Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 30.djvu/110

98 addition of foreign substances which must be used sparingly, both on account of economy, and because their character must not be too obtrusively shown. It is plain, therefore, that the more effectively the pungent fusel-oil is removed, the better the rectified spirit will be for the purpose, as any attempt to mask its odor and taste by an excess of the flavoring materials would betray the deception by the character of the resulting products. Mr.Dawson truly says that "compounding is diabolizing," but rectification is necessarily its preliminary step.

Besides the fusel-oil, rectification also removes the essential oils which may be contained in the alcoholic distillate, naturally giving it the characteristic flavor of the original grain, rye imparting a rye-flavor, corn a corn-flavor, etc. While there is nothing necessarily injurious in these essential oils, they would nevertheless be justly considered impurities where the object in view is the production of neutral spirit, and are naturally eliminated by the mechanical means employed for rectification.

Our finished product is now as complete as it ever can be, as ethyl alcohol possesses inherently no latent quality which can develop in it a more perfect character. Even if the unusual device is adopted of storing it in a charred-oak barrel (a treatment almost universal with whisky), the resulting color and astringency will add nothing to its value, but a marked and rapidly increasing shrinkage of volume will follow, without any compensating advantage. It behooves the owner, therefore, to market it as soon as possible, and it would certainly be some especial reason which could induce him to keep it on hand for even the shortest time (twelve months) which Mr.Dawson regards as necessary for its proper development. Rectified spirit, therefore, may be described as the purified product of crude alcoholic distillation (high-wines), and as close an approximation to pure ethyl alcohol and its water of association as the mechanical means available to the rectifier will produce.

The legal definition goes still further, and includes, in the words of the statute, "any spurious, imitation, or compound liquors" manufactured by mixing distilled spirits, wine, or other liquor, with any materials for sale under the name of whisky, brandy, rum, etc. All rectified and compounded goods put up in casks are, under Government regulations, stamped with one stamp only, and are known as "one-stamp" goods.

What, then, is whisky, and especially good whisky?

Its largest proportion is of course ethyl alcohol and water, with sufficient of the essential oil of the grain to give it its distinctive grain-flavor, although this is sometimes so feebly developed as to leave its character in doubt, and deteriorate from its market value, especially in the case of rye-whisky. When new, it also necessarily contains a small quantity of fusel-oil, and it is this complex substance which gives to whisky its distinctive character as compared with other alcoholic