After wading in barrels of the Scotch and Irish drams, it's time to turn our attention homeward, to that quintessential American spirit: good old bourbon whiskey. We'll look today at what makes bourbon unique, how it's made, and how it came to be.
What Is Bourbon?
In brief, bourbon is a whiskey, made predominantly from corn and aged in charred oak barrels. But if you've been reading this column for a while, you know that I'll probably hit you with a formal, legal definition of bourbon that complicates things. Indeed, here it is.
According to the United States government, bourbon sold in the United States must meet these requirements:
- Made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn. (Other grains in the mix may include wheat, rye, malted rye, and malted barley, in any combination.)
- Aged in new charred-oak barrels.
- Distilled to no more than 160 proof, or 80% alcohol by volume (ABV). In practice, most bourbon is distilled out at a lower proof than this.
- Entered into the barrel for aging at a proof no higher than 125 (62.5% ABV).
- Bottled at no less than 80 proof (40% ABV).
When we looked at the legal regulations about the manufacture of Scotch and Irish whiskies, we saw some language in them about the origins of the enzymes and yeasts used in fermentation. Bourbon has no such restrictions, so bourbon makers may use added enzymes to break down the grain mash.
We've already talked a lot about barrel aging in this space, but it's worth mentioning again. Bourbon requires the use of new, charred-oak barrels. This allows the barrel to impart more of its own flavors of oak, caramel, and vanilla into the whiskey than you get with Scotch, which generally uses second-hand barrels. We'll talk more about aging in a minute.
by Michael Dietsch, Serious Eats | Read more:
