The phrase has no official definition, but it means a lot when it comes to your spirits
If you see “small batch” written on a bottle of liquor, it means a lot.
Let’s rephrase: Since “small batch” doesn’t have an official definition, it means a lot of different things. Most of them good! If you see it on a bottle from a distillery that you like and trust, it probably skews toward a common definition.
The Barrel Mill gives a good and broad explanation here. As they note, “Small batch is comprised of a select number of barrels that are mixed together to create a desired taste. The chosen barrels are selected purposely as they will complement and combine well together. Small batch can be comprised of somewhere between 10-50 barrels. This is just a basic guide as many distilleries set their own standards.”
Since we first learned about the phrase via Jefferson’s, a Kentucky distiller of bottles that suggest they’re operating with “very” and “ridiculously” small-batch bourbon (the quotes there aren’t emphasis or mockery, but because those adjectives actually appear on various Jefferson’s expressions), we gave co-founder Trey Zoeller first shot at explaining the meaning of the phrase.
“To me, small batch means tasting and choosing barrels rather than dumping every single one into a blend,” as Zoeller tells InsideHook. “When you dump all the barrels you are looking for consistency, whereas when you choose a smaller allotment, you are trying to achieve a specific flavor profile in one of two ways: either by choosing a group of specific barrels with similarly unique flavor profiles, or by culling a variety of disparate-tasting barrels and then blending them together to achieve the desired result.”
Here’s what some small batch brands had to say:
Gregg Snyder, Master Distiller at Chicken Cock Whiskey: Having been in the industry for 43 years, the term “small batch” has been very loosely used by many companies. For me, a true small batch is related to the number of barrels dumped per batch, not how much was made in a mash tub per batch, and would be anything from two barrels to 50, given that most of the bigger distilleries will typically dump several hundred barrels per batch. Even if this definition was used, most all whiskey from “craft distillers” would be a single barrel or “small batch.”
Chris Fredrickson, Founder & Distiller at Traverse City Whiskey Co.: I always get excited when I hear “small batch” being used to describe a whiskey. While it’s pretty subjective, and a loosely defined set of standards and requirements, to me, it means the distillery team (e.g., blender, distiller, tasting team, etc.) really took the time to handpick barrels to blend together that are going to produce a specific, sometimes unique, very thoughtful whiskey. I might be getting something a little older, a little higher proof. A fun whiskey that might be a better showcase of what that distillery is creating than their large batch or “entry” level offering.
Denny Potter, Maker’s Mark Master Distiller: Small batch has always just meant smaller than some other batch or smaller than might be expected, so I suppose if you’re a distillery that produces in 100-barrel batches and you choose to do one with 75, that’s technically a small batch for you, but it would be a little disingenuous. The way I see it, working in small batches is just about intentionality and preserving the integrity of your finished product. With less to blend with, there’s less room for error. You can’t hide away any subpar spirit or mellow out a given flavor, so you’re creating something with a distinct character. Most people don’t think of Maker’s Mark as “small batch” because you can find a red wax dipped bottle just about everywhere, but when you dig into our production process, we’re proud to tell you that Maker’s Mark is a small batch whisky, particularly for an operation of our size. We’re working in batches of no more than 30 barrels at a time.
Brian Prewitt, Master Distiller at A. Smith Bowman Distillery: Small batch is an important distinguishing element to our brands. We take care to choose the components to a blend so that they complement [one another] and hopefully make a product that is greater than the sum of its parts. We realize that small batch doesn’t have an official definition, which is why we currently like to define it as less than 24 barrels at a time. Typically, this means less than 1,000 gallons per batch. By producing in small batches, we are forced to focus on the small details that make a product unique and really drive for the quality that we desire in our bourbon.
