Spring is in full swing with summer barreling toward us with the usual fury North Carolina enjoys every year. Yellow clouds race across the streets. Trees and flowers are in bloom and the heat is already making us do more laundry than we like. Every year for the past 147, has been witness to one of the greatest sporting events in the Western world: the Kentucky Derby. Millions are exchanged in bets, fancy hats sell out, and the bourbon flies off the shelves as enthusiasts tinker with classic cocktails in the spirit of the Derby.
But what if I told you bourbon is popular year-round? That there is a great game being played by hobbyists, amateurs, and die-hard seekers right here in our quiet part of the state. Welcome to the bourbon game, ladies and gentlemen. It can be pricey, of that there is no doubt, and at times it will drive you mad—should you choose to play—but for those who partake in the amber whiskey, you’ll find the game exhilarating, frustrating, and filled with more hits and misses than a baseball doubleheader.
Origins
Bourbon is America’s liquor. It always has been, whether it was during the dark days of Prohibition or the height of past popularity in the 1950s and then 1970s. The corn whiskey (not to be confused with whisky, which commonly refers to grain spirits distilled in Scotland, Canada and Japan) was born from a murky past. While there aren’t many solid details pertaining to that first bottle, it is common knowledge that the man responsible was the great Elijah Craig and he lived in, you guessed it, Bourbon County, Kentucky. In 1789, Elijah, a practicing Baptist minister, first barreled his spirits in a charred oak barrel. The result was enough to keep it that way.
It took a while to catch on, and has had highs and lows, but soon folks couldn’t get enough. Other states tried branching out to make their own blends, including our very own North Carolina, but there is just something about the taste of that good Kentucky gold that feels…right. (Normally I would be the first to give us credit here, but since so many of our little corner of the world comes from other places…) Not to diminish our beloved distilleries, because the one criterion for point of origin is it MUST be made in America and can have a variety of tastes.
Flavors
So much goes into the making of bourbons. There are more flavor profiles than elements in the periodic table, from Jefferson Ocean who ages this brand on a ship to the rich, sweetness of Old Forester. Regardless of which distillery uses what type of mash or how much corn is used, the flavor all stems from sitting in a barrel for the minimum seven years. Not just any barrel either. Every bourbon is poured into white oak barrels that can only be used once.
The specific flavors come from a variety of spices and tastes. Some have heavy butterscotch or vanilla tastes, while others come smokey and rich. The smoke flavoring comes from charring the barrel staves before adding the bourbon. (I don’t know about you, but I am a cigar smoker and a bourbon drinker and I can almost NEVER taste the things they tell me it’s supposed to taste like.)
The sweetness in bourbon comes from the high corn content. The rest of the nuts and bolts that goes in to making whiskey determines whether the finished product is smooth or rough. Some bourbons are aged for only two years in small barrels and, well, do yourself a favor and stay away if you value your throat. Some things just weren’t meant to be consumed, though it might make a fine paint stripper.
Around Town
If you feel up for it, take a trip over to either ABC store off Highway 55 (or if you’re feeling up for it, seek out nearby stores for different picks. Not all ABC stores are created equal.) on an early Friday morning before the shipment comes in. You’d be surprised to find lines waiting in the dark. Rumors and whispers of rare and hard- to- find bottles coming in circulate fast and these folks are willing to stand in line like they were going to vote for the opportunity—not the guarantee—of catching their dream bottle, or unicorn. I did enough standing in line during my time in the Army, so I’ll pass.
The quest for rarity drives many people in the various bourbon groups sprinkled throughout the county and Apex. Chances are one of you reading this right now is a member of a group and knows the pain of missing out on that one bottle you have been aching for.
But Why?
It wasn’t always this way. Bourbon was just another drink and not a popular one. Somehow, we went from producing 455,000 barrels a year to a whopping 5 million! Prices keep going up, quality stays the same, and some bottles might as well be in museums due to the inability to find one in the wild. Men and women from all walks of life are willing to pay ridiculous fees on the secondary market to get what they want, but then are left with the world’s greatest dilemma. Do I drink it or just hold on to it? The good news is an unopened bottle of bourbon won’t go bad, though it will evaporate over time, and an opened one can last as long as 10 years. None of that does much to assuage the agony of being torn, especially after paying a hefty premium for that perfect bottle.
Let me be careful to say that I’m not advocating the use of alcohol, and if you do decide to partake, do so responsibly. Hunting down different bourbons and doing tastings with a few friends (now that things are slowly getting back to normal) is a great way to strengthen bonds, commiserate over failed attempts, and enjoy a quality beverage with so many variants and price points there is bound to be something for everyone.
Who knows, maybe one day you’ll see me perusing the shelves. Come by and say hi if you do. I always have an extra glass in the cupboard.
