We got a lot of great suggestions, but the winner is Basil, after Basil Hayden’s. It isn’t necessarily my favorite bourbon, but it’s a bourbon that helps introduce a lot of people to higher-end bourbons, and this is my first dog. Pappy immediately got scratched from the list because it’s a little too hyped (and the vet informs us she already treats two other Pappy’s in the neighborhood). Other contenders were Pepper, Trace, Booker, and Lee. I was vetoed when I suggested Fighting Cock 107 proof.

Here’s a picture. I promise you’ll swoon.

Boy bourbon names are easy: Bulleit, Stagg, Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr., Elmer, etc.

Female bourbon names are a little more, difficult, however. “Old Grand-Dad” has absolutely zero feminine appeal, and it looks like the dog will be a female.

So, help us out. I’ll post the final result, and pictures, when it’s a done deal.

Age might not be as important for American whiskey as it is for scotch, but that’s probably not why distilleries have dropped their age statements. The whiskey market is pretty hot right now, and distilleries are working hard to meet demand while prices for some products have started to soar. Dropping the age statement will allow distilleries to use younger whiskey in their products that, a few years ago, they might not have considered ready.

Does this mean the products have already started to change? I don’t know — the lack of an age statement on the bottle is one less indicator you can use to know exactly what you’re getting. Just about everybody is doing it and the wolf is in the henhouse, ready to drink all your whiskey. When a brand like Wild Turkey drops its age statement, the product in the bottle might not change immediately, but WT is giving itself the option to do so without you noticing. Over time, as the market gets hotter and demand creeps up, there will always be the temptation to fill gaps by using younger whiskies in your favorite products.

How will you know? Unfortunately, you won’t because you’ll have less information to work with. Your best option is to look for squishy marketing terms that don’t mean anything, such as “extra-aged” or any other kind of aging reference that doesn’t list an actual number. The Whisky Advocate blog recently took on the subject, which has become prevalent in the greater world of whiskey, and got me thinking that it’s important that whiskey consumers know about the trend. As they say (or at least as G.I. Joe said), “Knowing is half the battle.”

I’d also love to hear from you. Pass on any stories, personal or otherwise, you think demonstrate bourbon’s unique relationship to American history and culture. Historical figures, events, or philosophies…any of the juicy tidbits it usually takes a glass or two of bourbon to unlock.

Write me at:

bourbonempire [the "at" sign] gmail.com

Of course, this story has been out for a while…arousing my suspicion that perhaps our northern neighbors are leading a covert campaign to drum up interest in Canadian whiskies.

Unlikely, but then again, you can never be too careful. Stock your bourbon bunkers. It could be raw cornage (regarding puns, anyway).

Possible Outlook This Summer. Image via livinghistoryfarm.org

I also like the first reader comment.  I can’t tell you  how many times I’ve read interviews with microbrewery brewmasters in publications like Beer Advocate where they praise the Budweiser guys. Not because they like Bud that much, but because they’re wowed by the technical skills of the people that work there.