Have you ever wanted to create your own mashbill and see how it turns out?

[jsrudd]

10 hours ago, flahute said:

I wanted 110, but when the vote for 115 came up, it seemed pretty close to the 120 hand count and I was afraid of splitting the vote between 110 and 115 so I voted 115 to make sure we at least got that. (It was clear there weren't going to be enough 110 votes left).

Based on your account it seems that you made the right choice by voting 115. I think there is a place in the accounting department of most distilleries for all those people who voted for higher proof in order to end up with more bourbon. 

 

34 minutes ago, flahute said:

Well now I'm intrigued. No. 1 is pretty close to 4R so I can imagine that. 

Squire's mash bill's are rye/corn/malt, instead of the usual corn/rye/malt. It threw me when I first looked at it too. WT Rye may be  probably pretty close to mash bill #1. As to #2, your question still stands as its neither a rye or bourbon. 

 

35 minutes ago, flahute said:

(100 proof off the still sounds divine. What floor would you put it on? 

I know you didn't address the question to me, but I can't help but answer. I think I'd want it high-middle (maybe floor 6), so the proof would go up just a little. 

[tanstaafl2]

8 hours ago, flahute said:

Well now I'm intrigued. No. 1 is pretty close to 4R so I can imagine that. No. 2 is neither a rye or a bourbon. What whiskey of yesteryear had such a mashbill? Fascinating.

 

(100 proof off the still sounds divine. What floor would you put it on? (Yes, I know you said to rely on the warehouse staff, but I'm curious what floor you think would be ideal for 100 proof off the still and into the barrel).

 

Neither of those are bourbon mashbills and as far as I know 4R isn't making a rye whiskey (yet...).

[chuckhammer]

Very cool experience!  Do you mind sharing the cost to participate?

[flahute]

2 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

Neither of those are bourbon mashbills and as far as I know 4R isn't making a rye whiskey (yet...).

Yep. I misread squire's comment and didn't realize he meant rye for the first ratio number. 

I am still curious if there's an old brand out there that used the 45/45/10 at any point. 

Edited June 24, 2016 by flahute

[flahute]

1 hour ago, chuckhammer said:

Very cool experience!  Do you mind sharing the cost to participate?

It cost $175 to participate.

[chuckhammer]

Thanks.  Not a bad value at all.

[squire]

60/30/10 was the traditional Rye recipe of yore, going back 200 years at least.

 

45/45/10 comes from M'Harry's Practical Distiller, the 1809 edition.  I believe the original recipe was equal parts of corn and rye with 10% malt by weight added to convert the grain starches into fermentable sugars.  I don't really know of anyone using that recipe but do find it intriguing.

 

Warehouse location plays a part, I mean the actual location of the warehouse itself, high on a hilltop, down in a valley, next to a stream or river, all that comes into play but the warehouse managers know which rack on which floor consistently gives the best results aging whisky.  A single story warehouse might be the best choice of all.

[Harry in WashDC]

1 hour ago, squire said:

. . . 45/45/10 comes from M'Harry's Practical Distiller, the 1809 edition.  I believe the original recipe was equal parts of corn and rye with 10% malt by weight added to convert the grain starches into fermentable sugars.  I don't really know of anyone using that recipe but do find it intriguing . . .

 

I think Squire just identified a (profitable?) niche market for some craft distillers.  While I am reluctant to spend megadollars on something that is trying its best to duplicate what the majors are selling for under $20 (ok, under $30 nowadays), I would spend those overdollars to try things that are legitimate attempts to reproduce things no longer made.  Pennsylvania Rye and Maryland Rye (and even the McKenzie New York whiskeys just to be fair) are just two (well, three) examples in which I already indulge.  Of course, "legitimate" means "full disclosure".  And, if the yield is only several thousand bottles, I bet we have enough SBers to cover that.  Anything left over??  "It's better than Pappy" will empty the supply chain.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Harry in WashDC
insert "in which . . . indulge"

[jsrudd]

On 6/25/2016 at 10:03 AM, Harry in WashDC said:

 

I think Squire just identified a (profitable?) niche market for some craft distillers.  

I agree. I wish craft distillers were doing something like this or otherwise turning back the clock on some modern changes to the whiskey industry (e.g., the rise in barrel entry proof or the change from wooden to stainless steel equipment). 

 

Edit: From following the Dad's Hat posts on this forum, I think they're the closest to the kind of craft distiller you mention. 

Edited June 27, 2016 by jsrudd