Balcones Distilling’s Post

Whisky Maturation - It is All About the Oak Casks: Coopers and Where to Source https://lnkd.in/edhHHaB7

Our 7th release is from...(drumroll please)...Westward Whiskey What a cask! Limited to just 396 bottles, it's the perfect summertime whiskey - full of juicy passion fruit notes - and is available here: https://lnkd.in/gtsJYhWQ If you’ve not seen Westward Whiskey before, it’s one to add to your radar. Hailing from the American Northwest, an area rich with barley, Westward in Portland, Oregon, crafts an incredibly fruit-forward style of whiskey, and is at the forefront of the American Single Malt Whiskey movement. We always have a bottle of their Pinot Noir cask on our home bar, so picking our Heart Cut cask alongside Miles Munroe, Master Blender, was an absolute dream. As soon as we tasted this cask we knew it was the one. A quick one on American Single Malt Whiskey. In 2016, Westward helped create the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission to establish, promote, and protect the growing category and its legacy. These guidelines are currently waiting for government ratification - in the hope that they become written into law in the not-too-distant future. It's a very exciting and pivotal moment for the category - turning history on its head, craft distillers are setting the rules, and the bigger whiskey companies are following—not the other way around. ONE TO WATCH! Have you tried Westward before? If so, we'd love to know. Cheers! 🥃 #whisky #whiskey #americansinglemaltwhiskey

Bourbon Barrels Shortage Dilemma >> https://hubs.la/Q02mHgJM0 Over the past decade, a rapid increase in U.S. distilleries has exceeded cooperage growth, leading to a crisis in the whisky industry. The Bourbon Shortage has created a supply-demand imbalance for ex-bourbon barrels, affecting global whisky markets. This marks 2024 as a transformative year for the industry.

Good overview from the ACSA perspective--pointing out some top-of-thought issues like the fervent campaign to prevent small-business distilleries from connecting with consumers, the general headwinds faced by small- and mid-sized distilleries (as with many industries), and the need for legislative changes that provide distilleries in restrictive states the same opportunities as those in more supportive states. A couple quick notes: ➡ Prevention of DTC enactment has dragged on because one set of business owners are ready and willing to adapt to a changing marketplace, and another set of businesses is not. It is not any more complicated than that. The results of foot-dragging are far more complex, but know that *not a single consequence* is of benefit to the industry and its consumers. ➡ Distilleries are not alone in facing economic headwinds, but the industry is young enough that its players--as a whole--have limited to no experience with building strategy for an inhospitable market. There is little experience in opportunity determination and creation beyond "We make good spirits." Survival through the coming two to five years will be based on developing unified and fact-based strategies that drive tactics and execution. (Note: the most detrimental pattern I see is management's presumption that tactics are strategy, alas!) ➡ Hell, yeah, legislative changes need to be made in many states. But after now watching changes happen in three states, I'll be honest: The distilleries that complain make zero progress, but the distilleries that show legislators how to succeed get the job done. If you want legislative changes, step up. Research what has worked elsewhere, write the proposed legislation, show the benefit to the state, and make it easy for lawmakers to execute. Change isn't driven by complaint. It is achieved by action, investment, and collective understanding. Survival doesn't happen through hard work. It is achieved by focused assessment, planning, and targeted execution.

Could floor-malted barley provide an edge for your beers? It has old-fashioned charm and its share of fans, even if its differences with pneumatic malt are relatively subtle. However, new research is beginning to explore what makes floor-malted barley different. https://lnkd.in/g7KBFAUq

Can Scotch whisky be bottled outside Scotland? 🥃 Now, you may have heard people use the term ‘Scotch’ as a catch-all for spirits like single malt or blended whisky. You may have even heard the people or products of Scotland referred to as ‘Scotch’. And, there’s a reason for that. 1️⃣ For whisky to be called "Scotch," it must be distilled, matured, and bottled in Scotland, as per the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009. 2️⃣ There’s an exception, blended Scotch can be bottled abroad, but single malts must be bottled in Scotland. 3️⃣ These rules uphold Scotch whisky's global reputation for authenticity and quality. To be sold as Scotch, whisky must: - Be distilled in Scotland - Be aged in oak casks for at least three years - Have an alcohol by volume (ABV) of at least 40% - Be made of nothing more than grain, yeast, and water What’s your favorite Scotch? Let me know in the comments! 🥃👇 #sonalholland #masterofwine #scotch #whiskey #whisky #scotland #whiskyenthusiasts #whiskytips 

Today I wanted to talk briefly about Mortlach. Sometimes referred to as 'The Beast of Dufftown' it is a Speyside whisky which very much marches to the beat of its own drum. Its has a cult following within the whisky community and has been showcased and celebrated by independent bottlings long before the establishment of its own distillery core range. Unlike many Speyside whiskies that are known for their fruity, floral and approachable styles, Mortlach is rich and robust, with a distinct savoury meatiness a defining characteristic. Mortlach owes its unique character to a couple of factors. The first is its continued use of worm tub condensers. This traditional method for condensing vapour back into spirit results in less copper contact than modern shell and tube condensers, leaving a more sulphurous spirit behind. The second factor is Mortlach's 2.81 distillation regime. I have had this explained to me several times and will probably need it explained several more to fully grasp it. If I understand correctly, the majority of the spirit is double distilled, whilst the remainder is triple distilled using the smallest of their 6 stills, affectionately dubbed 'Wee Witchie'. Mortlach's 2.81 distillation process was pioneered by Alexander Cowie around 200 years ago, and remains to this day. Internally it is referred to as "The Way". With that in mind, I am surprised the below collaboration has yet to be organised. A future Diageo special release perhaps? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Diageo and Disney, be kind! This is for entertainment purposes only, I do not own the images or copyrights. I do, however, expect a credit if you do go down this path! This is the way.

Bourbon is one of those spirits that seems to be constantly growing in popularity over the years, with many distilleries experiencing both rise and fall. Antique Bourbon was one of the most popular bourbons produced by the Frankfort Distilling Company. Founded in 1902, the distillery was one of six authorized to continue making medicinal whiskey during Prohibition. After changing ownership several times, the distillery closed in the 1960s under the Seagram banner. This page-a-day calendar represents one of our earlier works, created seven years into our ongoing 68-year (and counting) journey. Like the train depicted on this display, we keep on chugging. #AntiqueBourbon #DisplayManufacturing #PlasticManufacturing #TBT #MercuryPlastics

National Scotch Day is observed each year on July 27, National Scotch Day celebrates the iconic whisky. The earliest written record of distilling whisky is found in the Exchequer Rolls tax records of Scotland. The earliest reference to a distillery is the famous Ferintosh distillery owned by Duncan Forbes of Culloden. The origins of Scotch date back to Christian monasteries of the 12th century. In order to be considered scotch, this classy and distinctive spirit must be made in Scotland. It must be fermented from malted barley, aged in oak barrels for at least three years and have an ABV or alcohol content of less than 94.8%. While most scotch is made with barley, water and yeast; other grains can be included. All fermentation additives are excluded, per law. There are five distinct classifications of Scotch whisky including single malt scotch, single grain scotch, blended malt scotch, blended grain scotch and blended scotch. Check out thousands of websites on https://lnkd.in/gGdtb_qX