Opuscula Is whiskey kosher? Rule is “don’t ask”

THIS IS “PART 2” OF MY POST “Can whiskey aged in a wine cask be OK for a makpeed?” post of February 22, 2018.¹

The question raised was: Is Irish whiskey or scotch whisky kosher if it is aged in a cask that formerly held wine?

The reason Irish or scotch whiskeys are aged or “matured” in wine casks is so the whiskey will absorb some of the wine’s residual color and flavor.

The rule of 1/60th cannot apply – at least as this scrivener is concerned – since the wine does not “accidentally” enter the whiskey as a drop of milk might fall into a meat soup. Similarly, a meat dish cooked in a dairy pot is not acceptable to most observant Jews (and vice versa, of course, a dairy disk cooked in a meat vessel).²

But, it seems, the majority of Ashkenazi rabbis follow the “don’t ask, don’t tell” philosophy.

”DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” basically means that, for Irish and scotch whiskeys, “if the label doesn’t state “aged in a wine cask” (or similar words) then they accept the beverage as “kosher.”

A makpeed will contact the distiller and put the question directly: “Is the product aged in a former wine cask?”

One of the most popular scotches found in U.S. synagogues is Chivas Regal.

According to the folks that make Chivas Regal, some of the scotches blended into the product are aged in wine barrels. The Star-K “approves” all Chivas Regal products accept “Extra.”³

To this scrivener’s mind, and to a Sefardi rabbi I know, that means Chivas Regal is “not suitable for synagogue consumption.”

To be fair, R. Zvi Holland of the Star-K wrote that whiskeys aged in wine casks are allowed by the Shulhan Aruk.⁴ I am not a rabbi and I don’t play one on tv, but while I accept R. Holland’s source, I do not accept the process (aging whiskey in a wine cask).

I am not overly concerned with this or that whiskey being aged in a wine cask since I know there are options; options that the distillers have satisfied me are not aged in a wine cask.

AS AN ASIDE Given Israel’s growing prominence in viticulture, perhaps the distillers who insist on maturing their products in wine casks should buy their casks from wineries producing kosher wines. Problem solved.

The cRc apparently depends on the “Chief Rabbi of Ireland” – who in fact is the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth (including the London Bet Din, KLBD).

The KLBD page⁵ states “All Scotch and Irish Whiskey is approved. For further information see www.kosher.org.uk/article/are-all-whiskies-kosher. KLBD certified whiskies are matured exclusively in non-wine casks. The products listed are KLBD certified. ” That leaves me wondering: If a whiskey is “approved” why isn’t it “certified,” and what is the difference?

On another KLBD page⁶, the organization offers:
Ordinary Scotch Whisky whether Single Malt or Blended without any mention of the use of sherry, port or other wine casks on the label or marketing literature, can be consumed confidently without any Halachic concerns relating to potential contact with ex-wine casks. No additives to Scotch Whisky are permitted, with the exception of Caramel Colour which is kosher.

As far as Irish Whiskey is concerned, as a direct result of the work of the KLBD with the distillers,  Irish legislation has been changed and it is no longer permitted to add flavour enhancers (including those which are wine based) to Irish whiskey. This applies to all whiskey bottled in Ireland since mid 2009.

When the Bushmills’ distillery was queried, the response was “The majority of Bushmills brands contain whiskey matured in both bourbon and sherry, port or madeira casks however I am delighted to say that the following brands have been awarded Kosher status by the Chief Rabbinate of Ireland.” The four products are Bushmills Original, Black Bush, Bushmills 10 year old single malt and 12 year old Distillery Reserve. (Red Bush, claimed to be aged only in Bourbon barrels may be a “young” product, with aging less than 9 years.).

Note that the Bushmills email did NOT state that the four products are matured only in Bourbon barrels.

The problem with Irish whiskeys is that some whiskeys have a maturation in Bourbon barrels for more than the minimum three years. Whiskeys more than 10 years old might have spent time in a wine cask.

