Whiskey has become more of a hot seller in the past few weeks which, given the sticky weather, I would find odd if not for the return of AMC’S “Mad Men.” In the hit series about advertising executives, mostly men, in the 1960s, we witness the characters downing stiff drinks every time anything goes wrong – or right – at the agency or in their lives. The relationship of whiskey sales to “Mad Men” is purely a theory as there is no statistical evidence to back it up. Nevertheless, I thought it a good a time as any to brush up on the mysteries of whiskey.
The Basics
Whiskey is an alcoholic beverage distilled from fermented grains. The two main factors that separate whiskey from other spirits are the use of grain and the fact that the spirit is aged in oak. Grains used include primarily barley, rye, wheat, and corn. After ageing, most whiskey, which must be distilled to 95% alcohol or less, is diluted with water to somewhere in the 40% alcohol range. Whiskey labeled “cask strength” or “barrel proof” has not been diluted and thus has a higher
