My go-to drinks tend to be single malt whiskeys if I want something neat, or various cocktails if I’m in a more social setting. Today’s National Bourbon Day, though, so I cracked open some of the bourbons that the team at Jeptha Creed Distillery kindly sent me. In case you’re not up on the nuances, whiskey (and whisky) can be made from any grain, while a true bourbon must be at least 51% corn as the fermented grain. There are a lot of these on the market too, and if you add rye too, well, you can pick from hundreds of variations on the theme.
What's Your Drink Of Choice?
Bourbon has some other requirements too: it must be made in the USA, distilled to no more than 160 proof, barreled at no more than 125 proof and bottled at no less than 80 proof. 80 proof is 40% alcohol. Bourbons are aged in new (not used) charred oak barrels and “straight bourbon” is aged at least two years whue “bottled-in-bond” are aged at least four years. Got it?
Here’s what Jeptha Creed Distillery sent me. The Old Elk brand is quite popular in bourbon circles and the little guy is a straight bourbon, while the larger bottle in the middle is a wheated bourbon. The differences in taste are subtle, but I’d say that the wheated is a bit more smooth while the straight is a bit more spicy and more aggressive on the tongue.
The Jeptha Creed is a special bottle that’s aged 5 years, making it more mellow and the best option for a sipping bourbon in my opinion. But I started by pouring some of the straight bourbon over ice, my preferred serving:
old elk straight bourbon over ice
As with whiskeys, the bit of water opens up the flavor of the bourbon and allows you to taste all of the various flavors. If it’s a bit sharp for you, waiting a few minutes for the ice to melt just a little bit can help further smooth out the taste.
The Perfect Old Fashioned
Rather than just sip ’em, I decided that the perfect drink for National Bourbon Day was the classic Old Fashioned. Basically bourbon + a sweet add-on to round out the flavor, the recipe I used included Angostino Bitters, fresh orange, water, a sugar cube, ice, and a maraschino cherry.
The easy way to assemble the drink is to toss the sugar cube into your glass, add a few dashes of Bitters and a splash of water. Then stir that until the sugar’s dissolved (which can take a minute or longer). Add 2oz of bourbon (about a shot), squeeze the orange rind (or, if you’re lazy, the orange itself), toss in a few ice cubes as desired, and give it a gentle stir.
Perfect. Optionally add a maraschino cherry. Here’s the result:
Quite tasty. I made one with each of the different bourbons and have to admit that while the Old Elk is tasty, the mellowest of them was with the 5 year aged Jeptha Creed bourbon. Result: I’m going to go chill out with a book. Thanks for reading and I hope you celebrate National Bourbon Day responsibly, maybe by taking the opportunity to try a new bourbon like Old Elk or Jeptha Creed.
Disclosure: Jeptha Creed Distillery sent the various bottles of bourbon so I could taste them and share my experience. The Old Fashioned recipe is my own. Also, this article originally appeared on PlanetDave with the title: An "Old Elk" Old Fashioned for National Bourbon Day.