Star-K’s Irish liquor listing⁷ seems to reflect the 2009 aging law. In the screen capture below from the Star-K site, all the products aged in excess of 10 years are listed as not approved. The caveat: Star-K approves Irish whiskeys aged in wine casks (see R. Holland’s comments, ibid.) and is “approved” the equivalent of “certified”? If not, what is the difference?

The cRc site⁸ lists both “recommended” and “not recommend” Irish whiskies. According to the site, The cRc listings of recommended Irish Whiskies follows a stricter standard than the one listed above, and only includes Irish Whiskies that are certified and/or are known to not have any contact with wine or wine casks.

Interestingly, only four whiskeys rated cRc’s recommendation: Bushmills - Red Bush, Knappogue Castle - 12 Year, Midleton - Barry Crockett Legacy, and The Irishman - 12 Year. All Bushmills products, except Red Bush, were “not recommended”; Jameson products all fell into the “not recommended” category.

As for scotch, the cRc states The cRc policy is that Scotch is permitted unless the label states that it is aged in a wine cask, has a special finish, or an extra maturation. It then adds the caveat appended to the Irish list. The only Chivas Regal product on the cRc list is Chivas Regal Extra, and that is on the “not recommended” list.

Bottom Line

The bottom line for a makpeed is: “Ask the distiller a specific question and make certain the response provides the specific answer” (unlike Bushmills).

The question needs to be ask of all whiskeys, even Irish aged less than 10 years (since an older whiskey may be blended in – albeit that is unlikely), and certainly all scotch.

Interestingly, aging other potables in wine casks is gaining a following. WineEnthusiast⁹ lists a number of products aged in wine casks.

By the way, “scotch” is the whisky (sans “e”) or a product from 3M, “Scot” is a Scottish person.

1. http://tinyurl.com/y9zsljny

2. The cRc list of certifying agencies around the world (http://www.crcweb.org/agencies.pdf) includes two names that may be Sefardi or Mizrachi (R. Mordechai Aberge, R. Abraham Srugo); all others clearly are Ashkenaz.

3. https://www.star-k.org/resource/list/UTM1YXYE/Scotch

4. Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Daya 137:4 (R. Holland’s spelling)

5. https://www.theus.org.uk/koshersearch

6. http://www.kosher.org.uk/article/are-all-whiskies-kosher

7. https://www.star-k.org/resource/list/ZSSWWFVQ/Irish_Whiskey

8. http://www.crcweb.org/LiquorList.pdf

9. https://www.winemag.com/2011/04/04/wine-cask-finished-spirits/

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

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Opuscula Can whiskey aged In a wine cask Be OK for a makpeed?

WHEN IT COMES TO IRISH WHISKEY (and scotch whisky, too) some מקפידים (a person who is strict about things) reject anything aged or “matured” in a former wine cask. This is particularly true of Jews who follow the Maran Yosef Caro’s Shulhan Aruk¹. Usually these are Sefardim or Mizrahim. Ashkenazim generally follow the more lenient Rabbi Moses Isserles, a/k/a the REM”A.²

This scrivener happens to appreciate a good Irish whiskey.

A sampling of Irish whiskey options sans concern for kashrut.

NOW THERE IS A SOLUTION to the problem that could, or at least should satisfy the most makpeed – even this scrivener.

Israel has developed a thriving viniculture industry.

Most of the wines produced in Israel are kosher.

Unlike the Israeli products of the past, the new Israeli wines can hold their own in world competition. Besides being kosher, or perhaps in spite of being kosher, Israeli wines are highly marketable and maintain pretty good sales wherever wines are sold.

Which means . . .

Which means that Israel has wine casks to sell to the Irish and Scots whiskey makers.

Which means that the whiskey makers can use the casks to impart both color and taste to the products at least initially aged in used Bourbon barrels.

It seems to me that would be a Win – Win – Win for all concerned.

Win 1 The Israelis could get a little more ROI on the cask investment by selling – at a reasonable price-- to the Irish and Scots.

Win 2 The Irish and Scots could use the Israeli wine casks to color and flavor their products.

Win 3 The מקפידים could enjoy a greater variety of their favorite whiskeys.

An aside

What is the difference between “whiskey” and “whisky” – other than an “e”?

