This article explores the world of bourbon, demystifying its origins, production process, and key characteristics. It distinguishes bourbon from other whiskeys, highlighting the unique rules governing its creation, and delves into the importance of charring barrels in imparting its signature flavor.
The whiskey aisle at your local wine and spirits store can be overwhelming. Bottles upon bottles of brown spirit tower high above you, some priced at hundreds of dollars. A newcomer without any reference points might understandably feel adrift. But a good bourbon is more than a bar cart star.
A terrific bottle of bourbon is the foundation for classic cocktails like a Paper Plane or a Hot Toddy, but it also punches up recipes like a Bourbon Date-Pecan Pie and Coffee-and-Bourbon-Braised Short Ribs. If you’ve secretly been confused about the difference between whiskey, scotch, bourbon, rye, and the like, you’re not alone. Spirits writer and author of Whiskey Master Class: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, and More, Lew Bryson breaks it down like this: “Whiskey is fermented from grain, distilled, and aged in wood. Anything that fits that description is whiskey.” Under that umbrella, there are several subcategories. Scotch whisky (the preferred spelling in Canada, Scotland and Japan) is made in Scotland, rye whiskey is made with majority rye, and Japanese whisky is made in, you guessed it, Japan. Bourbon whiskey has its own specific set of manufacturing rules. It must be made in America, from at least 51% corn, and it must be aged in a new barrel of charred oak. There are some technicalities around alcohol levels as well, but, interestingly, no minimum aging requirement—though Bryson says most bourbons are aged in barrel for at least two years. Charring the barrels, Bryson says, is an important part of the process. “Oak is just stuffed with flavor compounds,” he says. “When you char the barrel, you’re turning it into a flavor crucible.” Charring causes chemical changes to the wood, which impart flavors and color. The wood also acts as a filter, removing unwanted elements like sulfur compounds from the liqui
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