PLCB "Guide To Better Product Knowledge- Spiritous Liquors" Some PA Spirits History!

 Here's a little piece of PA spirits history. This handy little guide was published December of 1964 by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board for employee training and knowledge. I've found it to be quite comprehensive and accurate even today. I've chosen to scan it in its entirety and display it here for other's learning and also as an example of PA spirit history. Enjoy!

You're Disqualified!!

With the recent strong feelings over whether Jack Daniel's is a bourbon or not (Read here for a great explanation: Chuck Cowdery's answer to the Jack Daniel's argument) I think it's time we take a look at Michter's.......

Let's preface this by saying I am referring to the product of the original Michter's from Schaefferstown, PA. Not the modern line of products coming from Kentucky. From the Bomberger Distillery a few miles outside of Schaefferstown came the product I so love, collect, and write about- Michter's Original Sour Mash Pot Still Whiskey *Said all in one breath*. Read it again. Notice something? A something that is also missing from the Jack Daniel's label? Keen whiskey drinkers would notice there is no "rye" or "bourbon" on the label. No, it's not because there's some devious plot to pipe Jack to PA secretly. The reason for "bourbon" not appearing on the ol' No. 7 is a different reason than why it does not appear on Michter's labels.
Let's start with what makes a bourbon a bourbon and what makes a rye a rye. I won't go into each and every detail so this doesn't get confusing for those not as acquainted with American whiskey laws and regulations. Under Title 27, Chapter I, Subchapter A, Part 5, Subpart C, 5.22 "The Standards of Identity" you'll find (b)(1)(i) stating the following:

“Bourbon whisky”, “rye whisky”, “wheat whisky”, “malt whisky”, or “rye malt whisky” is whisky produced at not exceeding 160° proof from a fermented mash of not less than 51 percent corn, rye, wheat, malted barley, or malted rye grain, respectively, and stored at not more than 125° proof in charred new oak containers; and also includes mixtures of such whiskies of the same type.

What does this mean in layman's terms? When you're making bourbon, you've got to have at least 51% corn in the mix. Rye gets at least 51% rye grain and so on. It can't come off the still at more than 160 proof and it can't go into a new charred oak (Very important!) barrel at more than 125 proof. 

And with that, Michter's Original Sour Mash Pot Still Whiskey- YOU'RE DISQUALIFIED!!

Why? Well, the creator of the Michter's brand, Mr. Lou Forman, wanted something unique. He saw the popularity of Jack Daniel's and knew of the coming of Maker's Mark- both unique whiskeys for their time. Mr. Forman wanted a slice of this market. So he didn't just want to create another bourbon, or rye, or blended whiskey. Michter's isn't a blend. It contains no neutral spirits. It's not a bourbon. It's not a rye. It's not corn whiskey either. What is it?

Whiskey.

Yep.

Just. Whiskey.

Michter's does not meet the qualifications to be called a bourbon, rye, or corn whiskey. Nor anything else. Michter's, by mashbill (Recipe), is closest to bourbon. However, it does not contain the required 51% corn to be called a bourbon. While it was distilled below 160 proof and went into its barrel around 108-115 proof, it's already been disqualified on the mashbill from becoming anything but "whiskey." But there's more. To keep costs lower, if freshly emptied barrels were available, they were filled with the newly distilled Michter's. So now we have a second disqualification. Only corn whiskey is allowed to be aged in reused barrels (Corn whiskey must contain 80% or more corn in the mashbill). Even if Michter's had the required 51% corn, it would get disqualified by being aged in reused barrels. Not all Michter's was aged in reused barrels though. Some was aged in new barrels. My bulk whiskey inventory lists from the 1980's confirm this, as did Dick Stoll (Master Distiller at Michter's from 1976-1990). But ultimately, they were all dumped together when bottling batches of Michter's.

Whiskey. That's it. The Original Sour Mash Pot Still part is just fluff. It was sour mash whiskey, that is true. And it did come out of a pot still. Original? Sure, why not. Does it make Michter's inferior? Absolutely not. It's like saying Jack Daniel's would be inferior just because it was subjected to the Lincoln County Process. Michter's was and is regarded as a quality product. And with the odd mix of barrels that made up the small batches, some bottles and decanters have a bourbon flavor, while others have a more rye-ish character. I haven't had a bottle I didn't like!

