American Whiskey: Giving Scotch a Run For Its Money

Ten years ago American whiskey enjoyed a huge shift in status. Always respected among discerning drinkers, the spirit suddenly stepped up in general estimations, and Pappy Van Winkle was the Kentucky bourbon at the centre of the story.

An overnight sensation, ‘Pappy’ earned celebrity status in 2012 after pioneering barmen and chefs including Anthony Bourdain lauded the whiskey. Over time its Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year proved one of the more interesting investment opportunities, selling at around £25,000 a bottle. But Pappy was not unique, and American whiskies like LeNell’s Redhook Rye, or Rittenhouse Rye 25YO from the Heaven Hill Distillery were among others quietly earning legendary status.

A decade on, American whiskey is truly competing in the luxury stakes with Scotch and Japanese bottles. And when better than Thanksgiving to explore the very best spirits offered by distillers from over the Atlantic? As one whiskey-mad LA Times writer put it: “Something from the whiskey family may work even better at cutting through the holiday meal’s richness, and at soothing uncomfortable family exchanges across the table. Because if we’re being honest, most everything is made better by bourbon, including turkey and yes, even politics.”

And just because you’re drinking American, these days, that need not mean you’re forgoing the very best. The re-imagining of the US as a maker of high-end whiskey was emphasised to me recently as I enjoyed a drink with Rob Samuels, the 8th-generation whiskey maker and chief operating manager at Maker’s Mark.

“Historically we didn’t have the supply to take on Scotch,” says Samuels of the Loretto, Kentucky based company. “But we have expanded the distillery and have been able to do it while we preserve our craft values. The new generation of luxury drinkers can still appreciate what we produce, because at the heart of it, our spirit is full-flavoured and versatile.”

The core craft values at Maker’s Mark are clearly intact. Samuels’ team still uses a 1940s press for the labels; its 14-acre estate is a place of beauty, with water drawn from a spring-fed lake. Now Maker’s Mark has introduced an experience that’s about as unique as it gets: a custom-barrel project, Private Select.

Here, the distillery invites customers into the whiskey-making process completely, allowing them to create something exclusive themselves. Working with Samuels on the process of maturation, customers select their own ten wooden finishing staves for a barrel before the whiskey is matured in a limestone cellar. The finishing staves can be any combination of five ‘flavour profiles’ chosen for this programme; profiles include intriguing possibilities such as ‘Baked American Pure’, ‘Roasted French Mocha’ or ‘Toasted French Spice’. With 1,001 possible stave combinations, this collaborative approach produces whiskey with a one-of-a-kind profile.

“Private Select enables customers to create the perfect expression of what Maker’s Mark can be,” says Samuels, who has enjoyed the company of architect Keith Summerour and billionaire Jerry James, among others on this project. You can test drive the product with a bottle from the Whisky Shop, which created its own private batch recently.

Along with private barrel opportunities at other distilleries, there’s also concerted effort in the US to release collectable bottles, and investors can expect to have access to more American luxury whiskey very soon thanks to the removal of punitive trade restrictions over here. Whiskey sales between America and Europe were stymied by EU restrictions imposed three years ago, but their elimination last month should see the return of high-quality imports into Europe; the hope among aficionados is that the UK will follow suit.

The team at Michter’s is certainly looking forward to bringing more luxury expressions to market; the Kentucky distillery’s resurgent reputation means the recent release of 10YO rye and bourbon are already quite hard to track down.

“We have long felt the finest American whiskeys can stand proudly alongside the greatest Scotch, Japanese whisky, and Cognac,” says Michter’s executive vice president Matt Magliocco. “In fact, our conviction in the quality of our aged stocks led us to introduce Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash in October 2013.

“That release, which numbered 273 bottles, was a blend of our most remarkable bourbon and rye barrels, some over 30 years old. We recommended a retail price of US$4,000 per bottle because it was impossible to deny the superb quality of the liquid, and it proved to be a massive hit.”

Heaven Hill, producers of cult favourites such as Elijah Craig and Rittenhouse Rye, with the 23YO available at Hedonism for £2600, has more recently launched its Parker’s Heritage range. These whiskies pay tribute to the much-loved distiller Parker Beam, the great-nephew of Jim Beam, and a whiskey maker of extraordinary standing.

The Parker’s Heritage range do justice to the distilling legend, and these bottle sell as quickly as they’re launched, with the most readily available at the moment the 8YO Heavy Char Rye (£250, Master of Malt). For those keen to collect at pace, Hedonism presents a set of 12 for £13,200.

“The quality, expertise and production techniques of American whiskey have always been equal to those found in the very best and Japanese whisky and Scotch,” asserts Heaven Hill’s Justin Ames. “Now, thanks to small-batch and single-barrel releases, innovation in mash bills and experimentation with techniques such as barrel-finishing, a trend has been ignited which has helped cement American whiskey’s reputation as a high-quality luxury spirit.”

Meanwhile Buffalo Trace, the distillery behind the releases of Pappy Van Winkle and also home to the Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Select, boasts plenty of rare expressions. The Buffalo Trace Antique collection includes the highly collectable Sazerac Rye 18YO (£1600, Whisky Exchange). President and CEO Mark Brown, is another who emphasises the drive to deliver more luxury, in the future.

“American whiskey is now competing favourably with Scotch on the global stage, which is incredibly exciting for our industry,” says Brown. “An example for us was the initial offering of 1980 OFC Bourbon a bottle of which sold for $27,000 at a charity auction.  We house 35,000 barrels a year in our experimental program and it has yielded unique, rare products.”

Elsewhere the Woodford Baccarat, (£1500 Whisky Exchange) made huge inroads into the top-end marketplace when it was released last year, and remains a worthy investment. And newer distilleries are launching with luxury prices to meet the demand, with distilleries like Whistle Pig (£245, Whisky Exchange) in New England curating and bottling some exceptional spirits from America and Canada.

The rate of expansion and innovation in American whiskey is frankly breathtaking, and from collecting to creating your own, to owning rare bottles of distinction, it’s clear this is a spirit set to give Scotch and Japanese whisky a run for their money.