Jim's Conversion Is Complete

[bifter]

Well, Jim has finally disavowed Scotch officially in favour of Bourbon. Given he lives mainly in Frankfort, Kentucky and has dished out a good proportion of the top spots in the Whisky Bible to Bourbon this is perhaps unsurprising. This year's overall winner, Glenmorangie Ealanta even shares some similarity with Bourbon, being matured in virgin oak casks.

Speaking to the Telegraph Jim bemoans the number of poor casks in the Scotch industry, particularly those treated with sulphur candles, an old bugbear of his. He also claims that the standard of Bourbons has "vastly improved". See the full article here (or in the News forum):

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/10502676/Scotch-malt-is-no-match-for-American-whiskey.html

While I think comparing Bourbon and Scotch is a bit like comparing apples and oranges, the SWA response is a little disappointing:

[Quaich1]

[Brummie]

As far as the sulphur problem goes in my personal experience i have come across it mainly in small batch independent bottlings rather than mass produced original distillery bottlings. I have always wondered if some indie bottlers are well aware of the sulphur taint in some of the whiskies they turn out but do it anyway as they know they will sell and perhaps they may even pick up these casks cheap and i would doubt many indie bottlers would discover a sulphur tainted cask maturing in their warehouse and decide to dump it.

[5-12-1908]

"American Whiskey"!?!?!??? For me its like most things American.....over laden with sugar....sweet to a fault and chemicals to keep "The Brand" regular.

Jim can keep it for me...and anyway, I put no store in his whisky bible as his palate isnt mine.

Fill ya boots with Bourbon Jim.....all the more single malts for me. (and obviously the controversy will help his income streams.....or am I being cynical?)

[drPete]

Beyond parody. He has financial stakes in Bourbons....
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Talisker 18 - the rest are just details

[opelfruit]

oh dear, I really hate to say this but unfortunately I agree to some extent with Jim Murray ( )

now I feel dirty and need to have a shower.


The SWA don't do much for scotch whisky really, they're pretty pointless and are actually holding back the industry. I'm all for tradition but the main point must be to ensure quality and progress, not stand rigourously by your traditions at the expense of all else. There are some cracking whiskies coming out and things could go even further but for the restrictions held by the SWA, unfortunatley (or fortunately depending on your slant) the rest of the world doesn't have to abide by them, so we are seeing a massive shift foward globally in interesting, high quailty, forward thinking whisky. I'm very worried that the scotch industry is going to be left well behind if they dont buck their ideas up...

In terms of bourbon; £ for £ in the quality stakes it massivly outplays scotch. Once you hit the £30 mark (to match to your average entry level scotch) you're blowing away scotch. Pick up a bottle of 10yo Eagle Rare, Weller 12 or a Rittenhouse Rye and you'll see the difference in quality and craftmanship.


......incidentally, I've just finished a dram of Stagg 2013, and flavour wise it destroys anything else in my whisky cabinet
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

[albo]

[opelfruit]

Value for money and quality are the same thing, and the entire point - poor quality and expensive scotch (of which there are far too many) is the whole problem we are facing. If that poor quality scotch was a lot cheaper then people wouldn't really care.

The point is that even entry level bourbon is a rediculously high quality due to the restrictions applied to the production, far superior to the basic level scotch.

Most bourbon is NAS, age statements are the execption unlike scotch, because it doesn't really matter how old it is. You can't colour it and it has to be at a standard, and the prices a competative. On the other hand you can go and get yourself a Tasliker Storm, which is 50% more expensive that a high quality bourbon, full of e150a and dragged from reconditioned casks that are so tired they have to be stripped.


Yes, its apples and pears, but if you were charged more money for poor tasting, sour and bruised apples than pears which have been through the highest production methods and conform to a guarenteed quality.........you'd start eating pears more


If every other fruit started following suit, appart from apples, then there wouldn't be many people left eating apples
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

[albo]

[bifter]

[opelfruit]

you are, ofcourse, correct


.....now all we need to do is get rid of the SWA so it can happen.
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

[Mark]

[TheWM]

I have to say, whilst I love my scotch - there are some good arguments being made re: quality of bourbon.

I was surprised recently drinking some Jim Beam 8 - very palatable.

That said, I also had some Jack Daniels Single Barrel and for the price I was amazed how ordinary it was. A clear marketing ploy on that one.

[TheWM]

[bifter]