Bourbon.

Bourbon. Aside from Ashley Judd, the oral surgeon's dream population for epidemiology research, beautiful horses and unfortunate overalls worn sans t-shirt....this is Kentucky's pride and joy. Oh, and coal, but we'll talk about that later. I love bourbon. I am proud to say I've had all sorts, even recently acquired a few bottles of elite hard to find stuff, and all in all, I understand it's complexity and savor the flavor profile. (If you add a cube or two of ice to a neat bourbon, it blossoms in a fruity way fyi). I don't know how many of you love bourbon too....but it's my blog, I have a glass of it in hand, and away we go.

The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits state that bourbon made for U.S. consumption must be:

• made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn
• aged in new, charred-oak barrels
• distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume)
• entered into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume); and be
• bottled (like other whiskeys) at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume).

Bourbon has no minimum specified duration for its aging period, but it must be aged at least briefly.

Bourbon that meets the above requirements, has been aged for a minimum of two years, and does not have added coloring, flavoring, or other spirits may (but is not required to) be called straight bourbon.

• Bourbon that is labeled as straight that has been aged under four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.
• Bourbon that has an age stated on its label must be labeled with the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle

Bourbon that is labeled blended (or as ‘a blend’) may contain added coloring, flavoring, and other spirits but at least 51% of the product must be straight bourbon. Bourbon bottle, 19th century.

In practice, almost all bourbons marketed today contain more than two-thirds corn, have been aged at least four years, and do qualify as "straight bourbon"—with or without the "straight-bourbon" label. The exceptions are inexpensive commodity bourbon brands (aged only three years) and premixed cocktails made with straight bourbon aged for two years. But at least one small distillery markets bourbon aged for as little as three months.
Whiskey sold as Tennessee whiskey is also defined as bourbon under NAFTA and at least one other international trade agreement, and is required to meet the legal definition of bourbon under Canadian law, but some Tennessee whiskey makers do not label their product as bourbon and insist that it is a different type of whiskey when marketing their product.