In recent years, high-proof whiskey has surged in popularity (and secured a large following of die hard fans in the process). Straight from the barrel, lots of heat, packed with flavor. What’s not to love? Enthusiasts confidently assert this is the way whiskey was meant to be appreciated; detractors lament high-proof whiskey can be less approachable to the average whiskey drinker, and that proofing-down a high-proof pour can be inconvenient. Regardless, producers have responded strongly to this consumer trend and many distilleries are doing some variation of a high-proof whiskey. And, whether you are an advocate or a cynic, objectively speaking, the are some exquisitely-crafted bottles of scotch, bourbon, and rye proudly clock in anywhere between 52% ABV to a whopping 65% ABV (or higher). Many of these bottles are highly sought after and sometimes difficult to find, but the labeling can sometimes be less a little confusing.
What’s in a Name?
“Barrel Proof,” “Barrel Strength,” “Cask Strength,” “Original Cask Strength,” “Batch Strength,” “Batch Proof,” “Overproof,” “Full Proof” — is this just marketing fluff, or is there any substance behind these terms? Yes and no. In the highly regulated whiskey industry, it is surprising when specific terms aren’t defined at length. Lawyers and Legislators dive deep into additives, barrel specs, and age statements, but when it comes to high-proof whiskey labels things are pretty fast and loose. Barrel Proof, Barrel Strength, Cask Strength, Batch Strength, and Batch Proof are all commonly held to mean that the whiskey dumped from the barrel is the same proof it goes into the bottle (I.e. no dilution with water), but only one of the terms is officially defined.
In the U.S., the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Alcohol And Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) states: “Barrel Proof” on a whiskey label “indicates the bottling proof is not more than two degrees lower than the proof established at the time the spirits were gauged for tax determination.” Cask Strength, Barrel Strength, etc. are conspicuously not defined, which gives producers flexibility in how they are marketing a specific bottle. Similarly, in Scotland, there is no mention of “Cask Strength,” or related terms, in the Scotch Whiskey Regulations; and most other whiskey producing countries do not have a definition or regulations governing these types of high-proof whiskies. Can a 105 proof bottle of whiskey be considered cask strength? Yes. Can a whiskey that has not been diluted but has been batched with other whiskies be considered cask strength. Yes (and more on this later).
Many consumers assume Full Proof is the same as Barrel Proof or Cask Strength, but in reality it’s a completely different animal. The TTB asserts “Original Proof,” “Original Barrel Proof,” and “Entry Proof” indicates that the proof of the spirits entered into the barrel and the proof of the bottled spirits are the same. Full Proof falls into this category. Creating a Full Proof expression allows that distiller more control over the product since they know the target proof they are trying to reach. This just adds to the consistency of the product. Weller Full Proof and 1792 Full Proof are probably the most well known, but Benchmark and Wheat Penny also make Full Proof offerings.
In the Barrel
Aging whiskey is an interesting thing because depending on where you are geographically, whiskey concentrates over time in different ways. Ultimately, for high proof whiskies, it all comes down to the angels share: the amount of whiskey that is lost from the time of barreling to the time of bottling. For example, in the cold, wet climate of Scotland, more whiskey than water is lost over time, so you are going to have lower proofs coming out of the barrel. In the hotter, drier climate of Kentucky (and large parts of the U.S.), more water is going to evaporate leaving a higher concentration of alcohol. And remember, in the U.S. whiskey can not go into the barrel at higher than 125 proof, though Scotch can be barreled at much higher proofs.
Knowing this, master distillers have leeway prior to barreling a whisky to manage that alcohol to water ratio. Some brands add additional water prior to barreling to compensate for the water evaporation in a hotter climate and offset the alcohol concentration for a more balanced cask strength bottling. But, at the end of the day, alcohol means flavor when going into the barrel — the master distiller has already made some important decisions up to this stage about grains, fermentation, and cut points to get the right mix of flavor in the pre-barreled spirit. It’s a delicate balance.
Single Barrel, Batched, or Blended?
Since the TTB and other international control authorities are loose with their definitions of these high proof whiskies, producers are left with a lot of wiggle room. Though some of the whiskies being sold under these names are single barrel, others can be batched or blended. Take Woodford Reserve Batch Proof, as an example. The company website states, “Batch Proof is a celebration of Woodford Reserve’s proprietary process — blending barrels into a batch and bottling the whisky at its actual proof, straight from the barrel.” Compare this to Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof expression, which is “bottled straight from the barrel…anywhere from 125 to 140-proof…” In contrast, Barrel Bourbon Batch 034 is a Cask Strength whiskey the is “a blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys…Distilled and aged in TN, KY, and IN…Selection of 6, 8, 10, and 15-year-old barrels…Aged in American white oak barrels…Bottled in Kentucky…114.62 proof cask strength bottling.” This is just a sampling of the range of high-proof whiskies, but illustrates the marketing and nuance involved.
The Paradox
High proof Whiskies can get trapped in a paradox: the high alcohol content can drown out all of those beautiful, concentrated flavors. There are some Barrel Proof or Cask Strength whiskies that balance the flavor and heat perfectly. Others, especially ones over 120 proof, can start to overload olfaction with the first whiff, or drown out more subtle flavors on the palate. Starting with a high-proof whiskey at the beginning of a tasting can blowout your taste buds for everything that follows.
What can be done? A few things. First, line up your high-proof samplings at the end. This will preserve your tastebuds for the duration. Also, have some distilled water handy to proof down the whiskey incrementally. In this way, you can actually enjoy multiple tastes from the same whiskey and find the proof point you prefer. Cocktails. For purists, this may be an immediate turnoff. But a skilled bartender can make an amazing Old Fashioned or Manhattan with a Barrel Proof or Cask Strength whiskey. In fact, many bartenders have long appreciated overproof whiskey for the extra punch of flavor it gives to traditional cocktails
