That smell

[Josh]

Those of us who make our annual or semi-annual pilgrimage to Bardstown are very familiar with the smell wafting over the General Nelson from Barton-1792 at different times of day and night. Sometimes a similar aroma hangs over Detroit from the Corby/Hiram Walker plant in Windsor. Like many people, I had assumed that the smell was from mashing, but according to this (and another link I lost) the smell is not actually from mashing but from the drying of the stillage (solids left over from distilliation). Has anyone else heard this? Seems reasonable to me.

[bullitt]

From the distillery visits I've made, I'm not sure what I'm smelling when but I know I love them all. Especially love the fermenting mash vats and the barrel rack house. Never been introduced to the drying of stillage process. Is the smell you're describing a pleasurable one or not so much? I've heard they use these solids in animal feeds.

 

[smokinjoe]

After many years thinking the same as you Josh (prolly cuz we heard the same thing at the same time in Bardstown! ), I think it was Chuck  who said it was actually that dumped spent grain mash set out to dry that we smell.  Either way, it is one of the great smells on this planet!

[flahute]

Woodinville Whiskey is 8 miles down the road from my house and every time I ride past it on my bike, I smell the same smell and love it. 

[s8ist]

All I know is the smell from the rickhouse.  And that's about as good as it gets.

[docbible]

If someone could duplicate the old wood, angle'share, musty dry air smell of a rickhouse in a cologne or air freshener, I would be the first in line. One of my favorite comfort aromas.    

[T Comp]

Interesting Josh and too assumed it was from mashing and missed out on Chuck's explanation unlike Joe, who's always got the big brain going on . 

 

And what Josh is talking about is not the rickhouse smells or is it something that seems to be that strong when at the distilleries. Maybe the other more immediate smells at the distillery mask it some.  This is much more the cooked almost burnt cereal smell. I normally love it but occasionally, and it could be humidity or other factors,  it does have some unpleasant burnt popcorn stuff about it. 

[Flyfish]

13 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

After many years thinking the same as you Josh (prolly cuz we heard the same thing at the same time in Bardstown! ), I think it was Chuck  who said it was actually that dumped spent grain mash set out to dry that we smell.  Either way, it is one of the great smells on this planet!

After brewing, I use the spent grains to make bread. Wonderfully rich and flavorful. Makes dense, full-bodied bread. I can see how bourbon spent grains would make for some happy cows.

[b1gcountry]

They have the alcohol distilled out from the grain. I get the same smell from the AB brewery in St Louis. It makes me think of cheez-its every time I go down I55

[Josh]

On 12/9/2015, 9:31:46, smokinjoe said:

After many years thinking the same as you Josh (prolly cuz we heard the same thing at the same time in Bardstown! ), I think it was Chuck  who said it was actually that dumped spent grain mash set out to dry that we smell.  Either way, it is one of the great smells on this planet!

 

On 12/9/2015, 9:21:35, bullitt said:

From the distillery visits I've made, I'm not sure what I'm smelling when but I know I love them all. Especially love the fermenting mash vats and the barrel rack house. Never been introduced to the drying of stillage process. Is the smell you're describing a pleasurable one or not so much? I've heard they use these solids in animal feeds.

 

 

22 hours ago, T Comp said:

Interesting Josh and too assumed it was from mashing and missed out on Chuck's explanation unlike Joe, who's always got the big brain going on . 

 

And what Josh is talking about is not the rickhouse smells or is it something that seems to be that strong when at the distilleries. Maybe the other more immediate smells at the distillery mask it some.  This is much more the cooked almost burnt cereal smell. I normally love it but occasionally, and it could be humidity or other factors,  it does have some unpleasant burnt popcorn stuff about it. 

Yes, it's that usually good smell like roasted grape-nuts cereal. I didn't hear Chuck mention that either. Good to get confirmation, especially since I lost that much better link.

21 hours ago, Flyfish said:

After brewing, I use the spent grains to make bread. Wonderfully rich and flavorful. Makes dense, full-bodied bread. I can see how bourbon spent grains would make for some happy cows.

I have some spent bread in my kitchen right now! This being Michigan, we have small breweries all over the place. A local bakery uses the spent grains of a local brewery (or two) and have been making spent bread for a little while. It's very good! Screw the cows, that bread makes me happy.

[fishnbowljoe]

What a weirdly coincidental topic. WARNING: Long story alert. 

Some of you know that I work with special needs kids. More specifically, I coach Special Olympics bowling for a local public school group. The Illinois Special Olympics state bowling tournament was this past Saturday in Peoria. One young man I coached qualified for state.  When my wife and I arrived in Peoria Friday night, I couldn't help but notice a smell that seemed slightly familiar. To make a long story short, the old Hiram Walker distillery in Peoria, is now occupied by ADM, an agricultural (corn) processing company. I knew it was a corn/popcorn smell, but there was something else there. I couldn't place it until I reread this thread. Got it now. It was a combination of corn, cereal, bread and cornbread. I kinda liked it. My wife not so much. 

FWIW, the boy I coached (Nathan) was in a pretty competitive division. There were seven young men in his group. He bowled extremely well, and finished in a three way tie for the Bronze Medal.  Needless to say, it was a pretty darned good day. 

 

Cheers! Joe

[smokinjoe]

My next BIG IDEA is a candle with that smell...

[Harry in WashDC]

So, Joe, when you going to post on Kickstarter?  If those guys with the special bourbon glasses can do it, YOU sure can.

[flahute]

I'm in for one of those candles. Heck......a case even.

 

[dcbt]

Kinda along the same lines, ever leave your empty glass out overnight after some pours and then smell it the next morning?  Pretty fantastic.

[smokinjoe]

47 minutes ago, dcbt said:

Kinda along the same lines, ever leave your empty glass out overnight after some pours and then smell it the next morning?  Pretty fantastic.

Yessir.  Sometimes, whiffing that in the morning is better than drinking it was the night before.

[mhatzung]

My wife purchased a mason jar filled with barrel char at one of the Kentucky distilleries. Whenever I want that distillery rickhouse smell, I crack open the jar and the whiff takes me back there. My wife calls it "man-cave potpourri". 

[Louisiana]

I was listening to some Lynyrd Skynyrd this morning!

Whiskey bottles, and brand new cars!

 

 

 

[willmohawk5]

On 12/10/2015, 12:06:15, s8ist said:

All I know is the smell from the rickhouse.  And that's about as good as it gets.

Indeed. In the morning when I pick up the empty bourbon glass from the coffee table to put in the sink I always stick my nose in it and take a big whiff. It's pretty damn close to it.