by gillmang » Sat Sep 30, 2006 6:32 pm
I do it all the time!
I find an undertone of maple charcoal leached whiskey lends a fine taste to mingled Kentucky whiskeys.
Today of course this means using (essentially) Jack Daniels. I like using the Single Barrel.
I will generally work like this: I'll combine 4 or 5 rye-recipe whiskeys. They can be fairly modest in cost but I try to avoid anything too congeneric. Say, Beam Black, ETL, WT (any one), any HH if I have it (an older one is good) and say Forester. Then, I'll add some wheat-recipe bourbon to "display" the complex flavours.
Then, I'll add the single barrel JD. 10-20% is enough.
This is basically my template for mingling. From there I can go in many directions, or stay with what I've got. One common move I'll make is to add straight rye to substitue for one of, or in addition to, the bourbons.
In the past when Tennessee whiskey took many forms, I might have used more of it in the blend. But Jack is so pungent that I want not too much. On the other hand, I miss it when it is not there.
Gary