Krass did a great job of weaving the history of american whiskey making and its scottish and scotsirish roots through rich fabric of mr. Oct 02, 2010 once prohibition was repealed, in the 1930s the process of aging the bourbon whiskey would have to start from scratch, plus demand for anything whiskey like would outweigh the idea of selling very old spirits at the time. A global history, by kevin kosar, peels away the mythology to examine the real history of this legendary drink. From our investigation this whiskey was almost certainly distilled at cedar brook distillery, a long lost kentucky distillery which was originally built by judge w. Click through the follow pages to discover our pick of the top 10 whisky education books. He loaded the bullet and begun roulette, wrote about how i smelled like whiskey and regret. Nov 20, 2014 whiskey history is a long, adventurous story, and many brave people fought to keep the drink flowing along the way. After seven books most recently all about mead, a very successful annual. Old judge william harrison mcbrayer was born in 1821 into a family of. Our company our history events awards trade customers careers antislavery policy. A to z american whiskey brands find your favourite american whiskey brand with just one click. Super family history projects genealogy tips ideas creating an ancestry photo book can be daunting. His eyes said upset while his mouth spoke, its time to accept.
Mcbrayer, shown here, was born in anderson county, kentucky, in 1821, one of 11 children from a pioneer family. Fittingly, some exact dates were forgotten whiskey was involved, after all, but this timeline will help you grasp the basics and understand its origin. Learn about 11 of the most important american whiskey brands. And if you fancy becoming a critic yourself, start writing your own tasting notes in our tasting book. Its also deftly dressed up with an orange, sugar, and bitters as in the old fashioned. America may be young, but its history with whiskey is serious. The distillery had twenty five thousand square feet of floor space. Fite, a selfproclaimed history buff, said the four bottles of hellmans celebrated old crow whiskey he found may have been among the last of their kind. Feb 02, 2012 the best whisky book ever a must read for drinkers. Distilled in 1916 and bottled in 1933, this bottle of old mcbrayer whiskey was found sealed in a vault with several other cases of prohibition spirits.
Johnson also controlled the old mcbrayer distillery, new market, montgomery county, kentucky. According to a genealogy website, the land upon which the distillery sat was purchased by mcbrayer from a former slave of the ryan family. Sitting on a bar stool and sipping a shot of jack daniels washed down by a cold bottle of beer is an impeccable routine. It was named in honor of the historic distiller col. Jameson blended irish whiskey became the flagship brand that the entirety of the irish whiskey industry could now get behind.
On the back is a mash bill that i assume is mcbrayer s. That bottle has some really important heritage to kentucky, but it also means a. Bryan fite discovered bottles of old crow whiskey and. Latest headlines world news books horoscopes work with us games coronavirus. Very aged whiskey found under attic floorboards all the whiskey in fites attic was bottled in 1917 and distilled between 1912 and 19. This very short book is jampacked with information about all facets of bourbon production, from early farm distilling to nineteenth century commercial distilleries to the craft distillery movement, and everything inbetween. Old taylor news newspapers books scholar jstor march 20 learn how and when to remove this template message. Discover the origins of scotch whisky history and distillation. Old taylor bourbon is a brand of straight bourbon whiskey produced at buffalo trace distillery. Mcbrayer 19 bourbon this antique bourbon was distilled in 19 with the name of mcbrayer. Mar 05, 2016 michael veachs first book is the seminal work on kentucky bourbon heritage and american whiskey in general. Cedar brook plankington reserve the whiskey at the.
Kosar shows that its history is at least as fascinating as the legend. A great testimony to ingenuity, self sufficiency, independent spirit and enterpreneurship. Take a time travel and follow us into the past of the long whisky history. Although i wasnt old enough to fit bourbon into my report about general robert e. Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash.
Kentuckys vintage spirits law turns dusties into profit alcohol. If you want to find out what the critics are raving about, or learn about the art of distillation, this is the place to come. Is an unopened bottle of old mcbrayer bourbon whiskey. William harrison mcbrayer, called judge mcbrayer for much of his life, is credited with being among the handful of kentucky distillers who raised the quality and image of the states whiskey to international renown. And thats a good thing, because it probably tasted horrible. List of books and articles about kentucky history online. This vintage whiskey curation service is going to make a positive impact. The salt during prohibition, booze was banned, but medicinal spirits werent, a. Old mcbrayer 100 proof whiskey with original box, produced by the nelson distillery of kentucky and bottled by the american medicinal spirits company. Whisky is a strictly regulated spirit worldwide with many. Cedar brook plankington reserve the whiskey at the intersection of old judge mcbrayers and the whiskey trusts julius kesslers stories cedar brook plankington reserve photo by chad hartsfield bourbon, like america, evolved from humble roots on frontier farms to something big and industrial which, in the era of americas robber barons.
