This Is the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey

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Bourbon also must be aged in new charred oak barrels, and cannot include any additives or colorings. Other whiskeys can be aged in barrels previously used to age other spirits, and they don't necessarily need to be whiskey barrels — port, sherry, and rum casks are used in the aging process for non-bourbon whiskeys.

To be designated "straight bourbon whiskey," bourbon has to have been aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years.

What makes bourbon distinct from other whiskeys is the way it is manufactured and aged. All whiskey is spirit made from fermented grain and then aged in barrels. But the kind of grain and the kind of barrels determines the variety of whiskey.

Per the American Bourbon Association, in order to be classified as bourbon, a whiskey needs to be distilled from a mixture of grains, or mash, that's at least 51 percent corn. That corn gives bourbon its distinctive sweet flavor.

The main difference between scotch and whiskey is geographic, but it also involves ingredients and spellings. Scotch is whisky—no e—made in Scotland, while bourbon is whiskey made in the U.S., generally in Kentucky.

Scotch is made mostly from malted barley, while bourbon is distilled from corn. If you’re in England and ask for a whisky, you’ll get scotch. But in Ireland, you’ll get Irish whiskey (yep, they spell it differently).

Yes and no. The difference between Tennessee whiskey, like Jack Daniel’s, and bourbon is that after the spirit is distilled, Tennessee whiskey is filtered through sugar maple charcoal. This filtering, known as the Lincoln County Process, is what distinguishes Tennessee whiskey from your average bourbon, like Jim Beam.

You may have heard that in order to be a bourbon, the whiskey has to be from Kentucky. That's not quite true—bourbon can be made outside that state. But to be designated a "Kentucky bourbon," the spirit has to be both distilled and aged in Kentucky.

The name "bourbon" even comes from old Bourbon, what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky. Most bourbon is made in Kentucky, but not all, so it has become synonymous with the spirit, much as the Champagne region in France is synonymous with champagne, even though sparkling wine using similar methods is produced elsewhere.

So next time you order a bourbon, you know that what you'll be getting in your glass isn't just a whiskey, but a specific (and delicious) kind of whiskey.

Before bottling, bourbon is filtered and diluted down to no less than 80 proof (40 percent alcohol by volume). Other whiskeys have different ABV standards for barreling and distilling. The minimum bottling strength for Scotch whiskey, for example, is also 80 proof or 40 percent ABV, but there is no maximum or minimum ABV for the distillate.

When bourbon is barreled, it also has to hit a certain proof or alcohol content in the spirit. The mash must be distilled at 160 proof (or 80 percent alcohol by volume) or less, and aged in barrels until it is no more than 125 proof (62.5 percent alcohol by volume) or less.

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This Is the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey

Bourbon is Always Aged in New Charred Oak Barrels

To be designated "straight bourbon whiskey," bourbon has to have been aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years.

Bourbon is Always Aged in New Charred Oak Barrels

What makes bourbon distinct from other whiskeys is the way it is manufactured and aged. All whiskey is spirit made from fermented grain and then aged in barrels. But the kind of grain and the kind of barrels determines the variety of whiskey.

Bourbon Is Made With At Least 51 Percent Corn

Per the American Bourbon Association, in order to be classified as bourbon, a whiskey needs to be distilled from a mixture of grains, or mash, that's at least 51 percent corn. That corn gives bourbon its distinctive sweet flavor.

Bourbon Is Made With At Least 51 Percent Corn

The main difference between scotch and whiskey is geographic, but it also involves ingredients and spellings. Scotch is whisky—no e—made in Scotland, while bourbon is whiskey made in the U.S., generally in Kentucky.

What’s the difference between scotch and whiskey?

Scotch is made mostly from malted barley, while bourbon is distilled from corn. If you’re in England and ask for a whisky, you’ll get scotch. But in Ireland, you’ll get Irish whiskey (yep, they spell it differently).

What’s the difference between scotch and whiskey?

Is Tennessee whiskey bourbon?

You may have heard that in order to be a bourbon, the whiskey has to be from Kentucky. That's not quite true—bourbon can be made outside that state. But to be designated a "Kentucky bourbon," the spirit has to be both distilled and aged in Kentucky.

It Doesn't Need to Come from Kentucky

It Doesn't Need to Come from Kentucky

So next time you order a bourbon, you know that what you'll be getting in your glass isn't just a whiskey, but a specific (and delicious) kind of whiskey.

It Doesn't Need to Come from Kentucky

Bourbon Has to Hit Certain ABV Marks

When bourbon is barreled, it also has to hit a certain proof or alcohol content in the spirit. The mash must be distilled at 160 proof (or 80 percent alcohol by volume) or less, and aged in barrels until it is no more than 125 proof (62.5 percent alcohol by volume) or less.

Bourbon Has to Hit Certain ABV Marks

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