A River Runs Through It: Bourbons Aged on Water
Bourbon has been matured by tossing barrels onto boats for years now. But, this was only an accidental occurrence. Bourbon would be shipped to the thirstier ports of New Orleans and Alabama in boats setting sail on the Mississippi and Ohio.
Trey Zoeller, an eighth generation Kentucky bourbon distiller, happened to be on such a boat, celebrating his birthday with his friends. The swaying bourbon in a bottle caught his eye. He thought the same could be done to barrels on a ship. It is then that the idea of aging Bourbon on ships was conceived. The outcome of such an ageing process resulted in a dark, gorgeous whisky.
Bourbon, when aged in traditional rackhouses/rickhouses, would take longer to develop a darker color and depth of flavor, than when aged in barrels on a boat. Bourbon aged rapidly in barrels afloat on the sea. The “clear as water” bourbon “came out black”. A four year old bourbon aged on water was darker than a 30 year old bourbon matured in a rackhouse.
Naturally, this hiked up the price of bourbon. A bottle aged in a barrel on a ship would be $70 pricier than one aged in a warehouse. The pricier, darker bourbon would have a far more layered complexity of flavors, reminiscent of other spirits. A subtle, Sherry-like sweet-salty-savory taste is commonly observed in bourbon aged in salty water over time.
Scotland Will Soon Get Its First Rye Whisky
A Scottish distillery recently announced that they would be using rye in their whisky for the first time in over a century.
Read More
Smokes and Whiskey by Tejaswini Divya Naik
Smokes and Whiskey-- the titular combination is indeed a fine one! From social drinkers to the moderately frequent ones, all would agree that the two are almost inseparable. The duo is terrific when the heart is broken into unpolished fragments, body refuses to leave the comforter that is perhaps the only shield, and the brain unable to untangle the frightful thoughts that twist themselves into impenetrable knots. Most certainly, we are referring to a post break-up syndrome and so is Tejaswini Divya Naik, through the brilliance of words in her book. Consisting of 42 poems, ‘Smokes and Whiskey’, takes you through the journey comprising the most intriguing leaps and bounds that life has to offer. The verses are mostly about how each ‘leap’ turns out to be a lesson in itself, and ‘bound’ becomes the strategic expansion of the body’s ability to respond to the surrounding that suddenly seems to be dampened like a thin cloth drenched in rain water accumulated through a week.
Read More
Library Blu, Leela Palace Chennai
It’s a safe bet to say that Chennai isn’t the city that comes to your mind when you think of a happening nightlife. But, the capital of Tamil Nadu is now playing by its own rules and boasts of a number of new age restaurants and bars. Located at Adyar Seaface, in M.R.C Nagar, Library Blu is poised to be the new go-to venue for after-work gatherings. It offers an exclusive variety of fine malts along with a plethora of mouthwatering dishes to go with their cocktails.
Read More