Food - Drink
The Ingredient All Bourbon Must Be Distilled From
By NATASHA BAILEY
Whiskey is a barrel-aged spirit that can be distilled from many types of grains, creating multiple varieties such as scotch, bourbon, Irish whiskey, and Japanese whiskey. Bourbon is made specifically in the United States, and is different from whiskeys of other countries due to its ingredients and aging process.
Corn is the main ingredient in bourbon, giving the drink a distinct caramel-and-vanilla richness. These unique flavors and syrupy smoothness differentiate bourbon from other whiskeys, and true bourbon must be made from a grain mix containing 51% to 79% corn, then aged in new charred oak barrels.
Kentucky currently dominates bourbon production and distills 95% of all bourbon in the world. Bourbon is manufactured using "dent corn," or corn that is left in the field until it turns hard and dry, and Kentucky has a very abundant corn crop, giving local distillers easy access to the right supplies for bourbon.