ZULU Whiskey Club

A Brief History of Whiskey

ZULU Whiskey Club

Objectives

• Understand the origins of whiskey • Describe the distillation process and regional differences

that lead to different styles of whiskey• Introduce the impact of whiskey on American history• Compare and contrast several whiskey styles• Explore the interaction of whiskey with food

WATER OF LIFE

• Distilling was used by Phoenician sailors, Babylonian alchemists, and others in the production of potions, perfumes, and medicines before recorded history and pre-civilization

• Distilling a mix of grain, water, yeast produces whiskey • Uisge bethea, iskie bae, aquae vitae literally mean:• “Water of Life” or usquebaugh which became usky …..whisky in

Scottish English or whiskey in Irish or American English

Origins in Western Civilization

• Distilling brought to Europe by Moors

• Monks who couldn’t grow grapes could distill beer made from barley (Friar John Cor, 1495)

• Aqua Vitae was introduced by “wise doctors” for medicinal purposes in Scotland (probably Presbyterians)

• In 1506 the town of Dundee purchased “a large amount” of whiskey from the Guild of Surgeon Barbers

• When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, distilling moved from the monks to the

masses

• 1608 government gets involved, Old Bushmill’s is the 1st licensed distillery in Ireland

• 1725 English Malt Tax drove production underground. Unlicensed stills were operated by the light of the moon

Whiskey in America

• Scotch Irish immigrants brought beer and distilling techniques to America • Recipes adapted to indigenous grains: corn, wheat, rye • 1753 John Shenk, Mennonite farmer starts distillery in Schaefferstown, PA

creating rye whiskey• As settlers moved west, corn became the grain used• Bourbon County, Kentucky became the center of corn based whiskey

production• Bourbon is at least 51% corn, no more than 160 proof and aged in charred

white oak barrels at least 2 years

WHISKEY AND POLITICS

• George Washington was the largest distiller in America in his retirement• President Washington led troops in the field during the suppression of the

“Whiskey Rebellion” in western Pennsylvania in 1794. • Jefferson as Governor of Virginia offered 60 acres to any settler who would

move to the “bourbon region”, grow corn, and erect a semi-permanent structure

• Abe Lincoln’s father worked at a distillery owned by the Boone family. He later owned several “dry goods” which sold whiskey

• Lincoln, defending the selection of Grant to lead the Union army asked “which whiskey is it that General Grant prefers? I would like to send some to my other generals!” (Grant preferred Old Crow!)

• 18th Amendment (1919) prohibiting manufacture, sale or transportation of liquor was led by women before women could vote (1920). Repeal (1933) was led by a republican woman who despised hypocrisy more than alcohol and wanted to tax it! The law was signed by FDR.

• FDR drank Old Fashioneds “every night”, even during prohibition. Truman was drinking a bourbon when told he was replacing FDR

• Appreciation of scotch appears to be non-partisan: both LBJ and Nixon preferred scotch and soda

Whiskey Rebellion• 1st Secretary of Treasury, Hamilton was looking for way to retire the 65

million debt from the revolution• Seen as unfairly taxing small distillers who refused to pay the excise tax.

Tarred and feathered the government officials who came to collect.• Administration in Philadelphia raised a 13,000 man army from NJ, PA, MD,

VA to suppress the resistance• 2 civilians killed (Myerstown, Middlesex) as troops marched across PA• Washington reviewed the troops in Carlisle• Pamphleteer, preacher and political reformer Herman Husband raised a

liberty pole in Somerset proclaiming “Liberty and No Excise”. He was tried, sentenced to death, released from prison but died on his way home.

• Whiskey tax repealed when Jefferson’s Republicans defeated Hamilton’s Federalists in 1800

Process

• Barley (grain) is malted then dried

• Drying (can involve the burning of peat)

• Next it is mashed (mixed with hot water)

• Yeast is added and mixture is fermented

• The wash is distilled and collected

• Matured in casks (bourbon barrels)

• Single Malt vs blends

Flavor Factors

• Grain that is used• Water - snow melt flowing into burns (Livet, Fiddich)

picks up local microclimate characteristics• Rock (limestone in Kentucky)• Soil and peat• Shape of the still (potstill vs column)• Climate/temperature• Atmosphere (effects aging)• Casks or barrels for aging (from moonshine to liquid

gold)

Flavors and Scents

• Esters fruit/flowers, toffee, honey

• Aldehydes hay, grass, leather, cereal

• Phenols peaty, smoky, medicinal

• Carbonyls sulfur

• Guiacols smoky

• Other oils piney, resin, butter, nutty

Major Whiskey RegionsScotland

Ireland

Kentucky

Tennessee

Tonight’s Whiskey

• Oban

• Red Breast

• Maker’s Mark

• Michter’s Rye

• Macallan

• Lagavulin

Brief History of WhiskeyBrief History of Whiskey

ZULU Whiskey Club

Tasting Factors

• Whiskey, water, glasses and humility

• Color

• Nose

• Flavor (Palate)

• Finish

• Smell is 1000 times more sensitive and picks up to 30 distinct smells

• Tongue picks up sour, sweet, salty, bitter

• Palate can detect flavors and establishes the finish

Tasting Notes

How to Taste

Scotch Malt Whisky Society: “put some in a glass, swirl it, stick your snout in the hole and sniff

• Look: color hints of complexity, more color generally equals more complex flavor

• Sniff: 80% of taste is driven by smell (30 primary smells)

• Taste: get to back of tongue, front is more affected by sting of alcohol (4 primary tastes)

• Kentucky Chew: move around the mouth expose the entire palate

Tasting Notes

Color

Nose

Flavor

Finish

Oban

• West Highland

• Nose: malty, liquorish, apple

• Taste: bitter-apple, baker’s chocolate

• Finish: vanilla extract

Redbreast

• Pure Irish Potstill Whiskey, from Midleton Distillery, County Cork (malted/unmalted barley)

• Color – light amber

• Nose - unripe fruit, green apples

• Flavor – fruity, honey

• Finish – sweet, sherry finish

Maker’s Mark

• 1840 Samuels family, one of original Kentucky settlers

• 70% Corn,16% wheat, 14% barley in the recipe, limestone water

• Color - Amber, reddish amber• Nose - Honey, caramel, dried fruit• Flavor – honey, caramel, light oak,

dried fruit• Finish - sweet

Michter’s Rye

• Original distillery near Lebanon PA, legend claims it was whiskey that warmed the revolution?

• Color – medium brown

• Aroma – sweet, peppery

• Flavor – sweet, spicy

• Finish – short and

sweet

Macallan

• Highland (original and spiritual home is Speyside)

• Nose: sherry, candy, sweetness, light smoke,

• Taste: toffee, malty, oatmeal, wine

• Finish: clean, spice, caramel

Lagavulin

• Islay

• Nose: smoke, camp fire extinguished with water, honey

• Taste: sweet, vanillia, rootbeer

• Finish: burnt cedar

Ideas for Whiskey/Food Pairings

• Cheeses

• Whiskey with chocolate

• Beef

• Salmon

• No married man is genuinely happy if he has to drink worse whisky than he used to drink when he was single. ~ H. L. Mencken

A woman drove me to drink…I didn’t even have the courtesy to thank her!

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whiskey is barely enough.”