Key details: There is NO CACHE AT THE POSTED COORDINATES. The actual cache coordinates are: 38° 1A.BCD’ N, 85° 3E.FGH’ W. Read on to determine the values of A through H. The checksum for A through H is 39. The cache itself is a nano with a waterproof log, so BRING A SHARPIE (tweezers may be helpful as well). When you arrive at GZ, the hint will tell you EXACTLY where to look.
I thought this area could use a nice bourbon-related cache. For those of you who are bourbon lovers, like myself, the difficulty rating should be much lower. But for those who know next to nothing about bourbon, that’s about to change! Everything you need to solve this cache is readily available online. Let “class” begin!
First, we’ll review the basic rules that a distilled spirit must obey in order to be called “bourbon,” and you’ll uncover the values of A, B, and F in the final coordinates. If you have taken tours at bourbon distilleries before, you know that often, tour guides like to “quiz” their guests on these rules. If you commit them to memory, you’ll crush it on bourbon tours. Here are the rules:
1) The mash bill (the mixture of grains used to produce the spirit) must consist of at least W1% corn, where W is the value of A.
2) At the end of distillation, the spirit coming off the still (often called “white dog”, among many other names) must be no higher than 1X0 proof, where X is the value of B. The “white dog” is then typically diluted with distilled/purified water to reach its desired “barrel entry proof.”
3) The “white dog” must enter the barrel (to begin the aging process) at no higher than 1YZ proof, where Y + Z is the value of F.
4) The spirit must be aged in new, charred oak containers (which are virtually always barrels, though they don’t technically need to be). Though both white oak and red oak can be used for the barrels, white oak is typically chosen, because red oak is much higher in bitter tannins.
5) The spirit must be produced in the United States (bourbon does NOT need to be made in Kentucky).
6) The product must be bottled at no less than 80 proof.
Now that you have the values of A, B, and F, and you know the basic “rules of bourbon”, here are clues to find the remaining values:
A = See above.
B = See above.
C = Subtract 1 from the barrel char level that is commonly referred to as an “alligator char.” Alligator char (which results from a 55-second burn) and the char level immediately below it (35- to 45-second burn), which is the value of C, are the two most commonly used barrel char levels for aging bourbon.
D = The minimum number of years that a bourbon must be aged to be labeled “Bottled-In-Bond.” (There are multiple other requirements, too, one of which is being bottled at exactly 100 proof.)
E = The Bottled-in-Bond Act was passed by the U.S. federal government in the year 189X, where E = X minus 2, in reaction to widespread and sometimes dangerous adulteration of American whiskey with substances such as iodine and tobacco; it helped to create a standard of quality for bourbon, and some say it was effectively the first American consumer protection law, predating the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.
F = See above.
G = The number of letters in the word that is missing from this statement: “The four grains most commonly used in the production of bourbon, in no particular order, are corn, malted barley, wheat, and ______.”
H = The minimum number of years that a bourbon must be aged to be considered a “straight bourbon”, *PLUS* the minimum number of years that a bourbon must have been aged if its label does NOT display an “age statement.”
Cheers!