Mash bill: what it is and what grains are used to make whiskey like Bourbon and Rye
One of the words you hear all the time in the whiskey world is mash bill, but what does that mean? The short answer: Mash bill is the initial blend of grains selected to create the distillate. As you well know in the United States by law, Bourbon must contain at least 51% corn, rye whiskey must contain at least 51% rye in the mash bill and wheat whiskey must have a mash bill composed of at least 51% wheat.
And these are usually the grains that make up the mash bill: corn, considered the base; rye and wheat considered the flavorings and then there is also malt, which adds toasted and biscuit notes, although it is mainly used to trigger fermentation thanks to its voracious enzymes, not so much for the flavors. But this is only the beginning.
The world of American whiskey and grain whiskey is very diverse and more complex and multifaceted than Scotch single malt or Irish whiskey. However noble it is and however much the types of barley may vary, it is always the same cereal. When it comes to whiskey, the balance changes.
There are many more variables to manage, especially when it comes to ingredients. And here comes the concept of Mash bill: finding the right blend of cereals is difficult, once chosen there is no turning back and it will heavily influence the flavors and aromas of the whiskey. Now let’s see more specifically the characteristics that derive from the use of each cereal.
Corn-based whiskey
Bourbon, the great Kentucky spirit, immediately comes to mind. Corn gives sweetness, roundness, aromas of popcorn, vanilla and butter and is an excellent base for creating soft, creamy spirits, full of caramel flavors and splendid notes of citrus and flowers. Let’s say that corn is the starting point, the one who does the dirty work, the mule.
To preserve softness and ease of drinking, some distilleries choose not to use rye, such as the Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon and start with a mash bill made solely with corn, wheat and malt.
A small final note on bourbon: when we talk about high-wheat bourbon or high-rye bourbon we mean spirits that have a mash bill with 20% -35% wheat or rye, which means that the flavoring cereal is starting to be felt a lot!
Malt
It is usually used in smaller quantities, even just 5% is already sufficient to introduce its enzymes, which are essential for transforming the sugar during fermentation and to adding its splendid and complex malty notes. Usually, it never goes beyond 15%, otherwise, the distillate becomes too “austere”.
Grain
It is not very tasty on its own, but it helps to enhance the buttery and sweet notes of corn, let’s say that it adds further softness, very ethereal notes, but it tends to provide alcohol, without the exaggerated sweetness of the corn.
Rye
The tip of the balance, however, is rye, the true flavoring of the whole family. Just add just 10% rye and rougher, angular notes of mint and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg emerge almost salty and balsamic returns.
Of course, it is a heavy aromatic touch, in the sense that its power is like a brand, so it must be dosed very carefully, even if there are excellent spirits made with percentages of 95% of rye as two samples with an excellent quality/price ratio such as Bulleit Straight Rye and the George Dickel Straight Rye.