Chuck Cowdery's little Bourbon Country Reader, whose publication now spans equal parts of two centuries, is well-recognized by enthusiasts as a "must-have" source of information on just about every facet of the American whiskey industry (and related topics). Still wearing its trademark WordPerfect 3-Column Company Newsletter format that looked so spiffy and professional in 1993, and still made up of four pages printed on folded 11 x 17 stock (with an occasional insert page when Chuck finds one necessary for a given issue), the Reader remains packed with articles about whiskey's ever-changing traditions. Often it's the only source.
Nearly always, Chuck includes articles that shine some light into little-known or widely misunderstood corners of the whiskey world. And sometimes he lays some real bombshells on us. Occasionally, Chuck will even dedicate an entire issue to a particularly big issue, or one where history has left so many twists and turns that the logic of discovery is more fun to read about than whatever conclusion can be drawn. Such was the case recently when Chuck took on the Great Mythical Michter's whiskey, which required TWO issues to cover (and which will be feeding discussions and samplings for years to come).
Well, Chuck, it looks like "Whoops! you've done it again". You're gonna pi$$ off ANOTHER bunch of people this time, y'know.
And I have to say it's probably just what we deserve, too.
The latest edition of the BCR is another one-topic treatise, this one dedicated to a subject often called "Craft Distilling". That is the term used so reverently by people with polished copper stars in their eyes who consider it the way of the future for American whiskeymaking, once our glorious independent artisans are freed from the shackles of the evil modern industrialist monolith... well, you get the picture, okay? Of course, it's ALSO the term used by traditionalists who put it into the same category as home-made furniture and the sort of duct-tape-and-old-automobile-parts inventions one might expect to find at Red Green's lodge. There are, of course, many stages in between, and Chuck addresses those with logic. Cruel logic, without much leeway or forgiveness, according to some, I suspect. "Humbug!", others are likely to say, feeling that Chuck's very recognition of such endeavors grants them a legitimacy they don't deserve. I perceive Chuck's own take as one which accepts the validity of Craft Distilling, while not agreeing that all (or even most) of those who apply that term deserve to.
After all, there is an easily-seen difference between home-brew and craft beer. And yet, there are home-brews that are meticulously fashioned, of high-quality and unique character; and there are "craft beers" which are simply cutely-named brands produced by mega-breweries in Milwaukee and St. Louis. Chuck contends (and I'd agree) that too many Craft Distilleries fall into a category where they emulate the latter, just on a smaller scale.
Chuck makes a very strong case for the idea that there are aspects of whiskeymaking that are simply best performed by large commercial operations, such as milling their own grain or distilling neutral spirits. And yet Craft distillers rarely if ever mill their own grain. Instead, they seem universally proud of their ability to make (uh, craft?) vodka! Whoo-whee! Some time ago (probably while he was researching for this edition's article) Chuck brought up some of these points here on Bourbon Enthusiast (and probably other venues as well). At that time there was some discussion about craft distilling and batch-vs-continuous distilling, and I took the position that modern Craft Distillers are using, not the "traditional" pot stills of folklore, but miniature versions of the same kind of continuous column stills employed by what I facetiously called "the whiskey refineries". It turns out that the truth is a combination device, neither swan nor goose, which is part copper pot still (but not enough to actually give those characteristics) and part column still (but not enough to provide a continuous distilling environment). Chuck documents these very well in the article.
He also lists several ways that an aspiring Craft Distiller COULD produce a product which has an intrinsic value to add to the world of American spirits and not just another trendy brand name. Among them are ancient arts no longer practiced by commercial bourbon distillers, such as malting or yeast propigation. Distillation and barreling proofs, a subject of particular interest to me, are mentioned. As are the barrels themselves. Are there "craft coopers"? To learn more of these and other ideas, you'll need to read the story. If you don't already subscribe, you can at http://cowdery.home.netcom.com
I love Malt Advocate, and have been reading it for years. I read Whisky magazine, and subscribed to that for awhile, although Linda and I can usually visit Mike in Louisville, including dinner, for less than four issues of Whisky, and I'll learn more about American whiskey in the process. These magazines are in full Technicolor, on glossy paper, with over a hundred pages, and even staples!! Lot's of ads, too, but they're nearly all spirits-related so they're interesting, too. The Bourbon Country Reader has no ads. Also no color, only a few pages, and no staples, either. But the BCR makes a fine example of a true Craft Publication. It should be an inspiration to those who would do the same as distillers.