Photo credit: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Baby, it’s cold outside. It’s the time that darker spirits get poured, and we thought it was a good time to ask two of the most knowledgeable bourbon guys around about what makes a good bourbon. They give us the insight on what they look for in a bourbon, and how they make their own.
Ralph Erenzo
The Job: Co-founder, Tuthilltown Spirits
Length of time in role: 10 yrs
What do you look for as the hallmark of a great bourbon?
Rich colour and flavour. Grainy quality. Easy to drink. Good finish.
Could you briefly outline your production process?
Key to our unique profile is the full mash fermentation and first distillation. We age in a variety of barrel sizes. All work is done by hand. Batches are 500 gallons each. Raw materials are all locally produced.
Could you give us an idea of the make-up of your bourbon’s mash bill? How does your particular mash bill contribute to the final taste?
Hudson Four Grain Bourbon is 60 percent corn, then rye, wheat and malted barley. The corn lends a sweetness; the rye a peppery quality; the wheat buffers the rye taking the edge off and the malted barley adds a malt sweetness to the spirit.
Could you give us some insight into your distillery — e.g. how many stills you run, warehousing etc.
Four hybrid pot stills from Christian Carl; 100 gal, 270 gal, 450 gal, and 850 gal. We heat with steam produced from propane. Six 3,000 gallon stainless steel fermentation tanks. We age on site in two rickhouses. All blending and bottling is done on site at the distillery.
What’s one thing about making bourbon that more people should know about?
It can be made in any American State. And it isn’t rocket science.
![Harlen-Wheatley[3]](https://australianbartender.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Harlen-Wheatley3.png)
Harlen Wheatley
The Job: Master Distiller, Buffalo Trace Distillery
Length of time in role: 9 years
What do you look for as the hallmark of a great bourbon?
A bourbon with a great history and heritage paired with consistent quality, packed with traditional bourbon flavour that is pleasing to the palate.
Could you briefly outline your production process?
We have a complete production facility, meaning that we receive raw ingredients and process them into a bourbon or spirit from scratch. We store, cook, and ferment grain. We distill and age everything on site as well as bottle, and ship.
Give us an idea of the make-up of your bourbon’s mash bill?
We have several recipes however our standard bourbon has corn, rye and malted barley. In order to be a bourbon you have to put a minimum of 51% corn in your mashbill balancing with the rest of the grains.
How does your particular mash bill contribute to the final taste?
The mashbill is an important variable in the overall flavour of the bourbon and accounts for about 20% of the flavour by my estimation. We are careful to make sure that the rye adds the right amount of spice to balance with the barley and corn that deliver the sweetness.
Could you give us some insight into your distillery?
We have six stills and 11 warehouses on site where we store more than 300,000 barrels. We have about 140 acres with 420 people running it every day. We have a full tour program where we give tours daily to show everyone what we are about (www.buffalotracedistillery.com).
What’s one thing about making bourbon that more people should know about?
Probably education on the heritage and legacy of the brand along with the amount of time and effort that goes into every bottle.