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Bourbon and whiskies are made up from three ingredients: water, yeast and most importantly, grain. Now, some may say that the casks that the spirit is matured in could be considered an additional ingredient due to their influence on flavor over time, but for the purpose of this blog it’s water, yeast and grain.

For non-whiskey drinkers, grain may be seen as quite innocuous; bread doesn’t have flavor we rave about, and when was the last time we examined the quality of our breakfast muesli? But take some grain, ferment it, turn it into spirit and there is a whole world of flavor to explore.

In this article we will look at Corn, Rye, Wheat and Barley; the flavor they impart and some cocktails that use these grain spirits…well, summer is arriving and what better than a cocktail to celebrate!

Corn:

Corn(maize) is the primary grain in bourbon. (Bourbon is legally required to be minimum 51% corn and the remainder made up of other grains. See our article on American Whiskey for more info: barrelglobal ).

If you eat corn in its natural state, you know that it has a lovely sweetness that works well with butter, BBQing brings out those sugars, and of course popcorn, which can be salted, sweet, drizzled with butter, maple syrup and so much more. What we’re saying is that corn gives us some great flavors and pairings.

So, what does it bring to whiskey and bourbon? Well, quite simply corn brings the flavors already discussed. It combines well with chocolate, cinnamon, honey…it almost sounds like we’re describing cereals. Well, there’s a reason Mr Kellogg chose corn for his cereal production and we agree.

Rye:

While corn is a gentle, sweeter grain, Rye offers up a spicier experience in your dram. In its pre whiskey form rye can offer up a little sweet and sour flavor profile. Once it has been made into spirit, it is known for adding a little more mouthfeel to a dram. Baking spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and less sweet, elements of pepper, oak, mint and dried fruit.

Wheat:

While wheat is used less in whiskeys, it does add another level taste experience to a dram. Wheat whiskey needs to be minimum 51% wheat grain, and can be added to the mashbills of other whiskeys and bourbon. A main recognised flavor of wheated whiskey is fresh, honey baked bread. So, another gentle, sweeter flavor which for the whiskey-curious may be a great place to start a whiskey journey.

Barley:

While barley is the predominant grain in Scotch and other world whisky, it is used less in American whiskies. Malted barley in spirit form can give notes of malted biscuits, light orchard fruitiness and the flavor very much depends on the distillation process. (Copper contact in the stills, still shape, fermentation times all have impact on the flavor notes found in the spirit). Unmalted barley adds a level of sharpness to the spirit and you may find notes like lemon and green apples.

Of course, there is not just one variety of each grain species, as an example there are approx. 200 varieties of corn alone, and while these grains offer fantastic flavor profiles alone, the magic happens when distillers create their mashbills (recipes) using the grains in varying amounts. The joy for consumers is that it means there are so many variations of spirit, you will never run out of new whisky to try.

We promised some cocktail recipes:

Rye Whiskey based Boulevardier;

• 1 1/4 ounces rye  whiskey
• 1 ounce Campari
• 1 ounce sweet  vermouth
• Garnish: orange  twist

Steps

1.    Add bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.

2.    Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.

3.    Garnish with an orange twist.

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Rye based or bourbon (using a mix of grain); Blinker

Ingredients

• 2 ounces rye whiskey
• 1 ounce yellow grapefruit  juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce raspberry  syrup*
• Garnish: 3 raspberries,  skewered

Steps

1.    Add the rye whiskey, grapefruit juice and raspberry syrup into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

2.    Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.

3.    Garnish with skewered raspberries.

*Raspberry syrup: Add 2 cups of demerara sugar and 1 cup of water into a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of raspberries, fresh or frozen, stirring until the berries form a pulp. Allow mixture to cool, then strain into a sealable container. Will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

(Cocktail credit to The 20 Best Rye Whiskey Cocktails to Try Right Now(liquor.com)

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