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An American Whiskey Cheat Sheet

Some people aren’t fully aware of the differences in American whiskey, so we thought we’d put together a little cheat sheet of info. It’s one of those things where a lot of people still refer to all whiskey to come from across the pond as, Bourbon. Where as all bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon. There are so many new distilleries popping up around the states that the American whiskey landscape is constantly changing. American whiskey is more of a blanket term incorporating anything made in the US with a mash bill of corn, rye, wheat or barley. There are a multitude of variations in each category and from distillery to distillery, but the following are the basics.

Bourbon: (1872, Buffalo Trace, E.H Taylor)

  • Made in the US (not just Kentucky)
  • A mash bill of at least 51% corn
  • Aged for no less than 2 years
  • Must be aged in new charred oak barrels at 125 proof or under
  • Can’t be distilled higher than 80% (160 abv)
  • Must be bottled at a minimum of 80 proof
  • May not contain any additives

Tennessee: (Jack Daniels, George Dickel)

  • All the same regulations as bourbon, with a couple extra stipulations.
  • Must be made in the state of Tennessee
  • Must go through an extra maple charcoal filtration

Corn Whiskey: (Balcones)

  • Must be distilled to no more than 80% abv
  • May be unaged or matured in used or uncharred oak barrels

American Rye, Wheat, and Malt: (Sazerac, Roughstock)

  • Exact same as bourbon, but the mash bill has to be at least 51% of their respective grain.

In recent years more distilleries some distilleries have been making American single malts using 100% malted barley, much to the same as scotch. While there is no formal category yet, many are lobbying for it. Check out Westland Whiskey.

Written By Cailin Morrison - 13/02/2020

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