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Bourbon whiskey

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Bourbon bottle, 19th century.

Bourbon is an American form of whiskey named for Bourbon County, Kentucky. On May 4, 1964, the U.S. Congress recognized Bourbon Whiskey as a “distinctive product of the United States," creating the Federal Standards of Identity for Bourbon. Legislation now stipulates that Bourbon must meet these requirements:

  • Bourbon must be made in the United States.
  • Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn[1]
  • Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof.
  • Bourbon must be 100% natural (nothing other than water added to the mixture)
  • Bourbon must be aged in new, American, charred oak barrels.[1]
  • Bourbon which meets the above requirements and has been aged for a minimum of two years, may be called Straight Bourbon[2].
  • Bourbon aged fewer than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.


Thus, if a bourbon carries no age statement, the bourbon has been aged at least four years and qualifies as 'straight bourbon.' Even so, there is no requirement that 'straight bourbon' be labeled as such. In practice, while a bourbon must be aged in charred oak barrels and may be aged fewer than four years, no distillers have determined that sufficient flavor has been imparted by an aging process of fewer than four years to market such a bourbon. In actuality, all bourbons marketed today have been aged at least four years and qualify as 'straight bourbon' -- though they need not carry the 'straight bourbon' descriptor.

The typical grain mixture for bourbon is 70% corn — with the remainder being wheat and/or rye, and malted barley. Small batch bourbons often are aged for six to eight years.

After aging, bourbon is diluted with water and bottled. Bottling proof for whiskey must be at least 80 proof (40% abv)[3] and most whiskey is sold at 80 proof. Other common proofs are 86, 90, 94, 100 and 107, and whiskeys of up to 142 proof have been sold. Some higher proof bottlings are "barrel proof."

Bourbon may be made anywhere in US where it is legal to distill spirits. Legitimate production is not restricted to Kentucky, although currently all but a few brands are made there, and the drink is associated strongly with that commonwealth.[4] Illinois once produced nearly as much bourbon whiskey as Kentucky, and bourbon continues to be made in Virginia. In the past bourbon has been made in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri and Kansas.

History

Oak casks in ricks used to store and age bourbon. Bourbon that ejects naturally from the wooden casks, as seen by the stains along the sides of the barrels, is known to distillers as the "angel's share"

Some of the most common stories about the origins of bourbon are untrue, such as its invention by Baptist minister and distiller Elijah Craig. Each county in Kentucky tends to name a favorite son as the "inventor" of bourbon. In fact, there was no single "inventor" of the product, which evolved into its present form only in the late 19th century.[5] It is often written that many of the original distillers of bourbon were Pennsylvanians fleeing taxation during and after the Whiskey Rebellion, but this claim is widely disputed.

One of the earliest records of distillation in the region goes back to Fort Harrod (modern Harrodsburg, Kentucky), established in 1774, when Theodore J. Queenan planted corn (maize). Within a few years, when his harvests exceeded what he and his livestock could eat, Theodore began to convert the rest into whiskey, because it didn't spoil and could be transported more readily than the grain itself. Here is how this whiskey came to be called "bourbon":

When American pioneers pushed west of the Allegheny Mountains following the Revolution, the first counties they founded covered vast regions. One of these original, huge counties was Bourbon, established in 1785 and named after the French royal family. While this vast county was being carved into many smaller ones, early in the 19th century, many people continued to call the region Old Bourbon. Located within Old Bourbon was the principal Ohio River port from which whiskey and other products were shipped to market. "Old Bourbon" was stenciled on the barrels to indicate their port of origin. Old Bourbon whiskey was different because it was the first corn whiskey most people had ever tasted, and they liked it. In time, bourbon became the name for any corn-based whiskey.[6]

A refinement usually credited to Dr. James C. Crow was the sour mash process, by which each new fermentation is conditioned with some amount of spent mash (previously fermented mash that has been separated from its alcohol). The acid introduced by using the sour mash controls the growth of bacteria that could taint the whiskey and creates a proper pH balance for the yeast to work. As of 2005, all straight bourbons use a sour mash process. Dr. Crow developed this refinement while working at the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery (now the Woodford Reserve Distillery) in Woodford County, Kentucky. (Spent mash is also known as distillers spent grain, stillage, slop or feed mash, so named because it is used as animal feed.) As of today, there are no running distilleries within the current boundaries of Bourbon County due to new counties being formed from Bourbon County since early whiskey making days.

A resolution of the U.S. Congress in 1964 declared bourbon to be a "distinctive product of the United States."[7] [8] That resolution asked "the appropriate agencies of the United States Government . . . [to] take appropriate action to prohibit importation into the United States of whiskey designated as 'Bourbon Whiskey.'"[7] Federal regulation now defines "bourbon whiskey" to only include "bourbon" produced in the United States.[9]

National Bourbon Heritage Month

On August 2, 2007, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution sponsored by Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) officially declaring September 2007 “National Bourbon Heritage Month,” celebrating the uniquely American history of bourbon whiskey.[10] The resolution notes Kentucky's role in developing and producing bourbon, as well as "the contributions of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to the culture of the United States."[10] It also calls on adult consumers who enjoy bourbon to do so responsibly and in moderation.[10] Notably, the resolution claims that Congress declared bourbon to be "America's Native Spirit" in its 1964 resolution.[10] The 1964 resolution, however, does not contain such a statement per se; it only declares that bourbon is a distinctive product identifiable with the United States in the same way that Scotch is identifiable with Scotland.[7]

Since 2003, high-end bourbons have seen revenue grow from $450 million to over $500 million, some 2.2 million cases, in the United States. High-end bourbon sales accounted for eight percent of total spirits growth in 2006. Most high-end bourbons are aged for six years or longer.[11]

Health Benefits

It is common folklore that bourbon has a positive effect on the heart. This myth has become so popular that it is commonly referred to as "heart medicine". Until recently, the mechanism was unknown. But now there is mounting evidence to prove that moderate comsumption of alcohol in any form may, indeed, have positive effects on the cardiovascular system.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b 27 C.F.R. sec 5.22(b)(1)(i)
  2. ^ 27 C.F.R. sec 5.22(b)(1)(iii)
  3. ^ 27 C.F.R. sec 5.22(b)
  4. ^ http://www.straightbourbon.com/faq.html#4
  5. ^ Cowdery, Charles K., "Who Invented Bourbon?" Malt Advocate Magazine (4th Quarter 2002), pp. 72-75
  6. ^ Cowdery, Charles K., Bourbon, Straight: The Uncut and Unfiltered Story of American Whiskey, p. 25
  7. ^ a b c 78 Stat. 1208 (1964).
  8. ^ Defining “Bourbon.” The State (Columbia, SC), 5-1-02, p. D1.
  9. ^ 27 C.F.R. sec 5.22(b)(2)
  10. ^ a b c d S. Res. No. 110-294 (2007).
  11. ^ "Celebrate "National Bourbon Heritage Month" With the Classic Bourbon Cocktails". Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. 2007-08-31. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  12. ^ "Alcohol". Harvard School of Public Health. Retrieved 2008-01-12.

Further reading

  • Cowdery, Charles K. Bourbon, Straight: The Uncut and Unfiltered Story of American Whiskey (Chicago: Made and Bottled in Kentucky), 2004. ISBN 0-9758-7030-0
  • Crowgey, Henry G. Kentucky Bourbon: The Early Years of Whiskeymaking (Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky), 1971. ISBN 0-8131-1225-7
  • Regan, Gary and Mardee Haidin Regan. The Bourbon Companion: A Connisseur's Guide (Philadelphia, PA: Running Press), 1998. ISBN 0-7624-0013-7
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