Michter's Original Sour Mash Whiskey

You heard it here first folks.

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Originally Posted by cowdery

Actually, OGD may be one of the few bourbons whose yeast doesn't have a Beam in its pedigree. For OGD, Beams uses the yeast National was using for the brand at the Forks of Elkhorn distillery, and not the standard Jim Beam yeast.

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Makes total sense. This would be why the OGD seems so radically different from the standard Beam products. I always attributed it to mashbill, but it seems there is more at play here. That's nice to know they are still using the National Distillers yeast to make this fine product!

I'm sorry if that's coming as news to anyone. I've known it since the 1980s when I worked on the brand. OGD, including Basil Hayden, is the OGD high rye mashbill and the National Distillers OGD yeast, presumably all the same since Repeal, as it has only had two owners, National and Beam.

I have heard it before, I think I read it in your book. I bought a Bottle of Beam white label last weekend to try as I had none in years. Tasted it side by side with a early 90's bottle. No comparison at all. But, the current bottling still is not too bad, I like young whiskey and that yeast funk.

I always wondered why OGD didn't have that Beaminess. Love that stuff !

Back to the original thread, I am impressed by the coverage Fake Michter's is getting for this. It seems like every day I see another story about it somewhere, always just a very light rewrite of the press release. It's a good story so the fact that it's not a true story doesn't seem to matter.

Someone told me on my blog that the Michter's Sour Mash is a blend of Old Forester and Rittenhouse. After making several blends, I found that a 50/50 mix is about dead on. Only the higher proof of the Rittenhouse alters the flavor slightly. So if you want $20/bottle Michter's instead of $40, buy an Old Forester 86 and a Rittenhouse BIB and mix away.

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Originally Posted by ethangsmith

Someone told me on my blog that the Michter's Sour Mash is a blend of Old Forester and Rittenhouse. After making several blends, I found that a 50/50 mix is about dead on. Only the higher proof of the Rittenhouse alters the flavor slightly. So if you want $20/bottle Michter's instead of $40, buy an Old Forester 86 and a Rittenhouse BIB and mix away.

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:mindblown: =]b

Ok, I have to try this now! (Maybe I'll use the OFBB12 instead since I have one of those open)

Sounds like one of those secret recipes but of course if they are buying higher grade blending stock that would explain the higher price.

That's very interesting! Probably the mix was intended to get the rye element close to what it was in the original Michter's Original Sour Mash (about 36% of the mash). Good thinking, the kind of thing I've been doing for years. Just did it (for a different reason) with JD and Ritt bond, but I added about 5% Maker's to give it the final rich integrated taste and smooth texture.

Gary