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Just
the right blend of sweet and smooth makes bourbon a delicious
distillation. This bronzy-gold nectar is made with at least 51
percent corn and must be aged for a minimum of two years in new,
white oak barrels that have been charred. The resulting flavors
vary by maker, of course, but a distinctive sweetness and maple
sugar aroma make it a tasty drink.
But why is America’s best known and most popular whiskey style
called “bourbon”? Steeped in history and numerous stories, it
takes its name from Bourbon County, located in the central
Bluegrass region of Kentucky. Some have credited its origin to
Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister, others simply to the area
itself. Formed in 1785, Bourbon County was named to honor the
French Royal Family. It was once the shipment site for major
distilled spirits heading down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers
to New Orleans, and barrels shipped from its ports were stamped
with the county’s name. After sometime around 1840, the name was
no longer used as a way to identify the whiskey’s place of
origin, and the drink simply became bourbon, making the terms
“bourbon” and “whiskey” synonymous.
By law today, whiskey called bourbon must be made in the United
States. Even if a foreign product meets all of the requirements,
it cannot be sold in the United States as bourbon. It seems only
fair—long family traditions of perfecting the flavors and aromas
of this sweet liquid have earned them the distinction.
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