Grain whiskey (was Re: Gin isn't aged?)

[OneCubeOnly]

Chuck-

Did you ever find more information about distillation proof and/or aging practices for grain whiskies?

The reason I'm so interested in this is there was a discussion (which turned semi-heated as I recall) some time ago about the grain component of blended Scotch actually having many commonalities to bourbon.

[cowdery]

Haven't found a good answer as to distillation proof. Common features I know about are use of corn (maize) and the column still, as opposed to the pot still used for malts. Big difference: with bourbon, grains are cooked, fermented and distilled together. A Scottish grain whiskey, like a Canadian, will be all one grain, e.g., all corn. Also, despite the use of the column still they don't ferment and distill the mash. They separate the liquid from the solid after mashing and just ferment (and distill) the liquid, unlike the American practice.

[tdelling]

> Haven't found a good answer as to distillation proof.

The Scotch Whisky Act of 1988 requires all Scotch Whisky to be distilled
at "an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8 per cent by volume so that the
distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used".

Tim Dellinger

[OneCubeOnly]

The Scotch Whisky Act of 1988 requires all Scotch Whisky to be distilled
at "an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8 per cent by volume so that the
distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used".

In that case, the argument that the grain whiskey somehow "displays the malts" might actually have some merit! (In the sense that it's not analogous to adding vodka--the grain may contribute something after all!) I've always considered blends to be inferior because the malt is 'dumbed down' with grain whiskey, but I might have to rethink things a bit.

[tdelling]

Compass Box put out a bottling that's 100% grain whisky, and called
it "Hedonism". It got good reviews in the glossy whiskey magazines.
I had a little sip at one of the WhiskeyFests, and it was really tasty.
It's certainly not brown vodka!


Tim Dellinger

[dgonano]

Compass Box "Hedonism" is a vatted grain whiskey from several distilleries. compass box
Follow the "whiskey range"link to "Hedonism"

[chasking]

It sounds like Compass Box Hedonism may be a suggestion of what American corn whiskey could be if taken seriously. I'm planning to pick up a bottle pretty soon.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

I have a bottle of Compass Box "Hedonism" at home. A good (if not exceptional) whisky. It has a style of its own but its nearest relative would have to be Canadian whisky.

It doesn´t share any characteristics with any form of American whiskey that I have tried. As for corn whiskey : I´ve only had the Mellow corn but there are really no similarities here, either. If forced to choose I would pick MC any time.

[chasking]

I picked up a bottle of Hedonism over the weekend. I find it very tasty, and now having had it I can see that this is the "other" component of blended Scotch. It's light bodied, as you might expect, with a delicate but interesting flavor.

I have never had any American corn whiskey--all I've seen for sale around here is Georgia Moon, and from other posts on this board I take it that it is intended as a novelty "ordeal" drink, and not as a true exponent of fine corn whiskey. I have never seen Mellow Corn, but I'd like to try it.

Note: when dealing with Hedonism, the 2004 Whiskey Bible indicates that there have been at least three bottlings of it so far, each with slightly different flavor characteristics, and the second (which is what I got) and third bottlings sound like they are not that similar.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

I have never seen Mellow Corn, but I'd like to try it.

It is not available here in Sweden (The market is too small, I guess) but most specialist shops in the U.K., France or Germany stock it. I have to say that I find it somewhat strange that a style of whiskey, which to me has been portrayed as appealing only to a limited market in the US can be found in Europe only (?).