Whiskey – with an “e” – is the preferred spelling for American and Irish whiskeys. (Bourbon is a whiskey, but whiskey is not always Bourbon.)

Whisky – sans an “e” -- is the preferred spelling for the product made in Scotland. (“Scotch” is the potable; Scot is a person who lives in Scotland.) Whisky also is the preferred spelling in Canada.

Heksure, heksure, who’s got the heksure.

I recently was looking for Irish whiskeys that are “certifiable,” that is, they are certified kosher by a recognizable certifying agency, e.g., the Chief Rabbinate of Ireland, OU, Star-K, cRc, or one of the many badatz³ in Israel (it seems every city and town has a badatz to call its own).

What I found was confusion.

One agency listed a product as “approved,” while another disagreed. One agency’s “not recommended” was another’s “recommended.”

Until the wine cask issue is resolved – or the buyer simply doesn’t care – the best way to determine if a product is aged in a wine cask is: ASK THE DISTILLER.

In my experience, most distillers are candid with their answers. Most DO respond to polite email queries. In some cases, the question has to be posed to a corporation (e.g., Pernod Ricard which owns Chivas Regal, a blended scotch, some of which is aged in wine casks). Distiller or corporation, responses have been forthcoming.

לחיים

1. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/joseph-caro/

2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Isserles

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badatz

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

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Pride goeth, etc. ANC would rather Die of thirst than Accept Israeli aid

SOUTH AFRICA according to many reports on the Web, is about to run out of water.

Israel, which has developed technology that could prevent that from happening, offered help.

The African National Congress (ANC), South Africa’s ruling party, rejected Israel’s offer.

Why would the ANC condemn its people to die of thirst?

Pride.

Loyalty to the artificial “Palestine.”

PRIDE

Back when Afrikaners¹ controlled South Africa, back in the days of apartheid, toward the end of the white dominance, Israel sold military material to the country.

When the mostly black ANC took over, most things “Israeli” was banished. (Some Jews remain in South Africa, living under some disadvantages. Israel has an embassy in one of South Africa’s three capitals, Pretoria, a/k/a “Tshwane”.)

”PALESTINE”

South Africa is a socialist state with alignment to the Communist Party².

The ANC deems itself a force of national liberation in the post-apartheid era; it officially defines its agenda as the National Democratic Revolution. The ANC is a member of the Socialist International. It also sets forth the redressing of socio-economic differences stemming from colonial- and apartheid-era policies as a central focus of ANC policy.

In 2004 the ANC declared itself to be a social democratic party.

Aside from the fact that the Afrikaners bought military equipment from Israel, many South Africans are anti_Caucasian racists as evidenced by several comments on the Wiki site (²). Apparently they consider Israelis “white” and “Palestinians” as non-white. (Never mind that Israel’s population ranges in color (or lack there of) from snow white to ebony black.)

PRIDE

South Africa’s ANC government apparently would prefer its people die of thirst rather than accept help to resolve the drought issue from Israel, a nation that has a proven track record of helping drought-plagued countries.

South Africa has water (see map, above), albeit in its present state, it is not potable; not suitable for consumption.

In 2015, the BBC³, which occasionally reports accurately, had a headline that read: South Africa grapples with worst drought in 30 years. Now, three years later, severe water restrictions have been put into place.

Cape Town, on the Atlantic Ocean, is, according to Vox⁴ bracing for “Day Zero” — the day it cuts off running water for 4 million people.

Cape Town is home to the legislative branch of the government.

The Vox piece noted that Cape Town, South Africa, a city roughly the size of Los Angeles, is about to run out of water — completely.

Authorities are warning that as soon as May 11 — which they’ve ominously dubbed “Day Zero” — the drought-stricken city will have to cut off taps to all homes and most businesses, leaving nearly all of the city’s 4 million residents without access to running water.

Residents will then have to go to roughly 200 collection points scattered across the city to collect strictly rationed water. People will be allowed just 25 liters — about 6.5 gallons — of water a day. That’s all the water they’ll have for drinking, bathing, flushing toilets, and washing their hands.

Pride.

It can kill you.

Sources

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrikaners

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_National_Congress#Ideology

3. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34884135

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

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Opuscula PA currency Not worth Confederate $

TERRORIST ABU MAZEN, a/k/a Mahmoud Abbas, (elected in 2005 for a 4-year term and preventing new elections since) wants to issue “Palestinian” currency.

For a pseudo-state that is broke even after infusions of money from treasuries around the world, the question must be: What will he use to support the currency?
Jordanian dinars?

U.S. dollars?

Israeli shekels?

Of gold and silver he has none.

The PA, despite billions of donated dollars for infrastructure, has no industry of consequence; it lacks technology. In fact, it even lacks a cohesive government to rule both the areas of Israel allotted to it and Hamas-controlled Gaza.

It cannot pay for the electricity Israel provides.

It cannot pay for the fuel oil Israel provides Gaza.

Mind: if the leadership in the PA and Gaza stopped pocketing the foreign funds, it might have sufficient wealth to pay its bills and maybe be in a position to issue its own currency.

During the first of the U.S.’ several wars with a small island off the coast of Europe, the nation issued paper currency called “Continentals.” As the war progressed, the Continental declined in value until people said “It’s not worth a paper Continental.”

During the War for Southern Independence (a/k/a U.S. Civil War), the Confederacy issued its own currency that would be redeemed two years after the war ended. As the war progressed, the Confederate paper currency declined to not being worth the paper on which it was printed. The only value of Confederate paper currency today is based on collector’s desires to own it.

Both the early U.S. currency and the Confederate currency were backed by foreign currencies primarily because the countries backing the fledgling U.S. and CSA knew there were assets that could be claimed assuming the U.S. and CSA prevailed. The U.S. prevailed; the CSA failed.

What are the PA’s assets?

Common people live in poverty; the only ones with decent incomes work outside the PA – in Israel and elsewhere. The leadership, on the other hand, lives very well indeed. It’s president, apparently for life, had a US$8,839,480 (£6.4 million) presidential palace¹ built in which he now refuses to reside – apparently ashamed of the extravagance – and a US$50 million executive jet² that is parked in Jordan as the PA lacks a suitable airfield.

On the other hand, the majority of Israeli Arabs live in decent to superior housing and have jobs that pay far above PA wages. While Jews are exiting the Old City of Jerusalem for more affordable housing in the capital’s suburbs, Arabs are buying up the properties the Jews left. Too expensive for Jews but affordable for Arabs?³ So much for Arab wealth and apartheid. By the way, it is a crime to sell a Jew property in PA-controlled ares.

Abu Mazen at one point planned to issue PA passports, but shelved the idea when he realized Israel would refuse to honor them; to leave PA controlled areas of Israel, residents need to pass through Israeli check points. The PA residents would be treated exactly as Israeli passport holders are treated in many – most – of the world’s Muslim-dominated countries. (The left, in Israel and elsewhere, would be outraged by Israel’s action, but action against Israelis is “OK.”)

There are a few in the PA who are demanding new elections.⁴ Hamas, in its continuing fight with PA leadership, is throwing a monkey wrench into the works with its particular demands.⁵

With the world’s charity going into the pockets of the terrorists’ – both the leadership and those caught in the act and jailed in Israel – it is no wonder that any PA paper currency should be printed on toilet paper.

Life for the residents of PA-controlled Israel isn’t fair.

Many had jobs in Israel – Soda Stream, for example, was forced to relocate from the “West Bank” due to the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.⁶ The only people hurt by the self-righteous leftists were the PA residents who lost a decent (equal to Israeli Jews’) wage; Soda Stream relocated to the Negev and now employs Bedo alongside Jews. Another BDS success?

Sources

1. http://tinyurl.com/y8hnxbcg

2. http://tinyurl.com/y948bqo5

3. http://tinyurl.com/zzjau3b

4. http://tinyurl.com/y8vxfj59

5. http://tinyurl.com/y95gg7mc

6. http://tinyurl.com/j2numzt

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

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Opuscula Arabs finally Learn lesson Populate to own

IF TWO ARTICLES OUT OF ISRAEL are accurate, then the Arabs finally learned a lesson they rejected since 1947.

