Sour mash is a distillation process used in whiskey production, using fermented mash from a previous batch to create a consistent flavor. The process is similar to using sourdough starter in bread-making. The origin of the process is unclear, but it is believed to have been invented in the early 1800s in Kentucky.
Sour mash is a distillation process used in the production of whiskey or bourbon whiskey. The term is also used to describe the mash used in this process: a combination of grain, yeast, and water that has been removed from a batch of alcohol and allowed to ferment. This fermentation process grows healthy bacteria or fungi that prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. A sour mash whiskey is created when a new batch of whiskey is distilled using part of the fermented mash from a previous batch. Some whiskey fans argue that the highest quality spirits are made with the sour mash process, which results in a tangy, strong flavor.
Batch consistency
Not all whiskeys are made with the sour mash process. People who favor this type of whiskey say that using mashed sour as an alcoholic starter maintains a consistency of flavor in every batch produced. This can be economically desirable, because people are often brand conscious when it comes to hard alcohols and may want the same flavor every time they buy the same brand. In other forms of alcohol, such as wine, changes in flavor from batch to batch are to be expected. Some people don’t mind this unpredictability and want their whiskey to taste the same every time.
A similar process can be used to make bread
The principles behind using sourdough to make whiskey are the same as why a sourdough starter can be used to make bread. A sourdough starter, also called a chef or sourdough, is a combination of mixed fermented yeast, flour, and water that have been rescued from an old batch of dough and is used to make dough for a new batch of bread. The new dough is mixed with the starter and another starter is kept for the next batch. This can go on from batch to batch, and sourdough starters can last for years. The fermentation process involved in keeping a sourdough starter going often causes the bread to have a tart, textured taste that many people enjoy.
Unclear inventor
The origin of the sour mash process for making whiskey is unclear. Many people believe it was invented in the early 1800s at the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Many people credit Dr. James C. Crow with inventing the process, but others credit Dr. Jason S. Amburgey. Both worked at the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery.
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