What makes it bourbon

Furthermore, bourbon is never stored in used barrels. New oak barrels age bourbon slowly over time so it garners a deep amber color and rich flavors as it matures. No artificial color or additives are ever added.

Remember, all bourbons are whiskeys, but not all whiskeys are bourbons. The smooth yet complex flavor of bourbon makes it quite versatile for drinking many ways. The easily approachable taste can be enjoyed by connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike. Bourbon tastes magnificent straight up or on ice, but the depth of flavor makes for brilliant craft cocktails and classics, like the Manhattan and the Old Fashioned.

Smoother and more approachable than other whiskies, bourbon has inherent flavors of vanilla, oak, fruit, spice and honey. One of the most defining characteristics of bourbon is its origin. With all of the time, care, dedication, and even craftsmanship that goes into the creation of a great bourbon, bourbon represents the true American spirit.

On May 4, , the United States Congress passed a resolution that officially made bourbon a product of the United States.

Those standards of identity for bourbon are strict and detailed. According to those requirements, bourbon must:. What makes bourbon distinct from other whiskeys is the way it is manufactured and aged.

All whiskey is spirit made from fermented grain and then aged in barrels. But the kind of grain and the kind of barrels determines the variety of whiskey. Per the American Bourbon Association , in order to be classified as bourbon, a whiskey needs to be distilled from a mixture of grains, or mash, that's at least 51 percent corn. That corn gives bourbon its distinctive sweet flavor. Bourbon also must be aged in new charred oak barrels, and cannot include any additives or colorings.

Other whiskeys can be aged in barrels previously used to age other spirits, and they don't necessarily need to be whiskey barrels—port, sherry, and rum casks are used in the aging process for non-bourbon whiskeys. To be designated "straight bourbon whiskey," bourbon has to have been aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years. When bourbon is barreled, it also has to hit a certain proof, or alcohol content in the spirit.

The mash must be distilled at proof or 80 percent alcohol by volume or less, and aged in barrels until it is no more than proof