Mashbill Numbers from the Whiskey Tree - How to know if its wheat or rye??

[ReynoldsStrong]

This is probably a totally newbie question, but in looking at the mashbills of the various bourbons in the whiskey tree, the %s are given as corn/ rye or wheat/ barley malt... how is one to know if the major flavoring component is rye OR wheat? For example, if I like Eagle Rare (which is a high corn mashbill, and presumably low rye and zero wheat, then I'd like to find other bourbons with similar mashbills, but I'm not sure how to know if the flavoring grain is rye or wheat based on the numbers.

Am I just overlooking something?

[Paddy]

This is probably a totally newbie question, but in looking at the mashbills of the various bourbons in the whiskey tree, the %s are given as corn/ rye or wheat/ barley malt... how is one to know if the major flavoring component is rye OR wheat? For example, if I like Eagle Rare (which is a high corn mashbill, and presumably low rye and zero wheat, then I'd like to find other bourbons with similar mashbills, but I'm not sure how to know if the flavoring grain is rye or wheat based on the numbers.

Am I just overlooking something?

Eagle Rare is BT mashbill #1. So, the easiest find (of the exact mashbill) for you is probably going to be Buffalo Trace.

[ReynoldsStrong]

Maybe I asked the question wrong. I wasn't asking about BT specifically. I was using it as an example.

I was asking about the numbering system. 75/15/10 of Very old Barton is 75 corn, 15 rye OR wheat, 10 barley - correct? How do I know if the 15 is RYE or WHEAT??

[Paddy]

Maybe I asked the question wrong. I wasn't asking about BT specifically. I was using it as an example.

I was asking about the numbering system. 75/15/10 of Very old Barton is 75 corn, 15 rye OR wheat, 10 barley - correct? How do I know if the 15 is RYE or WHEAT??

No problem, I just failed to read the question correctly.

The tree separates bourbon from rye, so if it's a bourbon mashbill listed as 75/15/10 you can assume :grin: that it's corn/rye/barley (unless specified otherwise).

[ReynoldsStrong]

So every single major bourbon is flavored with rye except the weller line, the old fitzgerald line, and the wheated LDI line?

[Paddy]

So every single major bourbon is flavored with rye except the weller line, the old fitzgerald line, and the wheated LDI line?

Well there's Maker's and Larceny from HH (which is off the Fitz line). In addition, the VanW stuff is now all off the Weller line, so yeah...that pretty much does it for the big boys.

[ReynoldsStrong]

Well there's Maker's and Larceny from HH (which is off the Fitz line). In addition, the VanW stuff is now all off the Weller line, so yeah...that pretty much does it for the big boys.

Right. I forgot about Makers. Otherwise I meant the general mashbill - I knew Larceny and OF were the same MB. And knew that VW was Weller mashbill.

Thank you.

[squire]

Good question Reynolds, I see your point. Historically Bourbon mash bills have almost always used rye as the flavoring grain so most of us just read those mashbills automatically thinking rye unless the word wheat specifically appears.

Up until about about the late 1980s most of the wheated Bourbons (all half dozen or so) were made by Stitzel or Makers and that was it. We of course are concerned about such things but close acquaintances of mine who drink Makers exclusively still don't get or care that wheat is a part of the mashbill.

[ReynoldsStrong]

Thank you guys! This has been a ton of help.

[tanstaafl2]

So every single major bourbon is flavored with rye except the weller line, the old fitzgerald line, and the wheated LDI line?

You mentioned the "wheated LDI line". Not sure if this was a mistake or what but I should note that while MGP (name of the current owner. It is no longer LDI) did introduce a wheated bourbon mashbill not long ago as far as I know there is no product currently on the market using it.

Smooth Ambler is working on a house made bourbon using wheat. Young versions of it called Yearling have come out recently but they should be releasing an older version (4+ years) in the near future if they haven't already. A few other crafty distiller types I believe are using wheat as well.

That I believe that leaves the Larceny/Old Fitz from HH, Makers Mark, the various Weller/Van Winkle incarnations and the new Sweet Wheat from Barton/BT/Sazerac from the big boys as already discussed.