THE WHISKEY REVOLUTION

We are now entering a second revolution in the span of whiskey. The first Whisky Rebellion happened in 1794 and was very controversial. Historians say it almost sparked a civil war. The federal government proposed an excise tax on whiskey. This tax was going to pay for a defense budget. The law was so unpopular, no one would accept the job of tax collector. George Washington mobilized 13,000 troops to control local militiamen that were marching in protest. This excise tax was 28% on the frontier and 14% for distilleries. It stayed in effect until 1802 when President Jefferson repealed the tax.

We are currently in the second Whisky Revolution. Thankfully, this one is peaceful. The big demand for whiskey and bourbon has found distillers in a tough spot. Most whiskey/bourbon producers will not bottle their product before it has aged for 18-24 months. Craft whiskey producers have been trying new "aging" procedures to speed the process up. Producers in warmer climates are touting the fact that their barrels "suck" in the whiskey during the hot days and then push it back out in the cool nights. This allows more of the liquid to be exposed to the barrel throughout the process. We have two small batch producers that are using their own technique. J.K. Williams, producers of Young Buck Bourbon, in East Peoria is using a honeycombed barrel. The inside of the barrel is cut into the honey comb design before the barrel is charred. This allows more of the liquid to be exposed to the barrel. Blue Ridge Distilling Company, producers of Defiant Single Malt Whisky, is our newest whiskey supplier. They have the fastest production model that I have heard of in the industry, tank to bottle in under 90 days. They do not put their whiskey in a barrel. They have special spiral cuts of oak produced and drop these into the tanks. They believe that the oak can only absorb so much liquid, so it does not matter if the whiskey is aged any longer. Their motto is they put the barrel in the whiskey, not the whiskey in a barrel.

The theory of the new whiskey revolution is to get good tasting whiskey to the consumer, period. The new generation of whiskey producers feel that the age does not matter, as long as the consumer enjoys the flavor of the whisky. So the next time you reach for that 8 year old whisky, grab a J.K. William's Young Buck Bourbon or a Defiant Single Malt Whisky and enjoy the taste of our whiskey revolution!