Page 6 Advertisements Column 1

NZ Truth, Issue 96, 20 April 1907, Page 6

WHAT IS WHISKY!

of the Government Laboratory m London, and the following extract from his letter will show how far my opinion wasconfirmed by this high authority. Writing m January, 1902, he says ,: "Hose's method of estimating the Fusel Oil or. the Impurities m alcohol was carefully, tested here some years ago, and our experience of the process was very much what you find. The process was, however, originally devised for testing the highly - rectified alcohols produced by Coffey's or other patent-stills. The limit of 0.2 per cent, of impurities, whilst forming perhaps a rough criterion of the degree of purity m alcohols m this class, is 'totally inapplicable to such potable spirits as( genuine brandy, rum and Scotch or Irish whiskies. By far the greater proportion of spirits of this character exceed, (often much exceed) this limit- when tested by Rose's .process, and, yet these spirits are com- | mercially the most' expensive, and ac- . co"rdinig ; ;w'"th ; e" medical authorities mi n this country.- they: are > also the most , wholesome and the most agreeable to drink. I enclose descriptions of our methods of estimating the most important impurities m ordinary commercial spirits, but m ' the ■ present state of out knowledge on the subject I do not think, that any limit m the Itotal amount, of these, impurities can be laid down. There can be very little doubt that by far the largest proportion of ■ the Impurities m all genuine brandies, whiskies, etc.— viz. : tlie' Higher -Alcohols and the Ethers or Compound Ethers-^are, at least, com,para.tively harmless. "The question of injuriousness or otherwise to health of these impurities' was very fully discussed before a Select Committee • of^the House of Commons m 1890 and 189 V, who, after consulting -Dr. Pavy, F.R.S., and Dr. Lauder Brunton, F.R.S., reported 'that there-, -have been many experiments upon, the physiological ac- j tion of tho Higher Alcohols" and Et- : . hers which constitute the • Bye - products m Pot.able Spirits. These experiments have led to contradictory ' results, but m no case were any injurious effects observed by the use of <such minute quantities as are found m the spirits of commerce. Thus, m a glass .of b r ?- nd y\ ;i - rum or w hisky, the amount of'Fuset, Oil is not more than one or\ two grains, while the -quantity added to a glass pf water and taken as -0- dose would ihave no sensible physiological effect, deleterious or beneficial. .. New whisky and old whisky seem ' to contain the same • amount of Higher Alcohols and EtJhts. Dr. Pavy considers that the Silent . Spirits are innocuous as regards health, although they are insipid and disagreeable,' just as extract •of meat -is, unless condiments are added to flavor- it into a pleasant soup. The bye-products (Fusel Oil) are the ■ condiments to the -insipid alcohol . of • SUent Spirit of Patent Spu-its. • "There are prbbably some substances' present 'ik new whisky, rum, - etc.,; which may' possibly be more 1 injurious than' tlie bulk of the Fusel Oil in ' such - spirits/- ■■ Theso substances f or 1 the most . .part':. seem to disappear jor Change, oh ageing, but they have not So far been definitely identified, and m any case, they .form a very small proportion of the impurities determined by Rose's test. And the effect of applying stich a standard as 0.2 per cent, of impurities to all spirits 1 indiscriminately ;. must bo to exclude k ra'oK,t of ,'th'e"^ whisky made m this -; country,, colonial rum and genuine ■ : brandy, [whilst '; admitting artificial imitations to' these beverages as well ; as^ the silent spirit from European C or.tinerital coun t ries . " You will 'understand my opinion— which is almost universally supported by.