Lepisto Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Guys, I'm trying to understand all of the different definitions of bourbon and whiskey. I just got an old bottle of Park & Tilford. It is labeled as "blended straight whiskeys." It says on the back that all the whiskys in the bottle are 8 years old, and there are 3 different whiskeys in it. I guess I'm trying to understand if it is labeled as straight, it doesn't contain any colors or flavors, and has been aged for at least 4 years. Is that correct? I was wondering about the coloring, because it is really dark. It looks like it is from 1967, and lists Frankfort, Aladdin PA, and Louisville on the label. Maybe it is just because it is old, and back then the whiskeys were darker. It is definitely darker than 12+ year old bourbons I've seen on the market currently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Aged at least 2 years to be a Straight. If less than 4 label must state age, more than 4 no age statement (NAS) required. Also if any age is stated (8-10-12 etc,) then all the whisky in the bottle has to be at least as old as the age statement but can be older. No flavorings or coloring allowed in any case.1967 means distilled in the late 1950s when proofs off the still and into the aging barrel were lower resulted in whisky a bit denser and more flavorful than today. Even today though, warehouse placement can result in some fairly dark colored stock.One of the reasons Blends were more prevalent back then was to create brands that could take advantage of different attributes of the component whiskys. One for flavor, one for color, another to bind the two together, and so forth. Some of that blending stock could have been much older than eight years. Blending was a good idea then and it's still a good idea now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lepisto Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 One of the reasons Blends were more prevalent back then was to create brands that could take advantage of different attributes of the component whiskys. One for flavor, one for color, another to bind the two together, and so forth. Some of that blending stock could have been much older than eight years. Blending was a good idea then and it's still a good idea now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Come to think of it we are doing much the same thing over in the Vatting of the Month thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoshani Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Aged at least 2 years to be a Straight. If less than 4 label must state age, more than 4 no age statement (NAS) required. Also if any age is stated (8-10-12 etc,) then all the whisky in the bottle has to be at least as old as the age statement but can be older. No flavorings or coloring allowed in any case. I tripped over this a few weeks ago, and bookmarked it. Apparently if the label says "a blend of straight whiskies", coloring and flavoring ARE permitted. Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms PART 5—LABELING AND ADVERTISING OF DISTILLED SPIRITS Subpart C—Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits [h=2]§5.22 The standards of identity.[/h](5)(i) “A blend of straight whiskies” (blended straight whiskies) is a mixture of straight whiskies which does not conform to the standard of identify for “straight whisky.” Products so designated may contain harmless coloring, flavoring, or blending materials as set forth in 27 CFR 5.23(a). (ii) “A blend of straight whiskies” (blended straight whiskies) consisting entirely of one of the types of straight whisky, and not conforming to the standard for straight whisky, shall be further designated by that specific type of straight whisky; for example, “a blend of straight rye whiskies” (blended straight rye whiskies). “A blend of straight whiskies” consisting entirely of one of the types of straight whisky shall include straight whisky of the same type which was produced in the same State or by the same proprietor within the same State, provided that such whisky contains harmless coloring, flavoring, or blending materials as stated in 27 CFR 5.23(a). (iii) The harmless coloring, flavoring, or blending materials allowed under this section shall not include neutral spirits or alcohol in their original state. Neutral spirits or alcohol may only appear in a “blend of straight whiskies” or in a “blend of straight whiskies consisting entirely of one of the types of straight whisky” as a vehicle for recognized flavoring of blending material. The referred-to section 27 CFR 5.23(a) says [h=2]§5.23 Alteration of class and type.[/h](a) Additions. (1) The addition of any coloring, flavoring, or blending materials to any class and type of distilled spirits, except as otherwise provided in this section, alters the class and type thereof and the product shall be appropriately redesignated. (2) There may be added to any class or type of distilled spirits, without changing the class or type thereof, (i) such harmless coloring, flavoring, or blending materials as are an essential component part of the particular class or type of distilled spirits to which added, and (ii) harmless coloring, flavoring, or blending materials such as caramel, straight malt or straight rye malt whiskies, fruit juices, sugar, infusion of oak chips when approved by the Administrator, or wine, which are not an essential component part of the particular distilled spirits to which added, but which are customarily employed therein in accordance with established trade usage, if such coloring, flavoring, or blending materials do not total more than 21⁄2 percent by volume of the finished product. (3) “Harmless coloring, flavoring, and blending materials” shall not include (i) any material which would render the product to which it is added an imitation, or (ii) any material, other than caramel, infusion of oak chips, and sugar, in the case of Cognac brandy; or (iii) any material whatsoever in the case of neutral spirits or straight whiskey, except that vodka may be treated with sugar in an amount not to exceed 2 grams per liter and a trace amount of citric acid. ( Extractions. The removal from any distilled spirits of any constituents to such an extent that the product does not possess the taste, aroma, and characteristics generally attributed to that class or type of distilled spirits alters the class and type thereof, and the product shall be appropriately redesignated. In addition, in the case of straight whisky the removal of more than 15 percent of the fixed acids, or volatile acids, or esters, or soluble solids, or higher alcohols, or more than 25 percent of the soluble color, shall be deemed to alter the class or type thereof. © Exceptions. (1) This section shall not be construed as in any manner modifying the standards of identity for cordials and liqueurs, flavored brandy, flavored gin, flavored rum, flavored vodka, and flavored whisky or as authorizing any product which is defined in §5.22(j), Class 10, as an imitation to be otherwise designated. What I'm getting from the regulations is that there's straight whiskey, which includes mixtures of different straight whiskies of the same type (ie rye, bourbon, wheat, corn) produced in the same state, and those mixtures can also be labeled and sold as straight whiskey; but the label designation "a blend of straight whiskies" is something different, perhaps mixtures of different kind of straight whiskeys or those produced in different states, and that label designation permits coloring and flavoring. This is where I'm getting all this from: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr;sid=5ea7acdd54dff93dbce97e668013dfd8;rgn=div8;view=text;node=27%3A1.0.1.1.3.3.25.2;idno=27;cc=ecfr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Yes Michael, I was speaking about the requirements for Straight Bourbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsrudd Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 I tripped over this a few weeks ago, and bookmarked it. Apparently if the label says "a blend of straight whiskies", coloring and flavoring ARE permitted.While the coloring is permitted, its hard to tell if it was actually used. Give that it doesn't specify the specific type of whisky of which it is a blend (e.g., a blend of rye whiskies), this means that its a blend of two types of whisky (e.g., bourbon and rye). Given that there is no "purer" definition (i.e., one that doesn't allow coloring) that covers a blend of this type, its hard to tell if coloring was actually added. For example, many High West products which are a blend of bourbon and rye are marketed under this designation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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