Understand your family history and few important thinks about how to use family history to build your visual family tree. Its from cedarbrook, which was mcbrayer in lawrenceburg, kentucky. This bottle has a 1936 illinois tax stamp and a national distillers seal. Whisky books discover the world of whisky with our selection of books. Dec 21, 2005 i have a very interestuing letter to e h taylor, jr. Four onepint bottles of kentucky bourbon whiskey dating from during and just after prohibition. The best whisky book ever a must read for drinkers.
Whiskey and spirits enthusiast noah rothbaum debunks some of these myths in his new book, the art of american whiskey, which uses 100 vintage and. Manhattans are the whiskey equivalent to martinis and there are many variations on this dinnerworthy style. As amazon describes, this book follows the trail of america whiskeymaking from its 17th century origins right up to the present day. With a wellaged history rooted in the heart of bourbon country, mcbrayer. The scots parliament in 1644 passed an excise act fixing the duty at 28d p per pint of aquavitae or other strong liquor the scots pint being approximately one third of a gallon.
Fite, a selfproclaimed history buff, said the four bottles of hellmans. Mcbrayer was a dry goods merchant before becoming a distiller and later served in the ky senate. In 1859, perhaps spurred by the family competition, abraham tore down his distillery and gristmill and. Aged for a minimum of 5 years in exbourbon casks, this. Old mcbrayer straight bourbon whiskey bottled by the american medicinal spirits company, louisville kentucky, distilled in 1917, bottled in 1935 level. Is an unopened bottle of old mcbrayer bourbon whiskey worth anything. What is the history of charging duty on scotch whisky. It is believed that irish monks brought the technique of distilling perfumes back from their travels to the mediterranean countries about a. Fechheimer brothers of detroit, michigan controlled elks choice whiskey. Various grains which may be malted are used for different varieties, including. Mar 18, 2011 a guide to the lingo and history of whiskey. Mcbrayer died, still at the helm of his distillery and a. Cedar brook plankington reserve the whiskey at the intersection of old judge mcbrayers and the whiskey trusts julius kesslers stories. Bbc travel a guide to the lingo and history of whiskey.
What has me scratching my head is the mcbrayer mash bill, because i dont think they had those enzymes in 1870, so adding them wouldnt have been an option. Think weve missed an essential reference book or guide. Top 10 whisky education books the spirits business. Aug 09, 2018 despite all the oldfashioned images that adorn todays american whiskey bottleslog cabins, buffalo, and longdead distillers who look like civil war generalsmost of todays famous brands wouldnt taste very familiar to cowboys from the wild west. Is an unopened bottle of old mcbrayer bourbon whiskey worth. The commonwealth with the british crown colonies and the independent united states were the preferred markets for whisky, with america being even more important since only the small, ruling upper class of the colonies could afford whisky. Irelands history of whiskey distilling is long and rich of ups and downs. Abraham overholt began distilling his rye whiskey in 1810, and by 1812 had established a commercial distillery in west overton, pennsylvania where he produced old farm pure rye whiskey. Whiskey also makes an appearance in sours, creamy and fruity cocktails, and is a favorite for hot drinks, including those with coffee and tea.
Old mcbrayer straight bourbon whiskey, 1 quart bottle per. A tripledistilled whiskey made from single pot still and grain whiskeys, it was both different from scotch blends and quintessentially irish. It was legally bottled under the jurisdiction of the american medicinal spirits company, who were among a handful of distilling establishments allowed to distill and bottle booze during the years of prohibition. The salt during prohibition, booze was banned, but medicinal spirits werent, a loophole whiskey makers exploited. Old taylor bourbon is a brand of straight bourbon whiskey produced at buffalo trace distillery in franklin county, kentucky by the sazerac company. For the remainder of the 17th century various alterations were made to the types and amounts of duty. Centuryold whiskey bottles found in missouri mans attic. The distillery was established by william harrison mcbrayer, better known as judge w h mcbrayer. Discover librarianselected research resources on kentucky history from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines, newspapers and more. Old overholt is one of the oldest distilleries in america that is still running today.
Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, generally made of charred white oak. Man uncovers secret stash of more than a dozen 1917 whiskey. Yes, the corn is cooked for about 90 minutes at 145, then the heat is lowered to avoid scorching the rye and malt. Here are my stepbystep tips to make the process manageable and fun. Deed book 61, page 437 39, fayette county clerk office. First released in november 20, this is the 14th chapter in the english whisky companys history. The label informs us that after 7 years, in 1920 the barrels were shipped to havre, france before bottling in paris at home in 1923.
A world economy in the narrow sense was not yet really existent at the turn of the century. Any information about the distillery or the subsequent bottling would be g. Centuryold whiskey bottles found in missouri mans attic abc news. An 800year history bourbon, often considered a mans drink, surprisingly has feminine roots.
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