Whiskey drinking has been popular in the United States sincecolonial times . EvenGeorge Washingtonhad a rye whisky whisky still . But bourbon — often scream " America ’s native life " — has enjoyed a resurgence in the retiring tenner . According to the Distilled Spirits Council , in 2018 , more than 24 million 9 - liter font ofAmerican whiskeywas sell in the U.S. , which include both Bourbon dynasty and whiskey .
But what ’s the difference between the two ? If you think you’re able to apply the terms interchangeably you ’d be wrong . Chris Fletcher is the assistant master distiller at theJack Daniel Distilleryin Lynchburg , Tennessee , the oldest file distillery in the United States . He gave us the lowdown on the difference — and similarities — between the two spirits .
What Is Whiskey?
" whisky is any distilled flavour derived from grainnot distilledto190 substantiation , " Fletcher says . " Once you get to 190 [ or high ] you ’re get to a ' impersonal ' spirit , such as vodka . " He also says that whiskey must be exposed to oak . " Typically , a barrel is used for maturate the spirit . " So that ’s it : Whiskey is a distilled spirit derive from grain , not distilled higher than 190 substantiation , exposed to oak . And that ’s that , good ? Not quite .
" If you think about whisky , globally , " Fletcher say , " you haveScotchwhiskys , Irish , Nipponese and Canadian . But it ’s when you get to American whisky you find the most rigorous laws that delimit what you may put on a label that claim a type of American whiskey . "
American whiskeys are de jure defined and regulated by theAlcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau . By law to be label as a square American whiskey , it must be mature in new , charred - oak container or barrels , and the grains that make up those whisky have to be a certain percentage . For exemplar , straight American rye whiskeyhas to contain at least 51 percent rye and must be senesce in new , charred - oak tree barrels / container at least two years and be distilled in the same nation .
What Is Bourbon?
Bourbonalso has strict guidelines . It can be made in any state in the U.S. , though Kentucky is most illustrious for it . It , too , is a straight American whisky , but the mash has to have at least 51 percentage Zea mays in the formula , and it must be aged in new , charred oak tree containers / barrelful . " There are other technical specifications to the process , " Fletcher aver .
For instance , whisky ( bank note spelling ) outside of the U.S. can be distilled as gamey as 189 proof , but in the U.S. Bourbon dynasty ca n’t distilled any higher than 160 trial impression . " That continue more of the flavor of the grain from the fermentation process , the measure before distillation , " Fletcher explains . American bourbon also ca n’t be added to the barrel for aging if it ’s already above 125 proof . Water is usually total to the final un - aged whisky to impart it down to the trust proof . Some stigma take it down as low as 114 proof before sum up it to the barrels for ripening , usually for at least four years or more .
You might have heard it say that all bourbon is whisky but not all whisky is bourbon , and that ’s why . Bourbon is a liveliness , come from at least 51 per centum corn , not distil higher than 160 proof and placed in unexampled charred - oak tree bbl at 125 proof or below . It must be bottled at a minimal 80 proof .
What About Tennessee Whiskey?
Now , what ’s the difference between bourbon and Tennessee whiskey ? One extra tone . " Jack Daniel is a Tennessee whiskey and it qualifies 100 percent as a bourbon , " says Fletcher .
To be a Tennessee whisky the spirit must be made in Tennessee — it ’s geographically restricted . Next , it has to characterise as a bourbon whisky . " That means it must travel along the 51 percent corn minimum , " says Fletcher , " the distillation level best of 160 proof ( we ’re really well below that at 140 proof at Jack Daniel ) . We always have to maturate in a newfangled , charred oak container / barrel and it has to go in at 125 test copy or below . We make all those criteria . "
Finally , the Jack Daniel Distillery adds a last footstep referred to ascharcoal mellowing . At Jack Daniel they make their own oxford gray on the premises from maple Sir Henry Joseph Wood glow to fill in ember . The coal is packed tightly into a large vat , then the freshly distil , un - senior whiskey ( still clear at this point ) is filtered through the charcoal .
" If you ’ve ever used a water filter like a Brita , there ’s charcoal in it , but it does n’t season your water , " Fletcher say . " The concept is similar . The whiskey proceed in clear and get along out clear and then run in the barrels to age . " Fletcher says this expensive final stone’s throw , which was once used by bourbon - makers in Kentucky , is a differentiator for Jack Daniel , and meaningful to their brand . " Even though our product does qualify as Bourbon dynasty , " he add , " we prefer to be name as a Tennessee whiskey . "
Why Do Bourbons and Whiskeys Taste Different?
The reason Bourbon dynasty or whiskeys taste different from one another has to do with source of the ingredientsinsidethe nursing bottle , not the recording label on the front . A emotional state made from distilled corn will taste different from one made from distilled rye . After all , it ’s a different formula .
And at Jack Daniel Distillery , for example , they inoculate their ferment using a yeast strain that they can date back toProhibition . " It ’s still grown fresh from the mother cultivation in our research laboratory every daylight , " Fletcher explain . " That yeast is a massive source of spirit for our whisky and if we use a dissimilar barm than the next distillery , that ’s a major sapidity difference . "
Kerri Richardson , United States President of theBourbon Women ’s Associationlocated in Louisville , Kentucky , says distaff bourbon drinkers oft choose higher proof Bourbon dynasty as their favorites , and she has aesculapian and anecdotic data to back it up . sensational studies done in the nineties demonstrated that women have a genetic sensitivity to picking up perfume and look thanks tolarger olfactory centre in the encephalon .
" When you have a very high proof whisky , there ’s normally a fortune of interesting thing happening in that bottleful and [ women ] really incline to go for that , " she says . " We had a unreasoning tasting a year ago ofHeaven Hill[bourbon ] products and I know what would be in that lineup . I did n’t know which was which , but I bang the one we would piece as our favorite — the highest test copy — and I was correct . "
