Bourbon
Bourbon is the unquestioned king of American whiskey, its production dating back to the 1700s. While bourbon is invariably associated with Kentucky, where 95 percent of all bourbon is produced today, in reality it can be produced anywhere in the U.S. (though only Kentucky Bourbon can include the name of the state on the label). By U.S. law, bourbon must be made from a mash of at least 51% corn; be aged in new, charred oak containers; distilled to no more than 160 proof, entered into barrel at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof. Contrary to popular opinion, there’s no minimum aging requirement for bourbon, although straight bourbon must be aged for at least two years and cannot have added coloring. One of the most popular spirits in today’s drinking world, bourbon prices have been on the rise as stocks have dwindled — although massive investments in the industry promise to ease those supply pressures in coming years.
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Buffalo Trace’s Single Oak Project
For all the attention paid to mashbills and barrel regimens, fermentation rarely takes center stage in American whiskey. The industry’s reliance on sour mash has long set the tone, particularly across the major distilleries of Kentucky and Tennessee. Against that backdrop, a smaller group of producers has worked to reintroduce sweet mash fermentation into the…
Upon its launch, King of Kentucky quickly attained unicorn status, with its annually releases single barrel bourbon spiraling ever higher in price as its age slowly ratcheted up. Now the brand is expanding, and not in the direction you would probably expect: the King of Kentucky Small Batch Collection will be a blend of bourbons,…
The name may be a little confusing, but the new Bulleit Bourbon Mesquite Smoked Malt is not a single malt like Bulleit’s recent entree to the ASM category. Rather, it’s a bourbon, made with the addition of smoked malt in the mashbill. Specifically: 65% corn, 30% mesquite smoked malted barley, and 5% (unsmoked) malted barley.…
There’s an active conversation unfolding in American whiskey about what comes next. The bourbon boom had its run. Single barrels had their moment. The sourced whiskey era forced a round of self-reflection. Now producers are asking sharper questions about identity, and more often than not, the answers circle back to wood. Not just how it’s…
In the spring of 2026, Buffalo Trace introduced the second release in its Daniel Weller experimental series: Daniel Weller Spelt Wheat Bourbon. Daniel Weller, grandfather of William Larue Weller, settled in Kentucky in 1794 and entered the whiskey trade in 1849. Over time, the Weller name became closely tied to wheated bourbon as a style.…
Buffalo Trace’s Single Oak Project was one of the most ambitious bourbon experiments in history, a project that took eleven years to complete from start to finish and which involved the creation of 192 different barrels of whiskey, each differing based on seven variables, including the following: • Mashbill (wheat or rye recipe) • Entry…
Copper & Cask, owned by Latitude Beverages, does not distill its own whiskey but makes blends with whiskey drawn from distilleries across Indiana, Kentucky, and Canada. Today we are trying two whiskeys: one drawn from well-aged bourbon casks in Indiana and another drawn from very well aged casks in Canada. The latter is a Cigar…
When Buffalo Trace announced Eagle Rare 25 in late 2023, the news effectively came with a wink and a nod: Yes, it was the oldest Eagle Rare to date, but don’t be surprised to see more “ultra-aged” whiskey coming down the pipeline. By 2018, the distillery had already invested millions in Warehouse P, an experimental…
At this point every whiskey drinker should be well aware of the angel’s share, the impact of heat cycling in the rickhouse, causing evaporation of whiskey from the barrels. With this release of The 117 Series, Old Forester investigates what happens when the angels get very thirsty. The selection is drawn from barrels of Old…
There is absolutely no shortage of Elijah Craig bourbon expressions, but age-stated editions have been hard to come by since the release of Elijah Craig 18 Years Old was released way back in 2015. Elijah Craig 15 Years Old seemingly came out of the blue this season, offering an older but slightly tamer experience than…