Buzz
September is recognized as National Bourbon Heritage Month, a time to honor America’s iconic 'native spirit.' While I enjoy bourbon throughout the year, it’s wonderful to see others join the celebration. If you’re new to this quintessential American whiskey, here are some key points to bring you up to speed.
1. Let’s start with the basics: How did bourbon get its name? The most common theory traces it back to the original Bourbon County in Kentucky, which was much larger than the current county (now home to no distilleries). This region was known as 'Old Bourbon,' and as the corn whiskey produced there was shipped nationwide, the barrels bore the county’s name. Over time, people began referring to these Kentucky whiskeys as bourbon to distinguish them from other regional varieties. Interestingly, Bourbon County itself was named after the royal House of Bourbon, a dynasty that ruled over France, Spain, Sicily, Naples, and other regions.
Another theory suggests the name originated from the whiskey’s popularity in New Orleans, where drinkers sought out the spirit sold on Bourbon Street, often referring to it as 'that Bourbon whiskey.'
2. Although bourbon originated in Kentucky and much of it is still produced there today, it doesn’t have to be made in Bourbon County or even the Bluegrass State. According to the Federal Standards of Identity of Distilled Spirits, bourbon is defined by the following criteria:
- It must be produced in the United States. - It must be distilled from a grain mixture containing at least 51 percent corn. - It must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. - It must be distilled to no more than 160 proof, entered into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof.
Bourbon that adheres to these standards and has been aged for a minimum of two years can be classified as straight bourbon.
3. The term “proof” refers to the alcoholic strength of bourbon or other spirits, calculated in the U.S. as double the alcohol by volume percentage. For instance, bourbon entering barrels at 125 proof contains 62.5 percent alcohol. The concept dates back to 18th-century Britain, where sailors tested their rum rations by mixing gunpowder with the spirit and igniting it. If the gunpowder burned, the rum was considered genuine.
4. Last year, Kentucky’s distilleries produced a staggering 1,007,703 barrels of bourbon, surpassing the million-barrel mark for the first time since 1973. This surge brought their total inventory to 4.9 million barrels, meaning Kentucky now has more barrels of aging whiskey than its population of 4.3 million people. The tax-assessed value of this bourbon in 2012 was $1.7 billion.
5. The exact origins of bourbon are not well-documented, but folklore often attributes the first batch to Elijah Craig, a Baptist preacher. Known for his frugality, Craig allegedly reused an old barrel to age his homemade corn whiskey, sanitizing it by charring the interior, which gave the spirit its distinct color and taste. However, bourbon likely doesn’t have a single inventor. Corn whiskey was already being distilled in Kentucky before Craig moved from Virginia, and the practice of aging in charred barrels was documented decades earlier as a solution to prevent “sap blisters” in the wood from affecting the whiskey’s flavor.
6. Occasionally, you’ll encounter bottles labeled sour mash bourbon. This term doesn’t refer to the flavor but indicates that the whiskey was produced using the “sour mash process.” In this method, the mash—a blend of grain, malt, and water used for distillation—includes remnants from a previously fermented mash. This technique helps stabilize the chemical composition of the new mash, prevents unwanted bacteria, and ensures consistent quality across batches.
7. Another label you might notice is Bottled-in-Bond or Bonded. This signifies that the bourbon was produced at a single distillery by one distiller during one distillation season, aged for a minimum of four years in a federally regulated warehouse, and bottled at 100 proof.
The concept of bonded bourbon emerged in the late 19th century when some distilleries began selling harsher, unaged bourbons to make quick profits, often enhancing them with additives like fruit syrups or tobacco to improve appearance and taste. As American Whiskey Reviews explains, these “rectified whiskies” gave their producers a competitive edge in terms of production speed and cost, allowing them to dominate the market. To combat this, traditional distillers pushed for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, which established strict standards and provided a government-backed seal of quality, helping their products compete effectively.
