Lower coast gazette., 1910-01-08
S.FS4%"
What is Whisky?

PRESIDENT TAFT is & gOO0 CHRISTIAN E"atie-
man and. so far as we know, IS not an eAiei'
in the matter Of whisky, a"d po'Aap5 Scascs'E
able to determine Just what whisky IS, OF what
is whisky, which questions aye 1alncr para
mount in whisky circles at tie present tine.
It may be, however, that as Mr.. laLJ was porn
and reared in Cincinnati, which ioE years Was
known as Porkopolis and sometimes IS WhlsAy-
opoIjs. he may there gained some expert khoVl-
edge, in his law business, but certainly not by
INDULGENCE in the spirits CT this oelectahle iu4d
thar IS now racing around for recognition under
the good old fashioned nan Of whisky. MR.
Taft SAYS that whisky is the spirits made from
grain, He goes further and says that WHISKY
which is 50 thoroughly freed from fusel OIL ana
odor as to be commonly called cologne spirits,
or neutral spirits" may be worked pack 1nto
whisky. We are inclined to think that IN this
he is technically at fault. It is the distinctive
flavor of corn whisky and of rye whisky and OF
wheat whiskey and of whisky made from var'-
ous combinations Of these grains that gives to
them the characteristics by which they are
familiarIv known. If by careful distillatlon the
e}coho1 alone Of corn whisky is brought up to
such q point Of purity by the elimination OF the
objectionable fuel oil which gives it a flavor,
good or bad, and is brought up to the condition
Of ouro alcohol with a. very limited water con-
teri and thus forming spirits, flavorless, but yet
comnetent for all medical preparations and Tor
the manufacture Of cologne and general per-
fumerv, such whisky thus brought up to neutral
shirts loses it's character as whisky. The IN
troduction of water back to standard proof Will
not again produce the whisky, because the pro-
cess of this high grade distil]ation eliminates
certain characteristics that can not be again re-
stored. 1t is precisely on this account that tht
controversy has arisen concerning whisky maze
from the alcohol of molasses. The Pure foo(
Board, we understand, pronounces these spirit
rum, even if brought up to a condition OF nlg]
grade alcohol and free Of odor and capable 0
being used as neutral spirits in the manufactur
, CT drugs, medicines, perfumery, etc. Ii neutrf
= spirits from corn whisky become whisky Whe
reduced again to standard strength with Wate1
then neutral spirits DISTILLED from mo!asse
g should with equal p~ropriety be called wh1sk
when they are reduced to standard proof an
f colored and favored to suit.
d incidentally Mr.. Taft states that the hlstol
t of the whisky should be practically incorporate
d in the label, thus giving its origin and al
Al blending that may have occurred. WhlsE
# seems to be an American product more than
1t European product, although Scotch and lrl
WHISTLES have a high reputation. We unde
70 stand them to be made from matted grain al
&c thus to have a peculiar and so-called, smo
favor.
A. MI. Taft seems to indicate that all splr
d, made from grain are whisky. He does not
it 50 in Just SO many words, but the grain fam
~ is a very large one and by no means restrict
ar to corn, rye and wheat, so familiarIy known
no most of us. Out in the Dutch East Indies
large amount Of spirits is distilled from !