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A Distiller Retires


Gillman
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As you note it is hard to know what was propaganda for the cause than truth I suppose.

 

I rather enjoyed the preceding three posts on genever, rye and bourbon barrels!

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Thanks Bruce, yes in those posts I was trying to pull a few things together regarding rye whiskey and gin. Gin is really, the original form, a type of rye whiskey. So they must have had rye whiskey flavoured (with juniper) and non-flavoured in Europe, and we know in Germany the korns have existed for hundreds of years which are white, unaged grain whiskeys, although today more like vodka.

 

So either gin/rye in Manhattan suggested to distillers in Pennsylvania to make something similar - they were distilling in Manhattan first -  or, the people who came to American from Ulster, Scotland, Holland, Germany from 1600s-1700s all had a basic understanding of these distilling variations.

 

That's what I think and we can't therefore separate off genever/gin as an unrelated drink to whiskey's development in America, IMO.

 

But for the "Distiller Retires" one the story was just funny, even today it is. :)

 

Gary

Edited by Gillman
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Good Stuff, Gary!  

I always enjoy your well-researched historical discussions.  

I favor your precise, yet descriptive style of prose as well, sir.    Keep up the good work, buddy.

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Thanks for all the comments, and don't be shy to give your opinion on these events of long ago.

 

Gary

Edited by Gillman
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16 hours ago, Gillman said:

Thanks Bruce, yes in those posts I was trying to pull a few things together regarding rye whiskey and gin. Gin is really, the original form, a type of rye whiskey. So they must have had rye whiskey flavoured (with juniper) and non-flavoured in Europe, and we know in Germany the korns have existed for hundreds of years which are white, unaged grain whiskeys, although today more like vodka.

 

So either gin/rye in Manhattan suggested to distillers in Pennsylvania to make something similar - they were distilling in Manhattan first -  or, the people who came to American from Ulster, Scotland, Holland, Germany from 1600s-1700s all had a basic understanding of these distilling variations.

 

That's what I think and we can't therefore separate off genever/gin as an unrelated drink to whiskey's development in America, IMO.

 

But for the "Distiller Retires" one the story was just funny, even today it is. :)

 

Gary

 

Yes, a couple of my favorite "oddities" are a 100% rye malt 15yo Van Wees Roggenaer and a malt heavy 10yo Bols Corenwyn. Much more whisky like with there high malt content than typical genever. Lightly herbal in character but the specific juniper notes becomes very subtle with ageing.

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Thanks for writing this and sharing it, Gary! The account gets more entertaining every time I read it, somehow (I've obsessively read it several times). That last sentence really drives home their true feelings about drinking...I imagine it was intended to be somewhat humorous but I think the underlying sentiment remains the same.

 

Any idea why a distiller would be selling one copper boiler, one doubler (thumper), and TWO condensing coils (worms)? Admittedly I don't know exactly how a thumper works, but my understanding is that the setup requires a single condenser. I guess just because he's selling two of them doesn't mean they were both in use, but this still seems odd to me.

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