If you stroll through the aisles of your local whiskey retailer, you might notice a handful of phrases. Words like cask strength, barrel proof, single barrel, and small batch are likely to adorn the bourbons, ryes, and single malt Scotch whiskies.
And while we could write a whole article deciphering all of these phrases and what they mean (and we have), today we’re most concerned with the latter. In almost two decades of writing about alcohol (with an emphasis on whiskey), I haven’t come across many whiskey-related phrases that are both common and utterly confusing.
What exactly is small batch whiskey? Also, why is it called small batch whiskey? Keep scrolling to learn everything you’d ever want to know about small batch whiskey.
What is small batch whiskey?
Defining small batch whiskey is a surprisingly difficult task. If you want to simplify it, small batch is a term used to describe a whiskey (often associated with bourbon) that is distilled in smaller quantities as opposed to a regular batch. The name refers to the fact that many fewer barrels are used in the process. It’s all about quality over quantity. But it’s so much more complicated than that definition.
As was mentioned, since crafting a small batch whiskey doesn’t utilize as many barrels as standard batches of whiskey, it creates an expression in which the distillers and blenders have total control. They know exactly what they’re getting when they blend the barrels together to make one expression, because they’ve been able to keep intimate tabs on many (if not all) of the included whiskeys.
While that seems like a decent answer, it’s a bit of an oversimplification. That’s because there’s no official definition governing what constitutes a small batch whiskey. That’s right. There are no clear guidelines for distillers. Talk about the wild west of whiskey, right?
How many barrels are in a small batch whiskey?
You’ll find whiskey bottles from large and small distilleries labeled “small batch.” There’s no disputing the popularity of the term. But, as mentioned earlier, there is no legal definition and no governing rules and regulations regarding the exact number of barrels allowed to be used in a “small batch” whiskey.
In essence, it can be made from a single barrel (although it’s more likely to get a “single barrel” moniker) or thousands of barrels. If the distillery slaps the word “small batch” on it, that’s what it is. It’s up to their discretion.
On average, distillers use between ten and fifty barrels, with bigger distilleries opting for hundreds or even thousands of barrels.
Bottom line
So, the next time you see the words “small batch” written on a bottle of bourbon or rye whiskey, take a moment to think about what that means. If it’s a smaller, artisanal brand, chances are it really will be a small batch of whiskey. If it’s from one of the larger outfits, it’s probably made from a blend of hundreds or thousands of barrels. Either way, it’s still labeled as a small batch whiskey. But the two are very different whiskeys.
