday, April 23rd. You can find all of the details here, including the list of whiskies being poured and a listing of the seminars for the evening.

I’m posting this to let you know that, if you are thinking about buying tickets, don’t wait too long. John Hansell reports that the VIP tickets sold out a few weeks ago and there aren’t too many General Admission tickets left.

I'll be there, wearing a Malt Advocate "staff" name tag (they promised I won't have to work). If you see me, introduce yourself and say hello.

Then go away so I can get back to my drinking.

Buffalo Trace Ups The Ante.

The new issue of Malt Advocate is out (Volume 18, Number 4) and it contains a story by me entitled "Buffalo Trace Ups The Ante," starting on page 52. You can go to the web site and read it online, but if you're a whiskey fan you really should subscribe.

I started to bug Angela Traver, who runs the PR shop at Buffalo Trace Distillery, about this months ago. Buffalo Trace was doing all sorts of bold things, big and small, from buying the Tom Moore Distillery and all of the Barton spirits brands from Constellation, to acquiring the Old Taylor brand from Beam Global. I speculated that there had to be some kind of master plan in place. She didn't tell me much but encouraged me to talk to her boss, Sazerac president Mark Brown.

The opportunity came when I was in Frankfort in August for Elmer T. Lee's 90th birthday. John Hansell and Lew Bryson of Malt Advocate were also there, with some other writers and Buffalo Trace folks, at lunch in the Clubhouse, when I started to pepper Brown with questions. After lunch, John and Lew came over and asked me to write it up for Malt Advocate.

So, what is the master plan? That would be telling. Read the article.

Thanks, John and Amy, For Another Great Party.

Last night was WhiskeyFest Chicago at the Hyatt Regency downtown, year eight for what has become a rite of Spring. So big is WhiskeyFest that it is now Whiskey Week, as various bars and liquor stores sponsor their own events to take advantage of the awareness, the presence of industry executives, and the desire of whiskey enthusiasts to keep the party going. It's gotten so big, in fact, that several people I know came into town from as far away as Houston but didn't attend WhiskeyFest itself, partaking instead of all the ancillary events. In the case of one group, not attending WhiskeyFest enables them to secure seats at the bar at Delilah's, the site of the unofficial afterparty. (And so cool is Delilah's, they don't even mention it on their schedule.)

WhiskeyFest is sponsored by Malt Advocate, a magazine. They do the same thing each year in New York and San Francisco too. WHISKY Magazine has its own, similar series call Whisky Live, which covers the rest of the world. There are similar, independent whiskey shows in Philadelphia, Toronto and other major cities.

The format is pretty simple. Hire a hotel ballroom, rent booth space to all the whiskey companies, provide a nice buffet and non-alcoholic drinks, and a few additional rooms for seminars. The producers provide the whiskey and the seminars. For the price of your ticket ($110) you get a tasting glass and all the whiskey you care to sample. The tables pour freely. By law, a "taste" is 1/2 ounce, but there is no limit on how many tastes you can obtain.

Since I've now raised that spectre, people who are clearly intoxicated are not served and people getting drunk are a very small problem, from what I've seen. Most people are responsible and that's not why they're there.

The stars at these things are the master distillers. I really only pay attention to the Americans, but I'm sure there are many Scottish distillers there as well. I saw Jimmy Russell (Wild Turkey), Jim Rutledge (Four Roses), Chris Morris (Brown-Forman), John Hall (Forty Creek Canadian), Craig Beam (Heaven Hill), Greg Davis (Barton), and Jeff Arnett (Jack Daniel's).

Jeff is Jimmy Bedford's successor. His ascension was announced, not coincidentally, the day before. I was looking forward to meeting Jeff which, when I did, I realized I already had, when I was in Lynchburg about a year ago. He had showed us around the warehouses and some other parts of the operation. Nice guy. As I said to him last night, I hope he knows what he's gotten himself into. His life will never be the same.

WhiskeyFest is a great event. Everyone seems to have a good time, and why wouldn't you? For me, anymore, it mostly feels like a party that John and Amy throw for a couple thousand of their closest friends. (John Hansell is the Publisher and Editor of Malt Advocate. Amy Westlake is the Events and Magazine Director.) I see tons of friends and get to meet, in person, many people who I've previously only talked to on the phone or via email.

So what about the whiskey? A couple of highlights. Death's Door, a micro-distillery in Madison, Wisconsin, was sampling what they called White Whiskey, whiskey straight from the still without benefit of any aging. I liked it. I've had what distillers generally call white dog off of just about every still in Kentucky and Tennessee, and this was as yummy as any of them. I hope Brian Ellison, the proprietor, didn't mind that I sent every master distiller I talked to over for a taste.

Also fun was the Heaven Hill seminar, at which Craig Beam and Larry Kass walked us through a tasting of several very rare bourbons sold only in export markets. I arrived late and didn't have all of them, but they included an intese 12-year-old and a very intense 23-year-old.

That's not to say those were the only interesting whiskeys there, but nobody was really pouring anything I haven't had before and, as I said, I'm there as much for the visiting as the drinking.

One surprise on the visiting front was the appearance of Rob Allanson and Gordon Dundas, editor and sales manager respectively for WHISKY Magazine, i.e., the competition, and it was just my luck to be chatting with Rob and Gordon when John Hansell walked up. There were a number of people in our little cluster, including Larry Kass, an executive at Heaven Hill. John didn't notice Rob and Gordon at first, as he had come over to speak to Larry, and we made a few jokes about edging slowly toward the door, but all was friendly and cordial. (I write for both magazines.) John certainly would have nothing to be upset about, as what could be more flattering than having the competition check out your event? They even bought tickets, feeling it might be just a bit too cheeky to ask for press credentials.

So, it was fun, it always is, but I don't know how people can do several days of that, especially the people from the distilleries who seem to go from one of these events to another. I didn't even hit the party at Delilah's. Instead, I strolled down to Michigan Avenue where my chariot (the no. 146 bus) awaited. Thanks again to the Chicago Transit Authority for facilitating my depraved lifestyle.