* all authorities — that it, is impossible , to say from a chemica.l.. analysis (by the estimation '-of. Fusel' Oil fl.nd the like) that a spirit is injurious. No case could be won m the courts on such evidence as would be procurable. The analysis 'of .liquors can, however, be of great use m another way. A careful :cstimation of the bye - products already referred, to will, m many cases, enable a judgment to be, given as to whether a liquor is a whisky — i.e. a malt spirit distilled" m. a pot-still — or whether it is made from silent spirit artificially flavored and colored; - Though there is no legal definition of whisky which excludes these mixtures, and there is no evidence to show that the public should be protected from fraud and should be informed of the character of the article they are buying, I think, therefore, that the analysis ' of spirits along these lines will be an advantage for several reasons. ' : - 1. The analysis of spirits is attracting a 'good .deal of attention, and we do not know wheti' more definite opinions may be obtainable, as' to the effects of different ingredients. It will be well, therefore,, to keep, abreast of the progress being made elsewhere, 2. If a definite classification of spirits becomes possible, the Health Ac's might provide for. the publication of .the- analyses. This would be a very effective bar to the sale of sph-its which, though not ; harmful, are a cheap delusion and constitute a fraud on the public. ' There is., of course, more probability of a patent spirit being harmful than a true malt spirit, benause it can be sold m a new and unmatured. condition at an age- when a true malt spirit : wottld be too unpalatable for the market. The examinations Tt have- made have .been based on methods introduced by some of the foremost workers m this field, almost entirely since tho year 1902. They therefore represent the newest idea on the subject, and the collection of figures accompanying this report is the largest table of TinaJyses yet published m connection with samples taken ,from the open niarkej:,.. Ij^ $9#ip .ways, . therefore, this iiivestigafion, may bo cojisidered as unique. 1 . The question pf tlic interpretation of these figures need not, I think, be discussed here. This is a highly-tech-nical matter, fully discussed m the papers consulted, of which a list is attached. I should like, however (to prevent any misunderstanding), to define the do--gree of certainty attached to these m•- -• terpretations. ' ' In extreme cases there is little or no difficulty m deciding the question of the origin of a .spirit: e.g.,' a pure malt spirit and a pure pateut spirit arc easily identified and quite unmista-keable. When we get blends of the two, however, they are not always easily detected with certainty, and if a large proportion of malt spirit is present 'there may bo some doubt as to the presence of patent spirit at all. In the attached tables, therefore, there are almost certainly some spirits classed as genuine which ai'e really blended, because I have given them the benefit of the doubt. There is, however, I think, no doubt when I have classified a spirit as "patent," etc. Again, questions of maturity and mode of storage cannot be settled with certainty. The whisky manufacturer, assisted by scientific knowledge^ can now so cleverly manipulate Ki,s spirit as to render a decision of sto' 1 questions very difficult- It is well known that at. Hupresent time there arc Continental firms who make a Special business of coirpoundin"- fictitious spirits, so as to simulate any given brand now on Ihe market. 1 huve never knowingly had ono of these brands for examination, nnd therefore cannot- speak definitely a3 to their character : but these facts all serve to greatly complicate the problem to be solved. Accarjttnjfly, m ibis Eoport, I

have avoided any statements of which I do not feel certain, and if it still leaves much to be desired, this must be taken as due to our .scientific methods not yet being sufficiently perfected. I iiave deait with this- matter somewhat at length, because, since the-- appearance of my first reports of 28/3/05 and 10/7/05, as Iffid upon the table of the Legislative Assembly, there has been a ver vigorous attack upon .these report^ „and a strenuous attempt made to persuade the public that my conclusions were inaccurate. The challenge to my reports has been given only over two brands— House of Lords and Usher's — and as regards these the following- publications have been made : HOUSE OF LORDS. 1. Report of analysis by W. Rowley. Published with strong comments m the "Sunday Times" and "Truth," and advertised m the morning papars. "Sunday . Times"' 3/9/05, and '•Truth 2/9/05. . . 2. A re-print of the article from "Truth.'' distributed as a hand-sheet throughout the city., 3. A report of an' analysis by Dr. Grant Stsphon of the International Institute of . Physiology 1 -and Hygiene, London. "Daily News," 14/9/05. • USHER'S , WHISKY. 4.