

The law states that for a spirit to qualify as bourbon, its production must take place entirely in the United States, its mash bill must contain at least 51% corn, and its maturing must take place inside new oak, charred barrels. federal law, bourbon has a legal definition that governs its production. In fact, it's the definitive American whiskey, considered the native spirit of the country. The same laws that govern mash bill compositions also define the characteristics of the barrels used during aging and the length of the process.īourbon is a particular type of American whiskey. Oak is the most common type of wood used for whiskey barrels. Coming off the still, the whiskey spirit is clear, and sitting in the barrels gives it both color and flavor. Whiskeys usually undergo at least two distillations before entering the barrels to age. Rice and hybrid grains such as triticale aren't unheard of in the world of whiskey production as well. Some less-common additions include millet, oats, and spelt. These are by no means the only grains that whiskey distillers use. Most, if not all, distillers use malted barley in their mash bills. Broadly speaking, barley adds a roasted quality, corn brings sweetness, rye is sharp and peppery, and wheat often imparts a different level of sweetness and a degree of softness on the palate. Some whiskeys, by law, must contain a minimum amount of a specific grain to qualify as a particular variety of whiskey.Įach grain type contributes its own flavor and character to the spirit. Depending on the type of whiskey, it may contain one, some, or all of these. The most common grains featured in mash bills are barley (malted and un-malted), corn, rye, and wheat. The combination of grains that go into a whiskey's composition is its mash bill. Whiskey is a spirit distilled from grains and aged in wood barrels. If you've ever found yourself in this dilemma, this guide may be helpful to you. With that much choice, you may wonder which bottle is the one for you or even what distinguishes these types - whiskey, bourbon, and scotch - from one another. You look up and see "whiskey," "bourbon," and "scotch" above one aisle whose shelves hold hundreds of gleaming bottles of straw-colored, amber, or brown spirits. Imagine you enter a liquor store, and hanging signs mark the aisles. BOURBON VS WHISKEY VS SCOTCH Imagine you enter a liquor store, and hanging signs mark the aisles.
