The Old Oaken Barrel

In Kentucky, where men pride themselves on their ability to recognize good whisky, they tell a story to illustrate the art. Two Bluegrass Senators sat down to sample a barrel of bourbon. "Mighty fine likker," allowed one Senator tentatively. After rolling it over on his tongue he added: "But there's something in that barrel that gives it a slight metallic taste." The other Senator took a dipperful, disagreed. "It's a slight leathery taste," he said. Laying a wager as to which was right, they kept dipping until the barrel was empty, then turned it over to see what was in it. Out dropped a leather-headed tack.

Last week proud old Kentucky found a great big tack in its bourbon barrel. Its state officials swarmed angrily on Washington, where the Bureau of Internal Revenue was deciding a momentous question: Is whisky stored in used casks just as good as whisky stored, Kentucky-fashion, in new charred white oak casks? Up rose Guy C. Shearer, administrator of Kentucky's liquor board. "Kentucky," cried he, "is a bourbon state . . . steeped in the knowledge and in the tradition of the production of whisky, both legal . . . and illegal." The Treasury, hinted Shearer, had better not tell Kentucky how whisky should be made.

What brought all this on was some odd maneuvering by the Treasury itself. Two years ago several distillers asked it to approve, as legally aged, whisky stored in used casks during the wartime barrel shortage. Treasury refused, but later reversed itself. The switch would mean a profit (because of the increased value that would result) of some $90 million for a few big distillers, mostly outside Kentucky, who have 30 million gallons of whisky in secondhand barrels. When the industry squawked, Treasury held up its ruling, called last week's hearing.

Concerned also for their thriving business in new barrels, Kentuckians threatened to legislate their own state definition of aged whisky if the ruling stood. Such matters are actually pure custom; the Scotch prefer used sherry casks.

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