Bourbon and Whiskey: What Makes Bourbon Different?

What is the difference between bourbon and whiskey?

Whiskey is the broad family. Bourbon is one legally defined member of it. Every bourbon is a whiskey, but most whiskeys are not bourbon. To use the name, a spirit must be made in the United States, from a mash that is at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak, and bottled at no less than 40% ABV with nothing added except water.

That is the whole difference in one line: bourbon is a style with rules, while whiskey simply means a spirit distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in wood. Scotch, rye, Irish and Japanese whisky each follow their own rules, which is why they taste so different from bourbon.

How is bourbon made?

The grains are milled, cooked and cooled, then fermented with yeast into a distiller’s beer. This is distilled in a column still and often a second time in a doubler or pot still, to no more than 80% ABV. The spirit goes into new charred oak at no more than 62.5% ABV and then rests in warehouses, usually for years.

Most mash bills use corn, rye or wheat and malted barley. A high-rye recipe tastes spicier and drier, while a wheated bourbon is softer and rounder. Distillers also choose the barrel char level, warehouse floor and bottling proof, so two bourbons with the same age can taste quite different.

Does bourbon have to come from Kentucky?

No. Bourbon can be made in any US state, although Kentucky produces most of it and has the strongest reputation. “Kentucky straight bourbon” on a label tells you it is both made and aged for at least two years in Kentucky.

You will also see Tennessee whiskey, which is made like bourbon but filtered through charcoal before ageing. Jack Daniel’s is the best-known example. It follows the bourbon rules but is labelled Tennessee whiskey, which is worth knowing when a shelf mixes both.

What do “straight” and “bottled-in-bond” mean?

Straight bourbon has been aged for at least two years with no added flavouring or colouring. If it is aged under four years, the age must be on the label.

Bottled-in-bond is a stricter, older category. The bourbon must be the product of one distillery in one distilling season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse and bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% ABV). Bottled-in-bond bottles are a reliable way to buy honest, full-flavoured bourbon at a fair price.

What does bourbon taste like?

Expect vanilla, caramel, toffee, toasted oak and baking spice on top of a natural corn sweetness. High-rye bourbons add pepper and mint. Wheated bourbons taste of soft bread, honey and light fruit. Cask-strength bottlings are bigger and hotter and reward a few drops of water.

Compared with Scotch, bourbon tastes sweeter and more direct because the fresh charred oak delivers flavour quickly. Compared with rye, it is rounder and less peppery. If you want to explore that contrast, read our beginner’s guide to rye whiskey.

Which bourbon brands should you try first?

Buffalo Trace is a benchmark for value and balance, with notes of vanilla, toffee and mint. Wild Turkey leans towards a spicier, higher-proof style, and its Rare Breed shows what barrel-strength bourbon can do. Eagle Rare and Four Roses Single Barrel are well-regarded step-ups, and Pappy Van Winkle sits at the collector end of the category.

Compare these in our bourbon collection. Starting with Buffalo Trace 1L or Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit gives you a clear read on what bourbon tastes like before you spend more.

Explore: Shop bourbon whiskey

How do you drink bourbon?

Sip it neat or with a splash of water to open up the aromas, or over a large ice cube so it dilutes slowly. It is also the base of the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan (traditionally rye, though bourbon makes a sweeter version), the Whiskey Sour and the Mint Julep.

In Australia, bourbon also pairs well with barbecued meat, pecan pie and aged cheddar. Whatever you pour, remember buyers must be 18 or over and standard-drink labels will help you track how much you have had.

What do mash bill, proof and small batch mean?

The mash bill is the grain recipe, for example 75 per cent corn, 13 per cent rye and 12 per cent malted barley. Proof is double the ABV, so 100 proof is 50 per cent ABV. Small batch means a blend of a limited number of barrels, though there is no legal definition. Single barrel means every bottle comes from one barrel, so each can taste a little different.

Sour mash is a process, not a flavour: some of the previous distillation’s spent mash is added to the next fermentation to keep the yeast healthy and the pH consistent. Almost all bourbon is sour mash.

How do you make a classic bourbon Old Fashioned?

Add a sugar cube or 5 mL of simple syrup to a rocks glass with two or three dashes of Angostura bitters and a splash of water. Stir until dissolved. Add 60 mL of bourbon and a large ice cube, and stir for about 20 seconds. Express an orange peel over the drink and drop it in.

Choose a bourbon at 45 per cent or higher so the drink does not taste watery. A higher-rye bourbon adds spice, and a wheated one makes a softer drink. See bourbons in our bourbon collection.

What are the common bourbon myths?

Bourbon must be aged four years: no, straight bourbon needs only two years. Bourbon must come from Kentucky: no, any US state. Bourbon is cheap or rough: some are, but many are complex, and limited releases sell for collector prices. Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey are the same: Tennessee whiskey follows similar rules but is filtered through charcoal before ageing.

Finally, bourbon is not always sweet. High-rye and cask-strength bottles are drier, spicier and more savoury, so tasting notes are worth reading.