Bourbon Whiskey

Mokoa's Avatar
  • Mokoa
  • 02-04-2010, 10:05 PM


Yep. Me too.
rekcaSxT's Avatar
But Bourbon IS a legal definition.

Today, 'bourbon' has a specific legal meaning that has little to do with its geographic origins. That definition, now enshrined in federal law, has existed in its present form only since about the end of the 19th century. According to federal law, bourbon must be at least 51% corn, distilled at less than 160 proof, and aged for at least two years in new, charred oak barrels. (There are some other requirements, but those are the main ones.) Bourbon also must be made within the United States. In other words, a foreign product that meets all of the other requirements still can not be sold in the U.S. as bourbon.
http://www.straightbourbon.com/articles/ccname.html

Not all whiskey is bourbon, but all bourbon is whiskey.

Like Champagne and Sparkling Wine.
bigmarv's Avatar
US law does not explicitly exclude charcoal filtering prior to aging for bourbon, so legally Jack Daniels probably qualifies as bourbon. However, the distiller does not consider their whiskey to be bourbon, but rather "Tennessee Whiskey".
rekcaSxT's Avatar
It appears that Tennessee Whiskey IS a protected name.

See:
[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_whiskey[/ame]

The answer to my other question as to the only other Tenn Whiskey is.... George Dickel.
rekcaSxT's Avatar
But they DO reuse their barrels.

And they are NOT bourbon.

It is not an attack on Jack Daniels, or you. It is just reality.
Chainsaw Anthropologist's Avatar
That has kinda bugged me, because I have heard the same thing. BUT Evan Williams is Charcoal Filtered, and it is Bourbon. But Jack Daniels does reuse their barrels.

One thing is certain, JD is not bourbon, and they have no desire to be called bourbon. They are proud to be one of only 2 Tennessee whiskeys in existance.

Anyone know the OTHER Tennessee Whiskey??? Originally Posted by rekcaSxT
George A. Dickel of Tullahoma, TN....

I thought Bourbon was used in a manner similar to wine appellations. As a result, despite the fact that Tennessee sour mash whiskey is generically the same as Bourbon, true Bourbon can only come from Kentucky
bigmarv's Avatar
Oh yeah, another fine Tennessee sippin Whiskey.
rekcaSxT's Avatar
true Bourbon can only come from Kentucky[/FONT] Originally Posted by Chainsaw Anthropologist
Not quite true either.

Bourbon has to be made in the US. There are bourbons that are NOT made in Kentucky. But MOST are. It is because of the limestone in the water in Kentucky. The Kentucky river provides most of the water used in the process. It is a beautiful river.

I know of bourbons made in Virginia, and Missouri, and I think Illinois and Indiana as well.
rekcaSxT's Avatar
And George Dickel is a great whiskey. (It is also made/owned by Diageo who does Crown etc.. see earlier post)

The newest offering from Dickel is the Cascade Hollow. It is a 3 year version. The older versions (White label and Black label) are next to impossible to find right now. So they released the 3 year to satisfy the demand.
sacker you know your bourbon!

have you sampled the woodford reserve master collection


another i was curious about was blanton's

any thoughts?
Risn2TheOccasion's Avatar
Gees, I just tried to answer the fucking question. LOL Call it what you wish, bourbon, whiskey, bourbon whickey, fire water, who cares. ROFLMAO I like it.
Gees, I just tried to answer the fucking question. LOL Call it what you wish, bourbon, whiskey, bourbon whickey, fire water, who cares. ROFLMAO I like it. Originally Posted by Risn2TheOccasion
I don't think he was attackin ya bro. I think he was just trying to explain the difference between a Bourbon Whiskey and a Irish/Scotch/Candian. Whatever it may be.


From what I've read what makes it different is that it's a unique product of the US.

Specific Standards include:
* Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.[1]
* Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume).
* Bourbon must contain no caramel coloring (E-150)
* Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak aging barrels. [1]
* Bourbon may not be stored in the barrel at higher than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume).
* Bourbon, like other whiskeys, may not be bottled at less than 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume.)
* Bourbon which meets the above requirements and has been aged for a minimum of two years, may (but is not required to) be called Straight Bourbon.[2]
* Bourbon aged for a period less than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.
* If an age is stated on the label, it must be the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle.



Personally I'm not much the fan of Scotch or Irish Whiskey. I like Canadian, but recently...all i've been sippin is bourbon.
rekcaSxT's Avatar
sacker you know your bourbon!

have you sampled the woodford reserve master collection


another i was curious about was blanton's

any thoughts? Originally Posted by tonysnow512
I have never had the master collection. I have seen a few different ones too. I know one had done a second aging in Sonoma Cutrer barrels.

As far as Blanton's, well that is a special bottle. I haven't had it in a while and it is a single barrel so like all single barrels it will tast a little different every time. I need to revisit Blanton's I remember I really liked it.
Risn2TheOccasion's Avatar
I don't think he was attackin ya bro. I think he was just trying to explain the difference between a Bourbon Whiskey and a Irish/Scotch/Candian. Whatever it may be. Originally Posted by tonysnow512
Oh trust me, I am not upset. I wouldn't have been laughing so hard if I was upset. I understand the differences and each unique composition. Like beers are pilsners, lagers, ales, stouts, and vary based on region, yeast, hops, grains and brewing methods used. But in my feeble mind I don't categorize what I like as a stout or an ale.

No harm done. I just found the thread amusing based on my answer.
rekcaSxT's Avatar
We can talk beer too!

I brew my own....

:-)