When Scotch and Bourbon Make Babies

Whiskey is awesome, which you already know is my very simple long-standing opinion on this topic. With so much to choose from, a whiskey nerd is loving life right now.

Even though we do have so many styles available, I still find it fascinating when I talk to folks about whiskey, whether friends, customers, or acquaintances, that people are still in the “Scotch-only” or “Bourbon-only” camps. For some reason within the world of whiskey, there is this division in categories among palates and folks who are in one camp or the other are adamant in their position that Scotch is better than Bourbon and Bourbon is better than Scotch. Why the disdain for one over the other?

Scotch (more specifically single malt Scotch) drinkers like the character that is typically dry on the finish thanks to malted barley’s presence and aging taking place in older barrels. Varying levels of peat smoke get involved and adds another layer of flavor, which leads to the Bourbon drinkers to say “I don’t like Scotch because it is peaty.”

Bourbon, on the other hand, tends to have a sweeter finish due to the use of corn and aging in charred new oak barrels; the mellow, vanilla, and caramel flavors pop, leading to the Scotch drinker to say “I don’t like Bourbon because it is too sweet.”

But now there is an emerging category showing up on our shelves: The American Single Malt Whiskey. We tend to only associate “Single Malt” with Scotch whisky and the spelling of “Whiskey” with American whiskey. So what’s the deal with this?

The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC) was formed in 2016 to work on defining a standard for what should allow a producer to call a whiskey “American Single Malt” on a label. Currently, there are about 100 distilleries as members of the ASMWC, spearheaded by Westland Distillery’s Matt Hoffman in Seattle, Washington. At the moment, the standards for American Single Malt Whiskey are outlined as follows:

Must be made for 100% malted barley (as in Single Malt Scotch)

Product of a single distillery in the United States

Distilled to no higher than 160 Proof in pot or column stills (as in Bourbon)

Barreled at no high than 125 Proof (as in Bourbon)

Killer bottle from our recent whiskey class at the store.

Can be aged in any type of wood

So what does the whisk(e)y partisan do now? Elements of both camps have been combined and has offered a lot of flexibility for the producer. It doesn’t have to be charred new oak or an oak barrel at all. You can age it in chestnut, ash, cherrywood…whatever you want. It can be different types of barley, so maybe a strain used for beer-brewing ends up being used for whiskey production (which happens, by the way, and makes terrific whiskeys). Want to appeal to the peat lovers out there? You can use whatever you like to impart smoke; a popular method, notably in the American Southwest, is to dry malted barley over a mesquite fire.

Speaking of this use of mesquite, this also allows producers to show off regional character and authenticity. The goal here is not to re-create Scotch; Scotland has unique climatic characteristics that make Scotch whiskey what it is. Does a producer in Colorado have low-iron mountain spring water? Chances are that’s going into the whiskey. Have a local type of wood? Age it in that (See Westland’s Garryana Whiskey ($160) for an example that gets a lot of love that I sadly have not yet been able to taste).

The palette of flavors and aromas that can come from American Single Malts is just as diverse as Scotch and Bourbon. Now…this is typically a pricier category as American Single Malts are not made on a large scale, especially in cases where some local ingredients are in short supply. However, I think you will find that American Single Malts offer you a unique experience.

I had mentioned before in an old blog post that I was given the Balcones ‘1’ Single Malt (now $70 instead of $90 2 years ago) blindly and could not figure out what I was tasting. I told the person who poured it for me that it tasted like Scotch and Bourbon had a baby together. Years later, here we are with a new group of whiskeys that are full of flavor, authenticity, and appeal to both the Bourbon and Scotch fan. Here are three to look for while you are out shopping. You won’t be disappointed.

Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Single Malt Whiskey ($49): Scotland will typically use old Bourbon barrels or larger neutral barrels to round out the texture of malt whisky. The Hudson uses small (200L) new American oak barrels to quickly (6-24 months) add flavor to the biscuit-like sweetness of the malt whiskey. Smooth in texture, light on the finish, and an easy way to introduce yourself to an American Single Malt.

Westland American Oak Single Malt ($70): Westland is as transparent as you can ask for when it comes to wanting to know what is in the whiskey. Find the nuts and bolts details here and I find their tasting notes to be rather accurate. My experience was a distinct dark chocolate aroma and flavor with a custard like texture on the palate. Fruitiness comes out on the finish, specifically cherries and apricots.

Hamilton Distillers Del Bac Dorado Mesquite Smoked ($50): Here’s your American take on peat by using mesquite wood. This is a campfire with pipe tobacco on the nose, followed by what I would describe as sinking your teeth into a BBQ bacon burger. Savory, rich, and spicy after the smoke subsides. This is a no-brainer summertime whiskey.

Drinking Religiously

Much of our modern drinking culture stems from the work of monks during the Middle Ages. Even though much of their lives were spent serving a higher calling by attending multiple church services per day and translating texts to other languages, the monks also provided medical care, farmed the land and among other things, produced beer and wine. Of particular note, the Paulaner Friars in Bavaria (Munich) created a beer that would sustain them during the fasting periods when richer food like meat (where with bread was a staple of the monk’s diet) was a no-no. This style is referred to as the doppelbock.

Behold…my beer-inator!

The bock family of lagers are strong and malty with no real hoppy character. At 6.0-7.0% abv, the bocks are smooth, creamy, and rich in texture with a caramel flavor. The Paulaner Friars took this style to the next level in strength and richness with the doppel (double) bock, where the beers were even darker and fuller-bodied, with an abv checking in around 7.5-8.0%; modern examples by craft brewers can take this up to an abv as high as 12.0% with toasty flavors entering the equation, essentially “liquid bread” to feed the monks. When the fasting period was over, the lighter and hoppier maibock (also referred to as helles lager) was consumed in celebration.

The Paulaner Friars called this the “Salvator,” which translates to “savior,” and to this day many doppelbock beers include -ator in its name in reverence to the foundation of this beer style. Fun fact: bock beers, where “ein bock” translates to “billy goat,” will frequently depict goats on the labels.

Whether you observe Ash Wednesday today and the Lenten season, or you just want to introduce yourself to a new beer style that will warm you up during these remaining chilly days, reach for a doppelbock. Additionally, if you are a fan of Belgian Dubbels, try its lager counterpart to the east. Here are three for you to find.

Paulaner Salvator ($11/6-pack): The granddaddy of them all, this beer has been made for 375 years. The Salvator has a creamy texture with a chocolate-covered caramel flavor backed up by light hoppiness to create balance on your palate. 7.9% abv

Ayinger Celebrator ($14/4-pack): darker and maltier than the Salvator, but drier on the finish, the flavor profile shows more of a toasted bread and espresso character. It’s kind of like drinking breakfast (which 500 years ago was exactly the idea). 7.2% abv

Tröegs Tröegenator ($11/6-pack): Here is an American take on this style from central Pennsylvania, a region that traces its history to German settlers. The Tröegenator shows more of a reddish color than dark brown and has more noticeable hops and fruit than the traditional producers, but it still sticks to the malty character that defines the doppelbock style. 8.2% abv. NOTE: there is also a Bourbon barrel-aged version of this beer, where the alcohol is jacked up to 9.8% abv, available in 12.7 oz bottles that are about $15 per bottle.