Montana Whiskey 101

Many times we get asked, “what kind of whiskey is this?” People are familiar with terms like Bourbon, Scotch, Single Malt, Canadian, and blended whiskies. But what category does RoughStock Montana Whiskey belong to?

To answer that, we must first understand what certain terminology means. Just because “whiskey” (or “whisky”) is in the name does not make all whiskey the same. I’ll start alphabetically with a brief description of the major world/geographical styles and the laws (yes, there are international laws) governing what can be called what. I’ll also break down some of the more popular sub-styles afterwards. I am going to leave the extensive details out to make this readable and not an encyclopedia reference.

Bourbon
One of the most famous American whiskies, Bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn. It must be aged in brand-new charred American white oak barrels for any amount of time. In fact, any whiskey that calls itself an American-style whiskey and is a product of the United States has to be aged in brand-new charred American white oak barrels – with the exception of corn whiskey. Bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States, not just Kentucky, which is a popular misconception. Popular brands: Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Basil Haden’s, Van Winkle, Woodford Reserve

Canadian
Just as the name implies, this whiskey must be a product of Canada. Generally Canadian whiskey is a blend of various types of whiskey, but generally it is a grain whiskey made from corn, wheat, rye, and barley and aged in used oak barrels for no less than 3 years. Brands: Crown Royal, Pendleton, Canadian Mist.

Irish
You’re not going to believe it but, yes, Irish Whiskey must be made in Ireland. We owe the Irish for their Gaelic term “uisce beatha” which translates to “water of life”. The word uisce became whiskey. We can also thank them for the extra “e” in whiskey. Traditionally Irish Whiskey is made from barley and triple distilled in copper pot stills. Brands: Bushmills, Jameson, Tullamore Dew.

Scotch
This may be surprising to some, but Scotch can be made ONLY in Scotland. Scotch Whisky (notice the missing “e”) is one of the largest and most popular styles of whisky in the world. Scotch can be a blend, grain, or single malt, but the main requirement is that it must primarily be vatted with barley and aged for no less than 3 years and 1 day in used oak barrels. Scotch is typically known for its double distillation in copper pot stills. Brands: Glenfiddich, Bowmore, Ardbeg

Now some whiskey terminology (again, briefly):

Blended whiskey: Can contain both malt whiskey and grain whiskey.

Grain whiskey: May contain unmalted barley or other malted and unmalted grains.

Single Malt: Made entirely from a single malted grain stock, traditionally barley, and made in one distillery.

Single barrel: the entire bottling is coming from one barrel instead of a blend of many barrels.

Straight whiskey: An American whiskey aged no less than 2 years in new charred American white oak barrels.

Tennessee whiskey: Basically bourbon that has been filtered through a bed of maple char (alas, not bourbon anymore). i.e. Jack Daniel’s.

Cold or chill filtered: Many whiskies are cooled to a very cold temperature and then filtered to eliminate “chill haze” or a cloudy look when the whisk(e)y is brought down in temperature, like when adding ice. Some industry professionals believe this will sell more product since most people don’t understand why their drink is cloudy. The reality is that chill filtering is removing many of the flavor elements such as tannins and oils that comprise the delicate body of the whisk(e)y.

WHEW! That was more than most people need to know. However, what I have given you is a good base of knowledge to understand exactly what RoughStock Montana Whiskey actually is. We are an unfiltered AMERICAN SINGLE MALT. American because it’s made in the United States and aged in brand-new charred American white oak barrels, not chill filtered, distilled under 160 Proof, and barreled at no more than 125 Proof. Single Malt because our base grains are 100% malted barley and made entirely at RoughStock Distillery. This is a relatively new class of whiskey and something that we are unaware of anyone else producing commercially. Generally American whiskey is bourbon-style and made from corn whereas single malts are best known in Scotch and Irish whisk(e)y circles and are touted as their premium brands. I’ve combined many processes from different regions and made the process my own for making RoughStock Montana Whiskey.

If you are still reading that means you aren’t bored to death over this whole terminology bit. Why didn’t we just put “American Single Malt” on the bottle? Good question. The answer is that we want people to enjoy it for what it is and not what its’ classification may be. We get a lot of questions as to what it tastes like. RoughStock Montana Whiskey doesn’t taste like anything out there. My best stab at the taste profile would be a blend between an unpeated single malt European whiskey crossed with a high end Bourbon. We get that great malt and grain flavor from the barley that you will find in a good European single malt . We also get the fuller finish by using the brand-new barrels that impart all of those good caramel/vanilla/fruit notes you find in premium Bourbons. The best of both worlds!

If this has you confused, then I ask that you just sit back, relax, and enjoy RoughStock Montana Whiskey at face value. It’s a labor of love and I love what I make!

Sincerely,

Bryan Schultz
Distiller