Whisky/Bourbon/Scotch

Whisky/Bourbon/Scotch

Well My father has been into home distilling (alternative fuel sources) for a while now. It’s funny how all his fuel sets in oak for a few years and then comes out tasting like Knob Creek. I didn’t know I could run my car on that stuff.

I have been playing with the idea of an American bourbon inspired ale, and I think it is time to bring this to fruition. What I am after is a beer that is in the spirit of bourbon, but not a literal translation. I don’t think I want any corn in my mash, nor a sour mash. I also do not want to use 6-row, except for maybe a pound of it for symbolic purposes.

I was thinking of something similar to Scotch ale, just lighter in color and body. Maybe 2-row, with .25# C120L for a touch of caramel and color, some carapils for body and possibly a sprinkling of chocolate malt. What about a bready/malty component? Maybe some biscuit or victory… I don’t know about this? I thought about mashing a little high, but I don’t really know what temp, 158F?

For the hops I thought I would use something very neutral for bettering like magnum, and something earthy and spicy. On hand I have Magnum, Saaz, and Tradition. I don’t have any American hops that fit that profile, but I am open to suggestions.

I thought about using distillers yeast, but I want to keep my flavors in prospective. I was thinking something estery like an English strain, or smoky and subtle like a Scotchish ale strain.

Finally I wanted to age this beer out on some oak and dry hop just before bottling with the spicy earthy hop from the recipe. I know spirits aren’t hopped, but this is a beer after all.

It sounds like it would be a good beer, but it doesn't sound at all American or bourbon-esque to me.

If I were going for an "American ale," I'd go for 100% American grain and probably a popular US hop variety. Cascade is pretty played out, but Amarillo is excellent. You can even find whole-leaf Amarillo pretty cheap from most places and it's got a very nice, citrusy flavor. Barrel aging (or bourbon-infused cubes or chips) is a must.

If it were me, I'd shoot for a more medium body at around the 6-6.5%ABV range and a medium amber color. Keep the carmel & crystal malt but skip the chocolate and other dark grains. You'll get a good grassy amber just from the base 2-row so for a 5 gal. batch, maybe 1/2 lb. each of crystal 40* and carapils. Remember that you're going to pick up some color from the oak and you want to be able to show that off.

I'd pick a more neutral yeast, WYeast 1007 would be my pick based on experience. It'll do well even if you decide to boost the gravity up to the 1.08's and beyond (which I think would require too much aging to show off the complexity of the oak and bourbon very well).


I'd mash pretty high, too, around the 154*F range for the sacc rest. You want that body and sweetness to counterbalnce what should be at least 40 IBUs of hops.

But that's just my take on the idea.

Hummm That does a complete 180 from what I was thinking. I do have a lot of amarillo on hand, about a pound of the stuff. I would like to stay away from the citrus and and stick with spicy and earthy, maybe resin, but I don't know of any Americans that aren't a kick to the face.

The 1/2# C40L and 1/2# pils is a good idea. I don't want a vary strong caramel flavor.

I also think 154F is a much better temp, especially if I am going to be above 6%.

Any other recommend-ments or suggestions? I sorta don't know where to take this one.

If you can find small quantities of some sort of smoked malt, that might be nice to give a bit of a smoky flavor to your brew to build on top of the oak. Williamette hops might do what you're looking for, and will impart a bit of a grassy flavor, which would be nice in a brew that style, I'd bet.

Oh that sounds good. I might have to put in an order for some rauchmalt and williamette.