Foodie Friday: Drinkers edition

Those little blue berries are what makes gin taste like gin. Beyond that other herbs are added, taking the flavor in different directions. I sampled one made here in Virginia, out near the Blue Ridge, that tasted like pine trees. I didn't like it. Hendrix in Scotland has a nice balance.  Bluecoat from Pennsylvania is mild and mixable. But all of them start with Juniper as a base.  Without those little blue berries, it is just flavored vodka. Oh, and no tonic for me. Why water down good gin with bitter water? 

The flavor differences in Bourbon come from three things, the mashbill, the barrel, and how it is aged. The mashbill is the mixture of grain used, always at least 51% corn, beyond that wheat, rye, and barley.  My preference is a wheated bourbon - they are milder and sweeter. There are subtle differences, rye gives bourbon the bite. All of the color, and much of the flavor comes from the new charred white oak barrel, with differences in the selection of the wood, and how it is charred. The rest is how it is aged. How long and in what temperature ranges make the biggest differences. Too long, or too hot and the finished product can taste woody. Long and in moderate temperature is where the magic happens.