Sweet Mash: Why We Do It (and Most Don’t)
Most folks think all bourbon’s made the same way. Corn, rye, barley, new oak barrel, let it sit a while, call it good. But there’s a little choice in the cooking that makes a world of difference: sweet mash or sour mash.
Coal Pick? We run a sweet mash. Always have. Costs us more, takes more work, but it makes a better drop of whiskey.
Sour Mash: The Cheaper Road
Here’s the trick with sour mash. You take about a quarter of the old grain — the stuff that’s already been cooked and fermented — and you throw it back in with the new batch. Cuts your grain bill down. Saves money.
That’s why the big boys love it. Stretch the same grain twice, lower your costs, keep the still running. Trouble is, that old grain’s already spent. You ain’t pulling full sugar out of it the second time around. Changes the flavor too.
Sweet Mash: The Way We Do It
Sweet mash is all new grain every run. Clean start, fresh corn, rye, and barley every single time. It costs more, sure. But it gives you a brighter fermentation, more sugar to pull, and in the end, a richer bourbon.
Fewer distilleries do it — maybe ten in the whole country that keep at it full-time. Why? Because it ain’t cheap. But we didn’t set out to make cheap bourbon. We set out to make good bourbon.
Why It Matters in the Glass
Sweet mash gives you:
- Cleaner fermentation flavors.
- More depth in the nose and finish.
- A bourbon that doesn’t need dressing up — it’s solid right out of the barrel.
You don’t need to be a chemist to taste the difference. Just pour a glass and let it speak for itself.
We’re not cutting corners at Coal Pick. Sour mash might be fine for the big houses looking to shave pennies, but we’re here for quality. Sweet mash takes more grain and more care, but it’s worth every bit.