sour mash
Whiskey fermentation starter
Sour mash is a method of making whiskey where a portion of previously fermented mash is added to a new batch, much like a sourdough starter.
The technique controls fermentation and creates consistent flavor.
Most American bourbon and Tennessee whiskeys use sour mash: a smooth sour mash bourbon.
The term often appears on labels as a mark of traditional craftsmanship.
Corn-based American spirit
malt · charred oak · barrel · aging · maturation · warehouse · blending · master distiller
Microbial sugar conversion
- yeastFermenting fungus
- backsetReverse water movement
- setbackReverse in progress
- stillageIndustrial storage rack
wort · cooking · conversion · enzymes · starches · pH · acidity · consistency
Batch distillation apparatus
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
- distillateCondensed purified substance
- doublerDevice that duplicates magnitude
- thumperOne that pounds
heads · tails · hearts · proof · white dog · run · condenser · fermenters
Bluegrass State
- AppalachianEastern U.S. mountain region
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- craftsmanshipSkill in making objects
- prohibitionAuthoritative legal ban
bootleg · moonshine · pioneer · homestead · old-fashioned · legacy · provenance · lineage
bourbon
Corn-based American spirit
barley · malt · charred oak · barrel · aging · maturation · warehouse · blending · master distiller · straight
fermentation
Microbial sugar conversion
stillage · wort · cooking · conversion · enzymes · starches · pH · acidity · consistency · batch
pot still
Batch distillation apparatus
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
- distillateCondensed purified substance
- doublerDevice that duplicates magnitude
thumper · heads · tails · hearts · proof · white dog · run · condenser · fermenters · vats
Kentucky
Bluegrass State
- AppalachianEastern U.S. mountain region
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- craftsmanshipSkill in making objects
prohibition · bootleg · moonshine · pioneer · homestead · old-fashioned · legacy · provenance · lineage · vintage
caramel
Cooked sugar confection
smoky · spicy · full-bodied · rich · bold · smooth · mellow · robust · complex · deep
- Bourbonbourbon, straight bourbon, craft bourbon, Kentucky bourbon, bourbon whiskey
- distillingdistillation, distillery, distiller, pot still, distilleries
- moonshinemoonshine, moonshiner, white lightning, hooch, bootleg
- fermentation byproductslees, dregs, pomace, marc, sediment
- Whiskeybourbon, scotch, rye, Irish whiskey, malt whisky