StillSmart

They also make single malt whisky....interesting to hear they let their all grain mash go sour before they strip it, the tour guide said it makes for more interesting complex flavours.

My Malt whisky brews sometimes get a little funky,for some reason the last bucket of brew decides to invite in stray yeasts, and feed them.
Waste not, want not.

Robert.

The distiller says a sour beer makes for a better single malt whisky, must say it tasted very good from the barell at 63% but it did shock me that they use stale sour beer.

This is not far from me...in fact, I go past it when on the road to Shipston...I've been on their website and had a read up on how they work with locally grown cereal.
You didn't put your wallet on a barrel in the storage then??

Icefever wrote:This is not far from me...in fact, I go past it when on the road to Shipston...I've been on their website and had a read up on how they work with locally grown cereal.
You didn't put your wallet on a barrel in the storage then??

lol, you seen the prices then you have to pay duty of £27 a litre when you come to bottle it....ouch

It's local to me and I was given a tour as a birthday present a couple of years back. I also purchased a bottle of whisky in advance but it won't be released til next year. The gin is exquisite. I wasn't even a gin drinker until I went there! I was with a quiet group so I thought "Sod it, I'm getting my money's worth," and kept asking questions. As soon as the guy found out there was someone genuinely interested in the process and products he came alive, and it was a fantastic tour. I apologised to the group afterwards and luckily they all appreciated my questions and the answers and said how great they thought the tour was.

As for he sour mash, don't our American cousins use a sour mash at the Jack Daniel's distillery?

Thunderbird wrote:It's local to me and I was given a tour as a birthday present a couple of years back. I also purchased a bottle of whisky in advance but it won't be released til next year. The gin is exquisite. I wasn't even a gin drinker until I went there! I was with a quiet group so I thought "Sod it, I'm getting my money's worth," and kept asking questions. As soon as the guy found out there was someone genuinely interested in the process and products he came alive, and it was a fantastic tour. I apologised to the group afterwards and luckily they all appreciated my questions and the answers and said how great they thought the tour was.

As for he sour mash, don't our American cousins use a sour mash at the Jack Daniel's distillery?

the one we had a young guy with a beard was not that knowledgeable to be honest and did not know the answer to some questions...the gin is good though.

Thunderbird wrote:As for the sour mash, don't our American cousins use a sour mash at the Jack Daniel's distillery?

Are we talking sour mash (before fermentation) or sour beer (after fermentation before strip) ?

after an all grain fermentation they leave the finished beer in open vessels to pick up a bit of sourness.....

Good grief! I used to live in Shipston, although this place didn't exist then, and I'm only 25 miles from it now. Definitely going to book myself a tour!
I'm almost tempted to apply for the job they are advertising....

They also have what is called their "bottling angels" do a 4 hour bottling shift and get a bottle of their £35 gin.

There must be a labour law against people working for Gin?
Wasn't that phased out years ago?

Robert.

The was the 'Truck Act' but I understand this was repealed some years ago so that wages could be paid in non-legal tender forms such as cheques and direct bank credits etc.

Hogarth would have had a field day! A chance to rework his Gin Alley!

Easydrinker wrote:There must be a labour law against people working for Gin?
Wasn't that phased out years ago?

Robert.

Sure was. Along with paying people in red wine and diamonds. They can still do it, be are taxed - probably as 'benefit in kind'

I wouldn't mind being paid with diamonds!

Robert.

Edit; Or decent Red wine