fostel@ncsu.UUCP (09/26/83)
I think it was me who made the comment about the clear distinction
between Bourbon and Cognac, and the recent response seems to have
mis-interpreted my comment (or else I wrote it poorly). My statement
was, and I stand by it, that I had no doubt that I could easily dsitinguish
ANY bourbon from ANY cognac. They just taste different. I have no doubt
that a 40 year old House of Lutz is a treat, but I think it would still
be very noticably different from a glass of cognac. I am avaialble at
any time for a blindfold test (if someone else is buying!).
I was certainly NOT trying to say that bourbon was out of its class in
any way. Indeed part of why I doubt I said this is that I disagree. I
rather like bourbon in preference to cognac -- aside for the novelty
and price -- and would not usually chose to drink cognac, even good stuff,
over most bourbons, even run of the mill store-bought bourbons. I dfeel
in my bones that if the 40 year old Lutz was really that much like cognac
then in spite of its age (and no doubt price) IT WAS NOT GOOD BOURBON.
Cause bourbon does not taste or drink like cognac so if it did, its not.
----GaryFostel----scotth@tekmdp.UUCP (Scott Herzinger) (09/29/83)
I don't think anyone has, in this discussion, distinguished bourbon and
cognac beyond the obvious taste differences:
Cognac is, loosely, brandy. Officially, brandy produced in the region
near Cognac, France, but often used just to label quality brandy, and
unfortunately, sometimes as a synonym for any brandy. And brandy is the
product resulting from distallation of fermented fruit juices, grapes
and plums in particular, but also (especially in the states) many other
berries and apricots, etc. I've heard some put it this way: brandy is
distilled wine (I guess this comes from the fact that the juice is fer-
mented before distillation). But cognac is always good brandy.
Bourbon is a horse of a different color, and one I'm not too familiar
with (I prefer brandy, and buy cognac when I can afford it). Bourbon
does, as I understand, result from distallation of grain ferments.
I do know for certain that the bourbon whiskey of the southern states
is distilled from a mash containing at least 51% corn. As to more
pedigreed bourbons, ...
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