- A, sworn affidavit by the members of the firm, of Andrew Usher and Co. published m the advertising columns of the morning press : "West Australian," 14/10/05. I wHI comment on these m■■ order. Nos. i: and 2, Mr. Rowley's report, will \ not bear inspection. To a chemist the report contains obvious inaccuracies.(a.) He speaks of "Extract or Secondary Products." These are not synonymous, but mean two totally different things. , • . (b) "No trace of tannin," even if [true, would mean that' the spirit had never been matured m wood, as it should be. (c) No trace of Amyl Alcohol is an impossibility. No commercial spirit is ever found without a : trace of this substance. •' . The only conclusions to be drawn are that Mr. Rowley estimated the "Total Extractive Matter," and expressed this* wrongly as "Secondary Products." If ■ he did estimate the latter, he could not have obtained the alleged figures, unless Amyl Alcohol were present, which he denies. ■ • ■ I am informed jthat Mr. Rowley subsequently submitted another analysis, said t.o have been made on the same lines as my own. This report was never published, but m it lie reported the presence of Higher Alcohols , (Aniyi Alcohol) which he had previously denied. This second report T have never : seen. Another analysis made by Mr. S. S.Dougall, Analyst of Perth, so closely agreed with my report that this also has never seen the light of. day, but is contained on the official files. The •agreement between Mr. DougaH's analysis atid my own is shown by the following figures : '..'■' Dougall 's Mine. Figures. Volatile Acidity •_ 12.. , 41. Aldehydes 10.5' " , 12.77 "'• Furfural 1:14 1.44 Ethers 41.17 39.27 Alcohols 61.05 78.56 Total Secondary Products ...125.87*1,73.04 : A subsequent check showed Mr. Dougall's figures for Acidity (and consequently for total Secondary Products) to be excessive. Otherwise, the analysis are iiv remarkably close agreement. No. 3. I have made careful enquiries and search, but can find no record of tiny Such institution as the International Institute of Physiology and Hygiene m London; nor is the name of Dr. Stephen well known. Neither tho institute nor its director is mentioned m the London Directory of 1905. I can only conclude that this is one of those institutions whose importance is m inverse proportion to.the grandeur of their names.' It i's probably the Laboratory of a priA'ate (and not well-known) analyst. When so many specialists, of standing are obtainable m London it seems ' strange that credentials should.be obtained from- such an obscure source. •<■ The report cannot be further, criticised, because analytical data are lacking. . • •■ ■ ' i With the exception of Mr. Dougall's analysis (which- agree with mine), I am convinced that none of the alleged examinations were made with the same completeness and special features as mine, which were, I believe, the first analyses of the kind made hi Australia, and are based on very recent investigations m Englann ana Germany. No. 4. The sworn affidavit of the " mexnbei'S of the firm- of ■Usher and Co. is very impressive m appearance. m it the deponents swear a, good many things very explicitly, but they do riot swear (a) that the whisky is a pure malt whisky, and (b)' that it : contains no grain spirit. As these are the only two points dealt within my report, the careful avoidance of ■ . them m the affidavit is .at least remarkable. , ... ■ », The whole of the statements so fax published can only be described- as dust very cleverly thrown m the eyes of the public. My reports still remain unshaken. In fact, they have been largely conurmod. ' • THE TABLE OF ANALYSES should be read here. These, however, appear at the close of the report. In these tables a slight -difference m the figures will be found from those laid on the table of the House m- connection with samples Nos. 1,2, 3, 4, 17, 18, 19 and- 20. The Fixed Acidity is shown separately, and is not included among the Secondary Products," as m that first report. Among the above figures some •vpecial cases may N be drawn- attention to. Amongst the whiskies, Samples Nos. 2, 5, G and 13 are very difficult to classify, and have therefore been included amonij the genuine, as they at any rate contain such a good proportion of malt spirit as to justify them having the benefit of tho doubt. No. -2 is the only sample with regard to which I might be disposed to somewhat modify the opinion expressed m my first report. . These samples, together with Nos. 15. 45. 