If I were to go into a saloon in the Wild West (circa 1880s) and ordered a whiskey, what would it have been like. Whiskeys now are aged, blended, and diluted to standard proofs. Did whiskeys that wouldve been available in saloons also go through this kind of processing? What would they have made it out of?
More can always be said, but this older answer might be of interest for you, courtesy /u/itsallfolklore.