Bourbon vs Whiskey

Because we're avid whiskey drinkers, it seems a conversation is frequently being had about the differences in bourbon vs whiskey vs scotch, etc.  Not that it really matters at all, but just to set the record straight, (and so I can remember), I'm going to do a post about this topic.  Let's not beat around the bush, the blog is mainly a repository for useless information anyway so this topic fits perfectly.

All bourbons are whiskies, but not all whiskies are bourbons.
All scotches are whiskies, but not all whiskies are scotches.

Got it?

We owe the Irish for their Gaelic term “uisce beatha” which translates to “water of life”. The word uisce became whiskey.

At a high level, the word whiskey indicates the broad genre of this type of liquor, the entire spectrum so to speak.  It's kind of like saying "red wine", but there are various types of red wines like cabs, malbec, merlots, etc.  Bourbon, scotch and rye are the various types of whiskey.  At it's core, whiskey is simply a distilled beverage made from fermented grain mash.  The contents of the mash and/or the location in which the liquor is made, can dictate which "sub-category" it can fall into.

*Just so you know, "Mash" is the grain mixture that is mixed with water and yeast.  Basically, the starting ingredients of what will ultimately become the booze.  The ratio used in that mixture will determine much of how that spirit will be classified when produced.


BOURBON

Bourbon whiskey is a type of barrel aged spirit made primarily from corn.  Corn being the key factor as you will soon find out.  The name comes from a French royal family that once ruled France and was pronounced BOOR-BAWN before we rednecked it all up.  In the 1800's, West Kentucky and parts of Virginia were settled by a large French influence.  Part of this area is now current day "Bourbon County", hence the name of the spirit from this area.

Firstly, let me dispel a common misnomer:  "To be called Bourbon, a spirit must be made in Kentucky".  This is FALSE.  The location is irrelevant, except it must be made in the good ol' US of A to be considered a bourbon, with the below qualifications.  Generally, I think that the old Kentucky distilleries want you to think that only the real "bourbon" comes from Kentucky, but about 20 other states sell the stuff.  Not to mention, only about 4 huge conglomerate companies own most of the bourbon coming out of the state of Kentucky....That's 'Merica.

The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits state that bourbon made for U.S. consumption must be:

1. Produced in the United States
2. Made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn (the remaining can be any other grain)
3. Aged in new, charred-oak barrels
4. Distilled to no more than 160 proof, entered into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof and bottled at 80 proof or more

"New" is highlighted because a barrel cannot be reused, at least not to make bourbon.  Scotch does not have this requirement, therefore used bourbon barrels are sometimes sold to scotch makers.  A fun fact is that approx 20 lbs of bourbon gets absorbed by the barrel so it's that much heavier after the fact.

Contrary to popular belief, bourbon has no minimum specified duration for its aging period.  Products aged for as little as three months are sold as bourbon.  The exception is "straight" bourbon, which has a minimum aging requirement of two years. In addition, any bourbon aged less than 4 years must state the age of the spirit on the bottle.

Tennessee Whiskey

Jack Daniels sells the most liquor in the world, but Jim Beam claims to have the best selling bourbon in the world.  Why?  Because Jack Daniels doesn't consider itself bourbon.  Say what?

Obviously, Tennessee whiskey must be made in Tennessee.  The interesting part is that this name is more about branding and marketing than the technicalities of the liquor being produced.  Many of the whiskies made in Tennessee meet the requirements to be considered bourbon, but they are labeled as "Tennessee Whiskey" as a way to differentiate themselves from bourbon.  Tennessee whiskeys undergo a filtering stage called the "Lincoln County Process", in which the whiskey is filtered through a thick layer of maple charcoal before it is put into new charred oak barrels for aging.  The law states that it must be aged, but does not specify how long.

The long and short of it is, Tennessee whiskey is bourbon made in Tennessee that is filtered through maple charcoal and aged an unspecified amount of time.

Scotch

To be called Scotch, this spirit must be:

1. Made entirely in Scotland
2. Mash must be made from some percentage of malted barley (hence the single malt, etc)
3. Aged 3 years

I love bourbon but I hate scotch, so go figure...I must not like malted barley.

So a fun fact about the word malted, it can be any grain, not just barley.  It basically means the grain is made to germinate by soaking in water and then halted from the germination process by drying with hot air.  So the grain is given water and instinctively, it attempts to sprout roots and grow.  As soon as that happens, the growing process is stopped by removing the water and letting it dry out.  The roots and sprouts are removed and the sprouted kernel is all that is left.  It is a common belief that liquor made with malted grain is easier on the next day hangover.

American Rye Whiskey

Similarly to how Bourbon's requirement is 51% corn, Rye whiskey must be 51% rye.  The remaining can be corn or barley or whatever, just like in a bourbon.  So technically a few percentage points differences in the mash between corn and rye could dictate whether a spirit is a bourbon or rye.  Rye tends to add a bit of spice to the flavor...the more rye, the more spice.

Canadian Rye Whiskey

The odd thing about Canadian rye, there is no actual requirement that the mash require any rye at all.  Since historically, much of the content was rye, it sounds like it's just sort of assumed in Canada, but there is no legal requirement.  Most of them do contain rye and are blended to achieve a unique taste and aroma, but let's be honest Canadian whiskey blows.  Minimum 3 years aging is required.

Corn Whiskey

Made with a mash of 80% corn and no aging is required.  This is your run of the mill, on a tight budget, legal moonshine.  Right on man.