59 and 68 among the Blended Whiskies, illustratn tho difficulty I have already referred to m classifying spirits of intermediate character. Sample 57 is a particularly glaring case of imposition. The sample had none of the characteristics of a true whisky. Noh. 17, 39, 2j, 25, 28, 32, ;J3 and 74 all appear from analysis to be of ver.v poor quality. . , / Of the Brandies, it is satisfactory to notice that the Australian brands examined, appeared, without exception, to be' of •genuine character. 'Sample No. 14 seems: a particularly flagrant cr.se oi misrepresentation. Among the Rums, Sample No. 6 was of very ignoble origin. Whiskies Nos. 14, 15. 16, Brandy No. 2 and Rum No. 0 were submitted by private purchasers, and not by the Inspector of Liquors. An unexpected difficulty was mot with : n tho samples marked with an asterisk .*). During the analysis of these sani■Jos very high summer temperatures prevailed, giving laboratory temperatures as high as 80 to 95 deg. Fahr. These high temperatures apparently introduced an error m the estimation of Higher Alcohols, the possibility of which had not been observed by other chemists using f tb/e process employed^ I am espefiially, J -

PERTH, Jan. 10, 1906. SHE HON. THE PREMIER, Perth. SIR,— I have the honor to submit the following report (m accordance with, your instructions of 3/12/05) on the examinations of spirituous liquors, made m my laboratory during the last few months. This report embodies, and replaces the Separate reports already made on the Jollowing dates : 28/3/05, 10/7/05, 8/9/0"> and 14/11/05. The first and second of these, together with a report by the Chief Inspector of Liquors, dated v 2B/7/05 (attached), were the papers laid upon the table of the Legislative Assembly on August 2nd last year by the Hon. Mr. Daglish. The examinations to be described were ■undertaken to determine the nature and Equality of the spirits offered for sale m this Ktate. There is probably no matter over Which more popular disquiet and distrust exists. "For a long time articles m the daily press have averred that there was much inferior spirit being imported and sold m; West Australia, . derived from cheap and undesirable sources, land that the matter called for earnest attention. In order to ascertain the facts, an attempt has been made to sample and examine every brand of spirits, .on the local market. As far as. whiskies lare concerned, this has been done pretty comifleiely, altogether 105 brands (represented by 109 samples) having been RnalyjSod. But as regards brandies and ■> rums. . (while some have been examined), • •fhtrr/'^'still— remain- mimy brarids_jto be ■""testeiJ; ' ."" • " ;1 " \^^v •■• '"■-'■'' The total samples analysed up to the {present are 109. Before giving the reBUlts of the analyses, it will be as well for me to describe fully their scope and purpose. The examination of spirits may jembrace : (a) The determination of deleterious or fraudulent ingredients deliberately added to the spirit. (b) The determination of the nature . or 'source of the spirits. As regards (a), beyond the determination of added water — for which there have been a good many prosecutions — there is very little, if anything, to be done, for the direct and deliberate sophistication:of spirits by noxious ingredients is now practically unknown, at any rate m centres of population. . . .- As regards (h), there is muchi more to be said. In spite of all that can be said or writton by technical men who have made s the- subject a special study,the Man m the Street still believes that znuch of the spirit on 'the market contains harmful ingredients of great potency. This belief, is founded principally on difference o* TASTE m various brandp •which may b.e more or less palatable. A man's stomach being upse'e .by this unpalatable taste, he concludes that the effect is due to some noxious ingredient, - ■which, for want of a better name and accurate knowledge, he calls Fusel Oil. Now, these differences of taste are due principally to the SOURCE of the. spirit. Any substance containing starch or sugar Scan/ -by fermentation, be made' to produce? alcohol : butvthe names of the . potablo spirits m common use .were, until reconjt years, confined to spirits derived ifrotnj certain definite "sources. Thus: W, HI SKY : Used to mean a spirit derived from malted 'grain prepared . m a FOT'STIJiX,. ■ . ■ BRANDY : A liquor prepared from grapes. . ) ' HUM : Spirit obtained from molasses ' • and other products of the siigari cane. „. „- '"> . -.