sour mash

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noun

a blended grain mash used in the distilling of some whiskeys, consisting of new mash and a portion of mash from a preceding run and yielding a high rate of lactic acid.

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Origin of sour mash

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Words nearby sour mash

sour dock, sourdough, sour gourd, sour grapes, sour gum, sour mash, sour-milk cheese, sour on, sourpuss, sour salt, soursop

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sour mash in a sentence

When done, the sugar of what is now “sour mash” has been converted into carbonic acid and alcohol.
Our Southern Highlanders|Horace Kephart
These days when he's idle he mostly sticks home and tries out new ways to make prime old Kentucky sour mash in eight hours.
Merton of the Movies|Harry Leon Wilson
Sour Mash is a constant source of anxiety, care, and pleasure to papa.
Chapters from My Autobiography|Mark Twain
Papa says that if the collera comes here he will take Sour Mash to the mountains.
Chapters from My Autobiography|Mark Twain

Susy recognizes that when she mentions Sour Mash it is not necessary to localize her.
Chapters from My Autobiography|Mark Twain

British Dictionary definitions for sour mash

sour mash

noun US

a grain mash for use in distilling certain whiskeys, consisting of a mixture of new and old mash

any whiskey distilled from such a mash

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012