Do you appreciate BOURBON?

[Eric Menchen]

But how are the major players products all the same color.

Massive amounts of blending?

Yes. They do lots of blending, and I'm under the impression they do a bit of moving of the barrels over time so that they all undergo similar aging profiles.

[Andy Velebil]

So after some research it seems there is quite a bit of this going on.
http://www.dramming.com/2012/02/16/cara ... g-a-demon/

Here is a list of some whisky distillers/bottlers that does not add E150a caramel colouring to their whisky. This is by no means a complete list.

Arran
Balblair
Benriach
Benromach
Bladnoch
Bruichladdich
Bunnahabhain
Deanston
Edradour
English Whisky Co
Glencadam
Glendronach
Glenfarclas
Glengoyne
Glenglassaugh
Glenrothes
Hazelburn
Highland Park
Kilchoman
Kilkerran
Longrow
Port Charlotte
Macallan
Octomore
Springbank
Tullibardine

http://www.scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk/forum ... c&start=15
This last link is where the above came from. An interesting discussion from what appears to be the scotch/whiskey version of FTLOP. From their discussion it appears quite a few of the well known brands add E150, at least in some of their product ranges.

[Eric Ifune]

Cognac is another product which uses caramel to colorize, even some very high end versions.

[Roy Hersh]

Glad to see Glenfarclas on that list. One of my favorite visits when doing a tour in the Highlands a couple of years ago.

[Michael T]

The article and forum referenced above refer to whisky in general, not specifically Bourbon which was the topic of this thread. As has already been stated, all Bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is Bourbon. To my knowledge no Bourbon has coloring added.

[Russ K]

overall I find Bourbon much too sweet (this from a guy who loves port, go figure..), I prefer rye, Scotch, and Irish.
Yes most makers use caramel coloring, and some , like my beloved crown royal mainstay. are making silly flavored whiskies (Black and Maple) now that are just terrible, I can't even stomach them.

[Alan McDonald]

Actually Scotch is made in Scotland and Bourbon is made in the USA. The spelling of whisk(e)y is mostly a matter of preference. There are other requirements that have to be met to call it Scotch or Bourbon.

I really do have to put you straight on this. The spelling of Whisky is not a matter of preference. Whisky is only made in Scotland. It cannot be called whisky if it is made anywhere else. It has to be whiskey. Similarly, Port cannot be called Port unless it is made (under all the oldest regulations in the wine world) in the Douro. I am well aware that people in some nations fail to recognise what is legally binding to many other nations because they know there is little likelihood of prosecution. That does not mean that they should continue to use the wrong word. They should be taught to use the words correctly. Whisky is whisky. Whiskey is something made in foreign parts.

Scotch means many things to many people, but throughout Britain it is a word that is never, ever used to mean whisky. In the North of England you can go into a bar and order a Scotch. You will be asked whether you want a half or a pint. Go into a bar just across the border and ask for a half and you will be given a small whisky of whatever brand the barman wants to get rid of.

I am sure you would be as equally vociferous in your defence of what is or is not Bourbon, and rightly so.

[Michael T]

I wasn't trying to offend anyone's heritage. Apparently even the Whisky.com website is confused as evidenced from the excerpt below.

"Whisky vs Whiskey: The spelling Whisky is used for whiskies distilled in Scotland, Wales, Canada, and Japan, while Whiskey is only used for the spirits distilled in Ireland and America. However, a 1968 directive of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms now specifies Whisky as the official U.S. spelling!"

[Andy Velebil]

Oh dear, more confusion. And I thought Port was a tough one to sort out.

[Glenn E.]

I really do have to put you straight on this. The spelling of Whisky is not a matter of preference. Whisky is only made in Scotland. It cannot be called whisky if it is made anywhere else. It has to be whiskey.

I cannot find anything online to substantiate this claim. The word "whisky" is not a reserved term. There is much debate at many levels as to the proper spelling of whisky/whiskey. It is generally accepted that the country of origin should determine the spelling, so "whisky" should be used when the product comes from Scotland, Canada, or Japan, while "whiskey" should be used when the product comes from Ireland or the United States. Conveniently, if the name of the country of origin contains an 'e', so does the generic term used to refer to the spirit.

Scotch Whisky, on the other hand, is reserved at the WTO and EU level. A product cannot be referred to as "Scotch Whisky" or "Scotch" unless it is produced in Scotland.

[Daniel Jewesbury]

May I recommend the Scotch Malt Whisky Society? Active in your part of the world I believe…