THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HANDCRAFTED BOURBONS NOW

Craft bourbon is one of the most beautiful elixirs. Bourbon lovers know this… but even if you’re not a bourbon fan, prepare to have your mind changed. Bourbon reaches new heights of elegance and new depths of flavor when it is hand crafted and produced in small batches, with good reason.

Bourbons are complex. And every tiny detail -- every flavor and aroma note, every every aspect of color and texture, everything is impacted both by the differences in ingredients and process.

For the best craft bourbons, a human hand touches them at each part of the process, from the grain to the bottle. It begins as the grain is milled, hand checked at each milling to check the grist. Some hand stir the mash.

And it’s not just the hand that comes into play, of course, it’s really all of the senses. A bourbon crafter smells each part of the process as well. Color and clarity are important to see. And ultimately, taste rules -- every barrel is tasted at various points along the way.

Bourbon crafters obsess over the provenance of grains, the type of barrel wood used, the filtration process, the aging conditions, and other details, all expertly selected and closely monitored in small batches, for tight control.

It begins with the corn. Federal standards stipulate that bourbon must be a grain mixture made of at least 51% US corn.

Bourbon crafters like to mess with the mashbill (that's what bourbon makers jargon for recipe). Some like to max out the corn, raising it to 80 - 100% to make their bourbons extra sweet. Rye adds spiciness to the mash, while wheat adds softness.  

The barrel makes a difference too -- charred, uncharred, new, and used oak barrels each lend their own character. Single barrels add yet another layer of unique quality. Smooth, caramel, chocolatey , leathery, buttery, smoky, fruity -- name your pleasure.

DREAMING IN BOURBON

America needed its own whiskey. And when early settlers in Kentucky found water filtered by the native limestone, combined with a unique climate, perfect for producing barrel-aged whiskey, bourbon was born.

Bourbon’s story is beautifully documented a new book, The Birth of Bourbon: A Photographic Tour of Early Distilleries, by photographer Carol Peachee.

The book takes you on a historical tour of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. Before Prohibition, it was home to over 200 commercial distilleries. Only 61 reopened after its repeal in 1933. Recently, with the resurgence of bourbon’s popularity, many are being renovated, refurbished, and cranked up again.

From well-known brands, including Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, Four Roses, and Buffalo Trace, to smaller batch crafters, such as Old Taylor and James E. Pepper, Peachee captures their antique charms and rich heritage.

Peachee uses a technique known as high-dynamic-range imaging―a process that produces rich saturation, with intensely clarified details, and a full spectrum of light. The gleaming copper stills contrast against the aged, worn cypress wood fermenting tubs and hardware, with gorgeous layers of patina.

With 238 richly saturated photos of old warehouses, grain hoppers, barrel rooms, boiler houses, and other bourbon-soaked relics, this book is a must for bourbon loving dads and other aficionados.

University Press of Kentucky (2015)

Small batch bourbons are crafted with unique distillation methods, barrels, and aging environments. They are bottled at cask strength. Each has an intentionally distinct flavor profile. Very rare, limited release bourbons, such as Michter's 20 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon, come in numbered bottles and can sometimes be found at whiskey auctions.

Bourbon recipes can vary widely, although at least 51% of the blend must come from corn. Rye, malted barley, and wheat can also be part of the mix.

We love bourbons that are warm and full-flavored. We love when we can taste the corn and when other notes, like maple butter, dark chocolate, roasted plum, peach, and salted caramel come through, with a long finish.

Aging, for at least 5 years, makes bourbon grow deep and complicated -- and yields luscious legs. The best, such as Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve, are aged for over 20 years. Charred oak barrels are the ideal aging vessels.

The Woodford Reserve Distillery, in Woodford County, KY, is one of the oldest and smallest working distilleries in the United States, founded in 1812. They rely on clear waters from the adjacent Glenn’s Creek, as well as local trees for barreling.

To ensure quality and help protect the area’s natural resources, they partnered with the Kentucky Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, replanting native trees and vegetation to improve water quality, prevent land erosion, attract wildlife, and offer sustainable supplies.

If we’ve whet your appetite from hand crafted bourbon, you might be tempted to check out these extra beautiful cocktails! Cheers!

If you know of other fine crafts artists whose work we should know about, share them with us and we’ll give you a shout out if we feature them on BeautifulNow.