All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.
Whiskey is made all across the world, but Bourbon is a type of American whiskey, made with at least 51% corn.
“Bourbon is America’s take on whiskey that came over with the original European colonists and immigrants,” says Heather Wibbels, managing director of Bourbon Women, a female-centered, consumer-based bourbon organization.
“People arriving in America brought their distilling traditions with them and adapted them to the grains and materials at hand to create a new kind of whiskey,” Wibbels continues. “Corn thrived in the U.S. more than rye and barley, so the colonists and early immigrants pivoted toward it as a base for their whiskies.”
Today, bourbon—America’s native whiskey—remains one of the most popular spirits categories.
To be classified as Bourbon, it needs to be made in the U.S. That means that everything—the mashing, distilling and aging—must be conducted on American soil.
In contrast, Whiskey/whisky, more broadly, can be made anywhere.
In addition, not all American whiskeys are bourbon
Bourbon is made from a mash bill with at least 51% corn. The remaining grains in the mix can range widely. High-rye bourbons contain a high concentration of rye grain, while wheated bourbons contain a high concentration of wheat. Other bourbons might include oats, barley or rice-based varieties. Some are 100% corn.
Whiskey is a broader category, and the grains will vary depending on the type of whiskey. For example, Scotch whiskey is made from malted (germinated) barley, while American rye whiskey contains at least 51% rye grain.
To be called bourbon, the whiskey must be aged in new charred barrels made from American oak.
Whiskeys from other regions may have different rules about the vessels. Most allow for used oak barrels—and used bourbon barrels often are used for aging other spirits, including non-bourbon whiskeys.
Although bourbon doesn’t have to be made in Kentucky, 95% of all bourbons are, according to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Well-known bourbon producers from the state include Bulleit, Evan Williams, Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Michter’s, Old Forester, Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve.
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