- ... .-.-' ;. Aliohol obtained by distillation from these particular: '.sources contains (jisliffht ■ itraebs of various substances characterise (tie, pi -its source, and which pfive to it its peculiar approved flavor* If, however, the distillation takes-placte m a PA'irEiNT STILL a much greater rectification takes place ." these characteristic ingredients are-- arrested and pufe alcohol is obtained, which is practically the same, from •what ever .source it may be derived.. , Instead of using^ the materials; above' 'described for the -preparation of -spirits, it has of late .years become a ,common practice to utilise other and cheaper sources of alcohol — e.g., damaged and un malted grain, maize, potatoes, .beet, etc. — tlie use of the patent stills ' enabling .manufacturers to prepare 'from these just '.as PURE alcohol as from other sources. Alcohol prepared by a patent still is what is commonly known as PATENT .tor SILENT.. SPIRIT^ h\ comparing ■ the spirit obtained from a pnl-still with this silent spirit, it if: Ifound that the former contains : certain compounds, formed simultaneously, call- i ed Higher Alcohols (the Fusel Oil ol tradition), Ethers, Aldehydes, etc.j which are almost entirely absent (or present) ionly m a much less degree m the silent spirit. These are called ; Secondary Products. V Silent spirit docs not therefore contain more Fusel Oil than whisky, as is popularly .supposed, hut considerably less, and its unpalatable and even nauseous tostt is simply due to the absence of the substancos mentioned above, and which m whisky serve as ilavoring agents. And when such silent spirit is made up into whisky, the manufacturer blends with it ..certain flavoring materials, which are intended to simulate the taste of true whisky. And thus it. will be found that, the majority of true whiskies on the market are described as BLENDS, the real meaning of which is not, however, recognised by the public, the general idea being that the term means a mixture of two or more genuine whiskies. This is the case m some instances, but m many it means a blend with cheaper spirit. Thus, while the wprd whisky meant originally a liquor prepared m a. pot- still from rrialt, this definition no longer holds good. There is no legal definition of the . term, and common practice has long since, swept away its original meaning. 'But 1 this s'.iould be returned to, and m this report, I use the names m their original meaning.. ■ ' ■ ■■ »■'• • ••- --', Chemists have for some time been devoting a considerable amount of, thought and work to this subject, and the general? conclusion arrivedrat srVVai^isith'ut'lhe 'Ethers, Higher Alcohols, etc., m whisky, so far from being deleterious, are highly desirable, cs giving it its particular fla,vor and liouquot : and that silent spirit, so far from containing more I&IPUPJTIF.S than whisky, owes ITS NAUSEOUS. TASTE to the ABSENCE of these' byeproducts. It will thus be seen ho\v- ? far popular ideas ;are astray frbm thc-tfuth." Chemists arc also agreed that these, bye-products are not. of that malignantcharacter generally supposed 1 ; Neverthe--less, new spirits are considered more deleterious than old matured spirits, but the ingredients which cause the effect have yet to be identified. Some of the jnore recent investigations on tho subject seem to indicate that the Aldehydes are .. responsible for the raw smell and taste of new spirits, and al^o possibly for the physiological effects : . but this is not yet definitely established. And chemists are fully agreed that no standards can be laid down as to the amount of IMPURITIK.S or BYE 7'FtODUCTS which should be permitted m potable spirits, since itheir physiological efTects are not sufficieistiy vouched for. I have for some time held the view that \t is impossible (at present) to say that p. whisky containing a notable proportion of Fusel Oil is 'harmful, and when '(some two or three years ago) prosecutions wore being instituted by a Local Board of Health here for selling such spirits 1 found many brands of whisky upon Hie market containing quantities of Fusel Oil much above the standard which it Wii>4 sought by the board to establish, and I therefore considered that these proceedings should not have been taken. Certain correspondence took place between myself and Dr. Thorpe, Principal