The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-10-17
Whisky!
Tale of Scotch Flavor Is
Told by Expert as
Repeal NearS.
BY CARLOS LANE
Times staff Writer

bar. cOnnOlSSeurS OF amber liquors
debated its origin Justify.
In more recent years the sophis-
ticates who haunted the same slab
of shining wood, glorifled as
speakeasy prop, just decided it was
something that fell in at the
cutting plant. and since the alcoh d
would sterilize 1t, no one cared
much.
But now. as the shears widen for
the last snip that will send the
eighteenth amendment Keeling from
our national Constitution into the
wastebasket-or museum case
the old question is warm on the
tongues of those who are bldlng
their time until after Nov 7.
From no less an authority than
II. T. Van Ness 3437 Carrollton
avenue, general manager of the
Hamburger Company, a Chicago
distilling and importing concern,
comes an explanation that should
settle the origin of Scotch WHISKY 5
distinctive taste.
TT creeps into the liquor in an
early process Of smoking the
Grain from which Scotch is distilled,
and. like the flavor OF woodsmoKe
in cured hams, permeates the mn
ished product with mellow tlnge
that woos and wins many dis
terminating taste. he says.
AS interest in liquor spreads,
vast proportion of the American
public, that will consume whisky
when it becomes a legal beverage
gain. knows very little-of its
manufacture, Mr.. Van Ness says.
In the main, according to Mr..
Van Ness, three types OF WHISKY
reigned among the majority OF
drinkers twenty years ago.
one of them, typicaliy America,
was Bourbon. the red liquor with
corn as the chief ingredient, that
f1ourished in Kentuckys blue grass
region. The second was rye, an
other American whisky. The third
was Scotch
made from corn, rye and oarley'
the latter being matted before be-
ING mixed with the other bases to
make the mash. The mash is dis
titled and redistilled until the I'm
inshed product is run OH into
Charred oak barrels, in which 1t de-
velops its flavor and deep ruby
color.
A BOUT four years storage is
N required to produce good
Bourbon, according to Van Ness.
Rive, heavier in body than its
brother drink from Kentucky, is
made from rye, barley and rye
malt.
Scotch has oats, wheat and a
small amount of corn and barley
as its bases. The grain is smoked
over a peat fire, and here arise the
fumes that characterize that liquor
all over the world. 1t is stored
in plain, rather than charred oak
barrels.
Experts on the question over that
with the repeal of the prohibition
amendment, and legal sale OF
liquors, the whisky supply in this
country will last only short time
unless it is rectified-cut with al
cohol spirits and vegetable color
ing And what supply is avail
able may be very expensive.
Van Ness attacks the impress
sion that all good whisky must be
bottled in bond, citing several old
grandS as examples. He diSpels the
popular conception of the phrases
meaning, that the bond is a gov
eminent guarantee of the whiSkey'S
quality.
1t is nothing more than a certi-
fication that the liquor is 100 proof,
all whisky of certain age, and of
a certain brand. he says, and he
maintains that many free bottled
brands were superior to the bonded
liquors.
TINE public must not confuse a
Il blended whisky with cut
goods" he said. explaining that in
the old days, blend was made by
mixing two or more types of
straight whisky, Bourbon and rye,
for example. Usually its strength
ran 90 or 95 proof-from As per
cent to As ~ per cent pure alcohol.
Other blends were even weaker,
running only 80 and IS proof.
Spirits blends. compounds and
rectified whisky. he described as the
product of taking an amount of
heavy body whisky, specified
quantities of distilled spirits,
vegetable f1avoring, distilled water,
and producing a good, pure liquor,
but low in proof, usually only about
10 or 80. Many cordials were made
in this fashion, he said.
Distillers, Van Ness said, are
working to keep down taxes that
will enforce a high price OIL WHISKY
We should make it possible for
"a S20-a-week clerk to buy just as
good whisky as a millionaire. In
the old days We could buy a quart
of the best whisky on the market
for $3.50, and the federal govern
ment, state. county, city retailer,
wholesaler. and distiller made
good. legitimate profit.
While I don't look forward now
to such a low price, the lawmakers
could use a little common sense.
and the markets best brands could
h. rcf q lnl ~