The Washington herald., 1913-05-11
Whisky Often Is Not Whisky;
American Steward Buys Labels.
By JACQUES STRAUB.


years of arduous toll and scientific research.
In his brochure entitled The Rule Of the
Res IONS" Col. E. H. Taylor Jr Of Frankfort.
KY, the veteran bourbon distiller. declares
that one cannot exasgerate the vital impor-
lance Of a proper water in the manufacture
Of the finest grades of whisky.
All authentic geological data show that the
WHISTLES having the greatest reputation in
the world, wherever introduced, have been
those produced from water percolating
through the strata of the bird eye limestone.
The properties concealed in It were stolen
In its resting and passage through the miner
allied strata. In valleys near streams and
crystal springs gushing from such crevices
and rents, distilleries have been planted
whose product today stands at the head.
No fine whisky can Ae distilled without the
use Of sound grain of the highest quality.
This grain. after being carefully selected.
must not be scalded too high and preferably
not above the boiling point of water 212
Fahrenheit. The fermentation period should
be ninety-eix hours, or what Is known as
the sourmash plan. which Is characterized
by the use Of strained spent beer Of previous
distillatjon combiped with the new mash F."
The fermenting process should take place in
large open tubs OF cypress wood These large
tubs. succeeding the old time small tub"
afford the distiller greater accuracy in tenn
perature, GRANTEES, and attenuations.
y
Must Have Clean. Dry Storage.
After proper fermentation the distiller's
beer" is distilled in a clean chambered COP
per still and run to singlings." the first Of
the dual steps % necessary in the distillation
OF high grade whisky.
The singlings" are then distilled In a
copper pot still and from this second distilla-
ton We have the final whisky This should be
run from the pot still to close to 100 proof
The proportion Of grain-corn. matted bar
ley or rye-used in any particular brand Is the
distiller's secret as are the other individual
steps in the process. but this is general out
line. to which might add the sine qua non Of
cleanliness throughout the entire distillery
including every utensil used in the production
Of the whisky. Then comes the vital matter
Of maturation. To age properly. whisky must
have clean dry storage In the ricks Of ware
houses which are well ventilated. All such
devices as artificial heat coils are grievous
mistake and only serve to give tie whisky
an astringent woody taste. The correct ma
turing II whisky is natures province. and
the high class distiller always sees that his
whisky gets the right sor. Of storage
::tiin& Cleveland's administration the
question was often asked in congress, How
is 1t possible to get these fine whiskies?" III
we could only go to these real distilleries
and take the goods right fran the barrel
there under the eye Of the government custo-
dian, we would know we were getting the
real, pure article, but how can We get it in
the open market" In answer, congress
passed the bottling IN bond law.
= 4
Bottlins in Bond Law.
Under this law provision is made for whis-
ky to be put in bottles while the goods are
still in bond at the distillery. The transfer
to glass Is made under the supervision Of
government officer. who sees that the pure
whisky is not tempered with and this officer
then sees that each bottle containing the
pure whisky is sealed with a green govern
ment stamp. This stamp must tell when the
whisky was made and when bottled; it tells
the revenue number Of he distillery at which
II was distilled and the name Of the distiller.
1t tells that the whisky is 100 proof and the
quantity in the bottle. and that it is bottled
in bond in the government bonded warehouse
under United States governmSpt supervisory
This bottlng in bond enables any steward
to get bottled whisky pure and unadulter-
ated with as much certainty as II he visited
the distillery premises in person and drew the
goods himself from the original two stamp
package.
This law has been a blow to the ''recti-
fer" who cannot get the government stamp
over the corks of his connections. This bot .
Ting in bond stamp is the line of cleavage be-
tween genuine and the bogus whistles in
glass.
Trick Is Done Over Night.
Now a word as to how the "rectifier"
works in making his spurious whiskies There
is a distilled spirit known to the trade as
silent or neutral spirit, because 1t is silent
as to its origin and neutral to all others 1t
is neither whisky, brandy. rum. nor gin, but
a colorless, odorless, tasteless product which
can be instantaneously transformed by the
offender or "rectifer'' into a fictitious
whisky, brandy, rum or gin by the addition
of artificial essence and favors. while by the
use of caramel the bogus article can be made
to look as though 1t had lain In charred bar
rel and aged for years.
The trick IL done, over night in tremendous
volume and mammoth business houses flour
ish in the % called whisky market founda-
toned upon this stupendous fraud.
Many steward has bought q barrel Of
whisky and believed he was paying good
money for q counterfeit, yet venture to say
that every time one purchases barrel Of
what Is known as single stamp whisky be
is getting just such stuff. There may be a
attle real whisky in the mixture to add to
the deception. You can rest assured that the
d. ind vAf L. ru.a
all whisky. Every time q bottle Of whisky
h purchased without the green government
stamp over the cork. 1t il practically GER