Single Pot Still Whiskey

[kaiserhog]

Is anyone producing it in the US?

[smknjoe]

Balcones maybe along with several other "micro" distilleries..............? Why do you ask?

[tanstaafl2]

Is anyone producing it in the US?

[squire]

Also depends on how you define a pot still. Most micros use a modified pot still with a rectifying column on top which actually makes it a column still no matter what the distiller calls it. My definition is simple, if it can make vodka it isn't a pot still.

That said I agree with the definition of Pot Still or Pure Pot Still Whisky as using a mashbill consisting of malted and unmalted barley which combination came about from an unlikely source, the Irish Government, specifically the Inland Revenue service. Irish Whisky was originally 100% malted barley until the taxing authorities decided to increase revenue by raising the tax on malted barley causing the distillers to shift to predominately unmalted barley in the mashbill, which resulted in even less money to the government and the whisky style we are familiar with today.

[kaiserhog]

I am talking about the mix of malted and unmalted barley in the mashbill in the traditional Irish style. As I understand it, the use of oats and rye in the mashbill was quite common in the 19th Century. I am surprised not many craft distillers have tried this. Of course, I love Green Spot.

[kaiserhog]

Single Pot Still Whiskey has a specific connotation to me as it is the name used for whiskey made with a combination of malted and unmalted barley that is typical of the older style of traditional Irish Whiskey. Used to be called Pure Pot Still Whiskey.

In the US McKenzie was making a single pot still whiskey with 15% malted and 80% unmalted barley plus 5% oats (they were calling it by the older name, "Pure Pot Still Whiskey"). Now that they have moved to a column still it is unclear if they will continue to make the pure pot still whiskey in a pot still. Perhaps Tom McKenzie can provide an update.

The other US made single pot still style that I know of is the Emerald 1865 made by Ransom Spirits which has a more traditional mashbill to something like Redbreast but with the addition of both oats and rye grain. Spendy and a little young but I found it very enjoyable.

Actually, the British Government imposed the malt tax throughout the UK. It caused riots in England. The Irish created a new style of whiskey in the process of defeating the tax. Absolutely brilliant.

[squire]

The Brits rioted over it, the Scots ignored it and the Irish defeated it.

[kaiserhog]

The Brits rioted over it, the Scots ignored it and the Irish defeated it.

I know Green Spot, Redbreat, and Powers John Lane use a combination of malted barley and unmalted barely but some older versions had rye and even some oats in the mashbill. I wonder if any craft distiller has tried this.

[tanstaafl2]

I know Green Spot, Redbreat, and Powers John Lane use a combination of malted barley and unmalted barely but some older versions had rye and even some oats in the mashbill. I wonder if any craft distiller has tried this.

Yes, see the Emerald 1865 in post 3 above. That is exactly what it is. A recreation of an 1865 Irish Whiskey mash bill.

[squire]

Oats, rye, even bere (the original strain of barley) which is still grown in limited quantities in remote regions of the UK. They used the grains at hand and were frankly more interested in maximum alcohol production than adherence to any specific mashbill.

I notice from the Ransom website they use that 1865 recipe "as a guide" actually making the whisky "according to our senses", so it's an interpretation of the style. Not a bad idea though and a way for a micro to compete by providing something different.

Of course with an average list price of $90 it's hard to see who this 3 year old is competing with considering both Powers John Lane and Redbreast are four times older (12 years) and sell for 1/3 less (around $60).

[tanstaafl2]

Oats, rye, even bere (the original strain of barley) which is still grown in limited quantities in remote regions of the UK. They used the grains at hand and were frankly more interested in maximum alcohol production than adherence to any specific mashbill.

I notice from the Ransom website they use that 1865 recipe "as a guide" actually making the whisky "according to our senses", so it's an interpretation of the style. Not a bad idea though and a way for a micro to compete by providing something different.

Of course with an average list price of $90 it's hard to see who this 3 year old is competing with considering both Powers John Lane and Redbreast are four times older (12 years) and sell for 1/3 less (around $60).

The first bottle is compelling to me specifically because they did something different in a style I was already interested in and they had a sufficiently good reputation as a distiller already based on Ransom Old Tom gin (David Wondrich's involvement, in both of them it should be noted, didn't hurt either). To put small distilleries head to head against a behemoth like Midleton is rarely, perhaps never, going to be truly competitive. I am interested in new and different. And good of course!

Any bottles one acquires after the first one have to be based on ones enjoyment level, at least for me. I gave the same benefit of the doubt to the Woodford Masters Collection several times with very non-competitive bottles and they are hardly a "craft" distillery, no matter how much they want to appear so. Don't think I will be doing so again though!

So in the end to me it is more a matter of what your current objective is (and of course what you have the ability to afford. I don't like to throw money away any more than the next person but I am fortunate to have a good deal of flexibility in my spending). If someone is at the stage where they want to drink good consistent whiskey day to day at a reasonable price that is fine. If you are like me and at the stage where your interest is in learning more about different whiskey and different styles of whiskey and wanting to try a variety of different things then I think the Emerald 1865 is a very competitive price especially since there is little or no competition.

[p_elliott]

Woodford Reserve uses pot stills but I'm not sure that's what you are talking about.

[Josh]

I think Grand Traverse has been experimenting with an Irish style malt whiskey, but they don't have a true pot still IIRC.

[kaiserhog]

It's more about the mash, not the pot still which is common across the pond. The Irish have produced a style unto itself by combining malted and unmalted barley into the mash. The older versions also included small amounts of oats and even some rye.

to

Edited July 19, 2014 by kaiserhog
wrong quote

[kaiserhog]

I read on Pritchard's website that their "malt" whiskey is "Irish" style with a mashbill of malted and unmalted barley. Not really malt whiskey but a single pot still whiskey. I don't recall if they triple distill it.