Bourbon Whiskey

Bourbon is one of the world's most famous styles of whiskey and one of America's greatest contributions to the world of distilled spirits. The home of Bourbon is arguably Kentucky, but it's important to remember that not all Bourbon is made there - Bourbon can be made anywhere in the USA. Ingredients-wise, Bourbon must be at least 51% corn with the remainder usually made up of rye, barley, wheat or some combination of these grains. Finally, the spirit has to be aged in new, charred oak barrels - although there is no legal minimum for how long the spirit has to stay in the barrels.

Trying to nail down a flavour profile for such a broad category is always tricky as many different factors influence how a finished Bourbon tastes. It's not unusually to get notes of popcorn, butterscotch, melted butter, dried fruit, vanilla and baking spice on a good Bourbon. They're typically a little richer and sweeter than a Scottish single malt, but that really is down to the individual distiller and the choices they make so isn't universally true. It's a wonderful category to explore and one that's recently undergone a long overdue revival.