On an episode of Aaron Sorkin’s hit television series “The West Wing”, Nobel Lauriet and President, Jed Bartlett states that he had just learned an interesting fact he that he was not aware of. The fact was that to be called bourbon, a spirit had to be made in Kentucky. He said if it was not, then it was called Sour Mash.

Actually there are several criteria that need to be met for a distilled spirit to be considered bourbon, and they are mandated by product labeling laws. Bourbon must be made from a minimum of 51% corn, it must be aged in new white oak barrels charred on the inside. It must age for a minimum of two years, (although most age four to eight years). If not aged at least four years, bourbon’s labeling must include aging time.

Bourbon distilling in Kentucky has been going on since the time of the thirteen original colonies, around 1767. The settlers brought with them their own traditions of whiskey making. Settlers made their living in various ways, but most farmed, planting crops including tobacco, rye, corn, wheat, and sorghum. Surplus grains were often distilled before they rotted. Around 1800, Surplus grain was no longer used, as the distilled spirits proved more valuable than the grain itself. Filled barrels weighing 600 pounds would be floated down river on flat boats to New Orleans for sale. By 1840 people began calling Kentucky Whiskey, Bourbon for the County where so much of it was produced. The advent of the railroad improved the distribution process. Bourbon was used for medical purposes, but being shipped in barrels, only one bottle would be sent per barrel for refills. The medical community could not count on consistency because many people would water down the bottle as they filled it. Bourbon making today is much more tightly controlled.

The Water in Kentucky is perfect for bourbon distilling. The limestone rock formations unique to the area purify the water as it flows over them free from iron, and other minerals that impact the taste. Most bourbon recipes consist of a mixture of at least 51% corn, barley, malt, rye, or wheat. Grains are carefully selected based on quality, ripeness, and moisture content. The grains are ground into a meal and mixed with the water. The mixture is then mashed, or cooked. Starch is produced which when cooked longer becomes maltose, or grain sugar. Yeast is added to the mixture converting the sugar to alcohol and beginning the fermentation process. The strains of yeast used often make the difference from one brand to another. The yeast feeds upon the mixture of water and grain in tubs and is then sour mash. Distilling is removing the alcohol from the mash by heating and capturing the vapor. The product left after distilling is called “high wine”. It is 50% to 57.5% alcohol. This is where Kentucky Bourbon, and Tennessee Whiskey differ, as Tennessee distillers filter the high wine through a multiple layered maple charcoal filter prior to aging.

The high wine is clear in color when the aging process starts. It is the Charred Oak Barrels that provide the amber color, and potent taste. Variation occurs in the process, which causes different barrels to have slightly different properties, and distillers often blend barrels together to insure the larger batch has similar properties such as alcohol content, and uniform color and flavor.

Over 135 brands of Kentucky Bourbon are listed on The Kentucky Distillers Association Web site.

Author Ron Stemple
Copyright 2006, Ron Dowell