So there you have it. A unique product that was purposely disqualified from certain titles by its creator just so it could be something unique. And unique it was. The modern day Michter's in Kentucky makes a Sour Mash whiskey that is made to replicate the Original stuff, and I've tried them side-by-side and it's worthy of its name. The folks in Kentucky also make a nice lineup of other whiskies under the Michter's name that include bourbons and ryes that are worth finding and trying. Even the original Michter's in PA made some bourbons and ryes, but generally either sold the whiskey to other companies for bottling or they would bottle it under other names. The only bottling that's ever been confirmed of Michter's that wasn't just "whiskey" was a one-off bottling of straight rye whiskey that was sold exclusively through the Jug House at the distillery. The Michter's Original Sour Mash Pot Still whiskey is still out there. Not on the shelf of your liquor store, but it's out there. And it's worth the money to check it out. It does taste different. And it's good.

Heaven Hill's Corn Whiskies- A Corny Review!

Heaven Hill is one of the last major distillers to produce corn whiskey. What was once the predominant "moonshine" whiskey, corn whiskey has all but disappeared in the US. As whiskey is once again finding an audience, drinkers are looking for all sorts of variants to try. Corn whiskey is quite different than traditional American whiskies as the rules of aging are a bit more lax. While Rye and Bourbon must be aged in new, charred white oak barrels, Corn Whiskey can be aged not only in the new, charred white oak barrels, but also used Bourbon or Rye barrels, or un-charred barrels. It is also generally not aged nearly as long- usually only a few months up to 2 years. So I got my hands on some variants of the Heaven Hill Corn Whiskies. The only thing that really varies here is proof and age. 2 are bottled by McCormick Distilling in Weston, MO, while the other is bottled by Heaven Hill.

Platte Valle Corn Whiskey:
-$25 for a 750ML ceramic decanter via PLCB State Store.
-80 Proof, 30 months old and bottled by McCormick Distilling
The coolest thing about this whiskey is the nifty decanter it comes in. Very cool and reminiscent of a whiskey crock from the 1800's. The whiskey itself is almost colorless. It has a slight yellow tint, as if someone put a drop of yellow food coloring in your shot glass. It has very little nose. What is there smells of alcohol, sugar, and a hint of fresh corn. It's very earthy and has no indications of oak smells from the barrel. It's light and sweet on the tongue with almost no depth in the flavor. It's just plain smooth. The corn blasts through and once again, there is no evidence of oak notes. Once it's down the hatch, there is really no finish. It's gone! My assessment: A very unique product that is easy to drink and would mix really well in place of gut-rot Vodka. Mixing this with a Bourbon or Rye to lighten the flavor wouldn't be out of the question and may yield some interesting results. An overall good product.

Hirsch Selection Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey
-$37 for a 750ML bottle from WineSource in Baltimore, MD
-90 Proof with no age statement. Aged in used barrels.
This is a dead-ringer for the Platte Valley and was even bottled by McCormick also. The difference is the proof and barrel selection. These barrels were specifically chosen by Hirsch Distillers for bottling, so you're getting a little better pick (Hopefully!). The nose is the same, but more intense. Almost like someone turned the volume from 5 to 8. With it comes an increase in flavor and alcohol bite. With being aged so little, it's very "moonshine-esque." It's getting high enough in proof that you can get a bit more flavor on the tongue and the sweetness is much nicer. The hardest part to get down my throat is the price tag! Ouch! A small hint of the barrel aging is present, but the whiskey is still a very pale yellow color. Once down the hatch, the sweetness lingers for seconds and then it too is gone. There's a certain sweetness and flavor to this one that is not in the Platte Valley. Overall, a better whiskey than the Platte Valley, but the price ruins it. I keep it around for its unique character, but that's about it. Pick a bottle up if you can get it for a good price!

Mellow Corn Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey
-$10 via a friend.
-100 proof and aged for at least 2 years. No age statement.
This is straight Heaven Hill. Mellow Corn is an awesome value- if you can find it. I can't emphasize this enough! The 100 proof and longer aging gives this a totally different profile than the McCormick-bottled products. The color is no longer a lemon yellow, but a light brown. In the shot glass, it's like watered down apple juice. The nose is wonderful- corn, light oak, fruits, with a tiny hint of cocoa and leather. On the tongue it's heaven. The moonshine flavors are dialed down and a slight oak flavor has now entered. The corn takes center stage and the 100 proof has brought the flavors to a blasting "10." It's still smooth and drinks like a young Bourbon but with no rye bite. It's all sugar and sweets. The finish is heavy towards the corn side (as usual), but has more complexity with a hint of syrup and oak. It lasts for a few short seconds and is gone- just like the others. This whiskey is amazing. As long as I have friends that can find it and provide it for me, I'll take it! If I could buy it by the case, I would! At ten bucks a bottle, this is one whiskey that should be in every collection! Buy it, you won't be disappointed!