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A few words from Vzboltay
True connoisseurs can easily distinguish whiskey from bourbon, while for ordinary consumers the difference is not so clear. Therefore, most often they choose popular brands that are well known, and do not really think about the differences between them.
Whiskey and bourbon have a lot in common, but also many differences that affect their characteristics, aroma and taste. Shake it up and talk about them.
more about bourbon
Production region
Whiskey is a broad concept that combines drinks produced in Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Japan and other countries. Separately, it is worth highlighting Scotch whiskey, which on the labels is designated as Scotch from the name of the country – Scotland. As well as differences in the spelling of the word whiskey itself – in Scotland, Japan, Canada and a number of other countries the drink is called whiskey, while in Ireland and the USA they use the word whiskey.
Bourbon is a variety of American whiskey, its main production area is the state of Kentucky.
Raw
For the production of whiskey, barley, rye and wheat are mainly used, as well as their malted versions.
Bourbon is legally required to be made from at least 51% corn.
how to drink bourbon
Flavour and Fragrance
Whiskey has a wide stylistic spectrum, it can have hints of citrus, cinnamon, spices, chocolate and even peat.
A distinctive feature of bourbon is the sweetness due to the raw materials used.
Exposure
Whiskey can be aged in barrels made of different types of wood, previously used for aging various drinks. These can be, for example, barrels of sherry, sauternes, port wine, the same bourbon and even rum. At the same time, in Scotland, Japan, Ireland and Canada, it is aged for at least 3 years.
For bourbon, the main type of barrels are new American “white” oak barrels, heavily charred on the inside, and the minimum aging period is 2 years.
Production technology
Whiskey is most often distilled in pot stills, or copper alambicas. This allows you to get more aromatic and saturated alcohols.
With bourbon, the opposite is true – it is produced mainly by rectification on continuous cycle columns, or distillation columns. Alcohol turns out cleaner, but loses in aroma and taste.
Tinting
To maintain a stable color in different batches of different years, whiskey is often tinted with caramel color, which can also be referred to as E150a. This is a harmless additive that only affects the color without changing the taste.
Bourbon is rarely tinted, as it gets its color from the burnt wood of the barrel. However, at the legislative level, adding dye to bourbon is not prohibited and, moreover, the manufacturer is not required to write about it on the label.
review of the best brands of bourbon
Relevance: 18.08.2021
Metki: Whiskey and bourbon