POPULATE TO CONTROL.

HAD THE ARABS

(a) Not abandoned British Palestine as their mufti told them (get out of the way of the glorious invading Arab armies)

(b) Made peace with Israel in 1967

They might have a state today.

Now, according to two articles in Arutz Sheva -Israel National News, they are threatening to become the majority in Israel’s capital and they intend to make Jerusalem the “capital of the Islamic Caliphate.”

Under a headline reading Jerusalem soon will be 50% Arab”¹, readers are advised that Experts warn city on track to lose Jewish majority as thousands of PA residents flood into city's outer neighborhoods.

One of the reasons Jews are moving to the suburbs is the cost of housing.

If Jews in “apartheid” Israel cannot afford housing in Jerusalem, how can Muslims afford the housing?

While the high birthrate among the city’s Muslim Arab residents has contributed to part of the demographic change, Senior Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs researcher Nadav Shragai suggests that the unauthorized immigration of tens of thousands of Palestinian Authority residents into the city may be the primary driver of the rapid increase in the Arab population.

On the same day, Arutz Sheva had a story headed 'Jerusalem will be the capital of the Islamic Caliphate'² with a summary reading Islamic Movement leader slams Palestinian Authority for crying 'crocodile tears,' promises Jerusalem will be capital of Islamic Caliphate..

Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib, Deputy Head of the illegal Islamic Movement in Israel, published an article expressing his opinion what Jerusalem's status should be. "The city of Al-Quds is the capital city of the Islamic Caliphate, which is run properly," al-Khatib wrote. "With the help of Allah, this will soon become reality."

Al-Khatib, who serves as deputy chief of the outlawed Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement, was banned until October 2017 from entering Jerusalem or Al-Aqsa mosque. In July 2017, he claimed that Israeli authorities "persecute the activists by arresting dozens of them, preventing their entry to Jerusalem and Al Aqsa, and forbidding them to travel abroad."

Sources

1. http://tinyurl.com/y8l3uhpf

2. http://tinyurl.com/yb3wwj3j

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

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Opuscula Nazi or Polish Death camps

THE POLISH GOVERNMENT just passed a law that penalizes anyone for calling the nazi death camps in Poland “Polish death camps.”

Maybe it’s a good law; after all, the Poles – most of whom supported the nazi brutalities against Jews, Roma, Communists, Socialists, and others the nazi ruler found distasteful – didn’t build or directly run the camps.

What should be said is “nazi death camps in Poland.”

CAVEAT: While I think the behavior of the Polish government is absurd and seems to be the first step in white washing the many nazi (and now “neo-nazi”) collaborators in Poland, I know Poles who don’t agree with the government.

CONSIDER THIS

According to the Jewish Virtual Library (JVL)¹, all but ONE “annihilation” (death) camp was located in Poland. The list:

Auschwitz-Birkenau,
Belzec,
Chelmno,
Majdanek,
Sobibor,
Treblinka

The only “annihilation” camp NOT in Poland was Janowska in the Ukraine.

That is not to suggest that inmates escaped death in forced labor camps; only that the “annihilation” (JVL’s word) camps were built with mass murder in mind.

So, it is true the “annihilation” camps were not “Polish annihilation camps”; they were nazi “annihilation” camps on Polish soil.

Given that, why would the nazis elect to build their “annihilation” camps on Polish soil.

Obviously the nazis wanted to keep their good German hands clean, to distance the loyal German from the reality of the death camps.

Equally obviously, and this is why so many call the “annihilation” camps “Polish death camps,” because for the most part the Poles were both willing and convenient hosts.

Under the heading Concentration and Death Camps Chart ThoughtCo.² lists basically the same information as did JVL, but more clearing defines the camps as “extermination” camps. Annihilation or extermination. Bottom line is the same and either way, the camps were in Poland.

Another ThoughtCo. Page³ provides a map of nazi camps or all types, as well as links to educational material.

1. JVL: http://tinyurl.com/y9dr8flq

2. ThoughtCo.: http://tinyurl.com/mbqtawt

3. ThoughtCo.: http://tinyurl.com/mgkh2ku

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

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