Proof and water ?

[submarine]

In a brand that offers more than one proof i.e. OF 86/100, or WT 80/101 do they make the changes by adding water at the barrel, bottle, .. both, or are they separate runs all together?

I'm trying to compare OF 86 to 100 and as my ice melts in the 100 I think the flavor improves but it doesn’t really taste like the 86 at any point of dilution. Also I was reading the shelf tags hanging under WT 80 & 101 and they gave descriptions that were more involved than

"Ahh 80 it tastes like 101 with a splash of water"

John F

[Guest **DONOTDELETE**]

John I do know for certain that Old Forester's 86 and 100 proof expressions do indeed have different flavor profiles. The whiskey that would become Old Forester comes off the still at 140 proof. By law the whiskey can be barreled no higher than 125 proof therefore the proof is adjusted down by adding water prior to barreling. After aging the proof of the bourbon is now much higher than the original 125 proof at which it was barreled, and must be adjusted downward to bottling proof by again adding water. Wild Turkey both distills and barrels at a lower proof, but every distillery has to adjust both their barreling and bottling proofs with water.