cowdery Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 Linn, such fine work deserves its own subject heading and I am proud to be the one to start it. You did a terrific job with both the story and the photography. It is both evocative and informative. It also sounds like the Mt. Vernon folks did a great job putting on the event.As an aside, do you know if Mrs. Newman is the wife of the Phil Newman who was formerly an executive at Glenmore and then United/Guinness in Louisville? Mike Veach, who worked with Phil, may also know.--Chuck Cowdery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 Thank you Chuck you're too kind. I do not know if Phillip Newman III is the Phil Newman you speak of, but it seems very likely so. It is very obvious that Mrs. Newman is well connected at the highest levels of Bourbonia, and happily so,as we all benifit from these ladies selfless works.The fine folks at DISCUS did a splendid job all around. Judy Blatman deserves accolades for her swift attention for my pleas for press credenitals. She's a real sweety. I also want to thank Jim Butler for having enough faith in me to send in an official request to DISCUS for my press credentials. Many thanks to Esther C. White of Mount Vernon for her tireless efforts to get me included in the event and for providing such good gist for my mill.Linn SpencerHave Shotglass. Will Travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourbonmed Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 Linn,Nicely done my friend. I'm hoping Esther and her folks set up a booth at the festival.Omar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 Thank you Omar! Esther lives with her hands deep into the past. If the booth were several hundred years old and she had to dig for it she'd be there!Linn SpencerHave Shotglass. Will Travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 <big>VERY</big> IMPRESSIVE! That's about as well-written an article as I've seen. The opening paragraphs read the way I wish all mine did, and I really appreciated the way you echoed that imagery at the middle and again at the end with Washington's toast. The illustrations were perfect. Good work, Gee Bee.=John=http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 Chuck,Yes, that is Phil's wife. She has been involved with many historical societies through the years including a stint as President of the Filson Club.Mike Veach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 Linn,Great article. I do question the wisdom of floating barrels of bourbon in the river. I know that it can cause the whiskey to get musty, but then again, I guess this whiskey is not for public consumption. You should have volunteered to be a taste tester to make sure this did not happen.Mike Veach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 Mike take a look at that photo again. The barrels were floating far too high, and were props for the photo op. The real barrels of whiskey were already stored away safely. No one is exactly sure what Mount Vernon is going to do with the whiskey once it's been aged. Perhaps I should offer to visit every so offten to sample the barrels and judge their progress. I feel very patriotic just thinking about it.Linn SpencerHave Shotglass. Will Travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vasshopper Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 LINN You did yourself proud, excellent article and pictures CONGRATULATIONS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 Linn,I think that not only should they do this, but they should pay you for your expert opinion (unless some of the bourbon is wheated).Mike Veach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwilps Posted June 7, 2001 Share Posted June 7, 2001 Folks, Sorry to intrude with a clunky question, but where's the hyperlink? Is the story only available to you Virginians or am I missing something through the bottom of my snifter, here? I'd love to read it - don't keep me in suspense if I can reach it online.Ralph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vasshopper Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 ralph, try the front page with the makers,brands, recipes and the discussion board just to the right of it. i had the same promblem. enjoy!----den Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 Thanks for the flowers Den. I had a great shot of the wagon & mule team with the barrels being loaded. I sent Jim the photos and let him pick whatever he thought best. There is a thing called 'bandwidth'that places limitations on just how big the artice could be. Jim would have put up more photos if he could.Linn SpencerHave Shotglass. Will Travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwilps Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 Oh, the home page!...I got it - thanks, Den!Ralph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwilps Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 Linn,Let me add my kudos to the above - both the article and the pictures evoked Washington's deep love of his land and its gifts. I was especially intrigued by the fact that he used mostly rye with no malted barley for his mashbill. When you add that to the fact that Washington and his family loved good rum (he specifically ordered barrels of "the best Barbados rum" for his inauguration), it may be that his whiskey fermentation could have been helped along by a good dollop of molasses. I seem to recall you having some hands-on experience with that kind of a wash. And also, Fritz Maytag might be very interested in the operation of Washington's cooperage - his theory of "toasted" barrels might be tested by examination of staves found there. You know, you have become the chronicler of this dig, and should be so recognized by DISCUS and the folks at Mt. Vernon. Again, a great job - your article elevates wood, water and grain to its proper status.Ralph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdelling Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 I'll also add my "Huzzah!" as a compliment to Linn's writing.I noticed that DISCUS put up their press release (with a few pictures)on their webpage:http://www.discus.health.org/pr52101.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 Thanks for the kudos Ralph. Washington did continue to import rum. As far as barrel staves go we'll just have to wait and see what Esther digs up. I'll be going back to the site several more times and will report back with any news. You can bet I'll be there for the dedication ceremony when the reconstruction is completed. You'll really hear some HUZZAHS! then.Linn SpencerHave Shotglass. Will Travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 Tim I'll take those HUZZAHS! thank you.Linn SpencerHave Shotglass. Will Travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Thanks John! Now you see just what I'm really capable of writting. All anyone has ever seen of me has been rough drafts thrashed out on the spur of the moment. It helps to have Jim Butler do the proof reading and polishing.Linn SpencerHave Shotglass. Will Travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MashBill Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Great article Linn! You really have a way with words. Your photos were excellent too. I look forward to reading your updates on the progress of this facinating historical site.Billhttp://home.kc.rr.com/mashbill/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Thanks Bill! Let me tell ya that being a 'cyber-reporter' for StraightBourbon ain't as easy as it looks. Going to the event was great fun. Taking notes and running down the facts was real work. The first paragraph of the story just poured out pretty much as you see. The rest I had to struggle for. Whenever you write any sort of historical material it is so easy to get bogged down in minutia. Detail after detail can really make a story just crawl along. It's tough to keep things moving at a reasonable pace so people don't get so bored that they just stop reading. That's why so many people hate history. I find history can be very exciting. The problem is that so many historians are horrendous writers.Linn SpencerHave Shotglass. Will Travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted June 11, 2001 Author Share Posted June 11, 2001 Some of you who have dabbled in distillation might know the answer to this. Washington claims his distiller used no barley. Is it possible he used no malted grain of any kind? Or would he of necessity had to have malted some rye or corn? Can you obtain an adequate conversion just by cooking?--Chuck Cowdery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted June 11, 2001 Author Share Posted June 11, 2001 If anyone is still having trouble finding Linn's story, click here.--Chuck Cowdery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Weber Posted June 15, 2001 Share Posted June 15, 2001 Chuck,I spoke with our master distiller, Gary Gayheart, and he said that Washington would have had to use some malted rye or malted corn. The yeast is incapable of converting the starch into alcohol. The enzymes in the malted grain break the starch down into sugars and the yeast then act upon the sugars. He did say that rye possess a small amount of natural enzymes, but not enough the affect the starches in corn. Of course today, distillers can purchase enzymes to break the starches down.Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted June 16, 2001 Author Share Posted June 16, 2001 Ken,thanks for checking with Gary. That's good to know.--Chuck Cowdery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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