Small batch
Encyclopedia
Small batch whiskey is a term usually referring to bourbon
or rye whiskey, and denotes a whiskey
produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrel
s.
Most producers of so-called small batch whiskeys do not provide a clear indication of what they mean by the term. The company that produces Maker's Mark
says that the traditional definition is a whiskey produced using "approximately 1,000 gallon
s or less (20 barrels) from a mash bill
of around 200 bushel
s of grain
". Kentucky Bourbon Distillers
, a producer of Bourbon and Rye whiskey, uses at most 12 barrels per batch for its small batch brands.
Small-batch whiskies are positioned for the upper-premium market, and are typically aged from six to nine years in oak barrels, but more limited series aged at least up to 23 years are also available. The majority of small-batch whiskies are produced in Kentucky
, the American state most traditionally associated with whiskey (and especially with bourbon).
Examples of small-batch bourbons include 1792 Ridgemont Reserve
, Basil Hayden's
, Hudson Baby Bourbon, Maker's Mark
,Bourbon – Maker's Mark, Edencroft Fine Wines. Rowan's Creek
, and Woodford Reserve
.
Examples of small-batch rye whiskies include the rye bottlings of Black Maple Hill and Classic Cask. (Both of these brands have some bottlings that are bourbons and others that are rye.)
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
or rye whiskey, and denotes a whiskey
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrel
Barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Traditionally, the barrel was a standard size of measure referring to a set capacity or weight of a given commodity. A small barrel is called a keg.For example, a...
s.
Most producers of so-called small batch whiskeys do not provide a clear indication of what they mean by the term. The company that produces Maker's Mark
Maker's Mark
Maker’s Mark is a small batch bourbon whiskey that is distilled in Loretto, Kentucky by Beam Inc.. It is sold in distinctively squarish bottles, which are sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.- History...
says that the traditional definition is a whiskey produced using "approximately 1,000 gallon
Gallon
The gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry...
s or less (20 barrels) from a mash bill
Mash ingredients
Mash ingredients, mash bill, or grain bill are those materials used in brewing from which a wort can be obtained for fermenting into alcohol...
of around 200 bushel
Bushel
A bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
s of grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
". Kentucky Bourbon Distillers
Kentucky Bourbon Distillers
Kentucky Bourbon Distillers , Ltd., also known as the Willett Distilling Company, is a private family-owned and -operated company that markets bourbon and rye whiskey. The company is located on the outskirts of Bardstown, Kentucky on a site that began as a farm owned by the family...
, a producer of Bourbon and Rye whiskey, uses at most 12 barrels per batch for its small batch brands.
Small-batch whiskies are positioned for the upper-premium market, and are typically aged from six to nine years in oak barrels, but more limited series aged at least up to 23 years are also available. The majority of small-batch whiskies are produced in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, the American state most traditionally associated with whiskey (and especially with bourbon).
Examples of small-batch bourbons include 1792 Ridgemont Reserve
1792 (bourbon)
1792 Ridgemont Reserve is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced by the Barton Brands Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. The brand and distillery are owned by the Sazerac Company. It is part of a line of small-batch bourbons aimed at the high-end liquor market.It is aged for 8 years. It is...
, Basil Hayden's
Basil Hayden's
Basil Hayden's is the lightest bodied bourbon whiskey in the family of Jim Beam small batch bourbons produced by Beam Inc.. It is 80 proof, in contrast with its three sibling brands of higher alcohol concentration ....
, Hudson Baby Bourbon, Maker's Mark
Maker's Mark
Maker’s Mark is a small batch bourbon whiskey that is distilled in Loretto, Kentucky by Beam Inc.. It is sold in distinctively squarish bottles, which are sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.- History...
,Bourbon – Maker's Mark, Edencroft Fine Wines. Rowan's Creek
Rowan's Creek
Rowan's Creek is a bourbon produced in Bardstown, Kentucky by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers . It is named for the creek which runs through the grounds of the site's former distillery. The creek, in turn, is named after John Rowan, a stateman in Kentucky during the late 1700's and early 1800's, whose...
, and Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It is distilled at the company's Woodford Reserve Distillery, and marketed under the former company name for the distillery, Labrot & Graham. The distillery is located in...
.
Examples of small-batch rye whiskies include the rye bottlings of Black Maple Hill and Classic Cask. (Both of these brands have some bottlings that are bourbons and others that are rye.)
See also
- Bottled in bondBottled in bondBottled in bond refers to American-made spirit that has been aged and bottled according to a set of legal regulations contained in the United States government's Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits Bottled in bond refers to American-made spirit that has been aged and bottled according to a...
- Single barrel whiskey
- Single malt whiskySingle malt whiskySingle malt whisky is a whisky made at one particular distillery from a mash that uses one particular malted grain, which is ordinarily barley.Single malts are typically associated with Scotland, though they are also produced in various other countries...