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Light whiskey was a product of the late 1970's that was a response to "Light Beer". It was spirit distilled at higher than 160 but less than 190 neutral spirits. The real winners in this were the blended whiskey people because they could make "Light Whiskey" at 189 proof ( 1 degree less than neutral spirits) to mix with their product and call it 100% whiskey.
Mike Veach
It's in the regs Tim, they refer to light whiskey being between 160 and 190 proof.
Gary
Hi Tim,
I looked up this post for ya http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...mlins/grin.gif
The date of the newsclip (The Kentucky Standard) July 1968...
Bettye Jo
Aw, c'mon, Gary -- I would have had to open up another 'window' to look at the regs. I'm on vacation! http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...lins/toast.gifQuote:
It's in the regs Tim, they refer to light whiskey being between 160 and 190 proof.
Gary
Thanks, Bettye Jo -- is there anybody out there still making it? Or should I go back and snatch all those 'tradeable', now-rare Colonel Lee 200s http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...mlins/grin.gif?Quote:
Hi Tim,
I looked up this post for ya http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...mlins/grin.gif
The date of the newsclip (The Kentucky Standard) July 1968...
Bettye Jo
Gather around, boys and girls, while I tell you about light whiskey. Hardly a man still alive, certainly few who still work in the industry, remembers it. It was even before my time.
"Light whiskey" was a reaction to softening bourbon sales and rising sales of blended scotch, Canadian whisky, vodka, rum, pilsner-style beer and anything else perceived as "lighter" tasting than bourbon. It was going to save the industry. The American distillers petitioned the feds to create a definition, which is still on the books. You can look it up.
In fact, it is right there in the regs when it became legal to make light whiskey: January 26, 1968.
What is (or, rather, was) it? Let's first review what straight whiskey (e.g., bourbon, rye) is. Straight whiskey must be distilled at no more than 160° proof and entered into a new, charred oak barrel at no more than 125° proof.
In contrast, light whiskey is distilled at more than 160° proof but less than 190° proof. Since the regs are silent about entry proof, it can be entered at distillation proof. It must be aged, but the regs are silent as to how long. It can be aged in either used or uncharred new oak containers.
The regs also created a category called Blended Light Whiskey, which was light whiskey mixed with a little straight whiskey.
One irony about light whiskey is that the name was intended to convey a lighter flavor, but with the same alcohol content and, hence, calorie content as straight whiskey. Right on the heels of light whiskey's introduction, some genius at Miller Brewing figured out that men would never buy something called "diet beer" but might buy a reduced calorie product called "light (lite) beer." Thereafter, "light/lite" would mean "less filling" (i.e., fewer calories), another psychological blow for "light whiskey," which could not claim "fewer calories," just "less taste."
But it wasn't Miller Lite that killed light whiskey. The category was basically stillborn. A lot of money was pissed away and it was something the old timers only talked about in hushed tones after a few drinks (which, at least among the old timers I knew in the liquor business, was just about any day after 5:00 PM).
So that is the saga of light whiskey. Hindsight being what it is, it's easy to see that with Canadian whiskey and vodka already in existence, there wasn't really a place for light whiskey. A lot of the stills are still around, mute rebukes in steel and copper. To their credit, Buffalo Trace figured out something (making Rain vodka) to do with theirs.
Mark Brown told me about when he pointed to the still and asked Elmer Lee what it was, and Elmer told him it was a still for making light whiskey. Mark said he detected a sneer when Elmer uttered the words.
High distillation proof? High barreling proof? Used cooperage? Sounds like corn rum. http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...emlins/lol.gif
Any bourbon makers still making light whiskey??
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Any bourbon makers still making light whiskey??
great info... and story about the evolution to rain. Likely because Jo is also a bourbon drinker she really likes rain vodka. The reason is that even after quadruple distillation "impurities" (the word vodka distillers use for anything that actually leads to flavor) come through with a little hint of corn.