Whisky Question

Yes inquiring minds want to know?
 
Since its been charcoal filtered it is considered whiskey. All bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon.
 
Strictly speaking, bourbon can only be made in Bourbon County, TN, and Lynchburg isn't in Bourbon Co.
 
AntDog said:
Is this whisky or bourbon?

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Neither. That's the stuff you mix with Coke. ;)

j/k :p Here's some pics from last time I was at the JD distillery.

Main entrance



Statue of Jack staring at you as you walk in



Jack keeping watch over the spring where all the water to make his Whiskey comes from



This is what makes it "Tennessee Whiskey"



Some pics from the museum





A display of knives!!! :D





You're welcome James!!! :D
 
Bourbon has two be aged for two years in an oak cask....JD is whiskey.
 
For a whiskey to call itself bourbon, its mash, the mixture of grains from which the product is distilled, must contain at least 51% corn. The rest of the mash is usually filled out with malted barley and either rye or wheat.


http://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/04/
 
The following is from Jim Beam's web site---

Five Facts About Bourbon

All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. A strict set of standards from the government regulates what’s what. Learn more about what defines “America’s native spirit” below.

Fact 1 - Bourbon is kind of like whiskey’s “sweet spot.” Because corn is a sweet grain, the more corn, the sweeter the whiskey—and bourbon needs to be at least 51% corn. Tennessee whiskey? Not bourbon. Canadian whisky? Nope. Scotch? Definitely not bourbon… you get the idea.

Fact 2 - In 1964, under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, Congress declared bourbon "America’s native spirit". Today, bourbon is recognized around the world as America’s native spirit, led by Jim Beam®, the world’s No. 1 bourbon.

Fact 3 - The only thing that can be added to bourbon is water (and only to bring it down to proof). Other whiskey makers can add colors (often caramel) and flavors to their products. But then, they can’t call their whiskey bourbon.

Fact 4 - By law bourbon must be aged in NEW charred oak barrels. Scotch whisky often recycles barrels first used for bourbon. Perhaps they’re hoping to steal some of the bourbon’s deep flavor and complex character.

Fact 5 - It can’t say “bourbon” on the label if it’s not distilled and aged in the United States. It can’t be “Kentucky Straight Bourbon” unless it’s distilled and aged in Kentucky for at least 2 years. And it can’t say Jim Beam® unless it’s been made by seven generations of one family.

And some more Bourbon fun ---

BY LAW, BOURBON MUST BE:
Made of a grain mix of at least 51% corn.
Produced in the USA.
Free of additives (except water to reduce proof, where necessary).
Aged in new, charred oak barrels.
Aged for a minimum of two years to be called "straight" bourbon.
Distilled at no more than 160 proof (80% ABV).
 
Lots of half-understood old wive's tales and outright bullshit floating around here. :rolleyes:

JD is definitely not whisky, because that's the traditional Scottish spelling... and JD is NOT Scotch whisky. Nor is any other bourbon.

True Scotch is never made with any American corn/maize; bourbon is always made with at least 51% American corn, usually a much higher percentage.

That's the whole point... when scots/irish settlers came to what we now call Appalachia and the Middle South, they brought their highly-developed skills and technology with them, but found very little barley (or peat, for that matter). So they used plentiful, easy-to-grow and ferment/distill maize to make their liquor, instead.

Is JD bourbon? Yes. Actual laws and trademark rules require anything labeled "bourbon" to be made from at least 51% corn, among other very specific guidelines. Jack Daniel's fits within all of those guidelines, so yes, they could call it bourbon without telling a single lie.

JD is very much a "Tennessee whiskey", and there are even stricter laws and rules for that. Mostly involving charcoal-filtering, and aging requirements, as well as the grains used in the mash and other techniques.

So the upshot is, Yes all Tennessee whiskey is (technically) bourbon. But not every bourbon is Tennessee whiskey.

Fubarski said:
Strictly speaking, bourbon can only be made in Bourbon County, TN, and Lynchburg isn't in Bourbon Co.
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Untrue. First of all, Bourbon County is in KY, not TN. More importantly, there is no legal or even cultural "rule" that bourbon must be made in Bourbon County.
 
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SpyderPhreak said:
A display of knives!!! :D


You're welcome James!!! :D
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Thanks! I have not yet visited the JD distillery, although I fully intend to.

More fun facts about bourbon... I mentioned the requirement that bourbon must contain at least 51% corn. Most bourbon is all corn, but that leaves a good deal of leeway for different mashbills, to achieve different flavor profiles. For instance, I'm sometimes in the mood for the dryer, more "peppery" flavor of rye whiskey, and there a number of distillers who include rye in their bourbon to achieve that. Sometimes I do not want the "sour" classic bourbon taste, so I choose a "wheated bourbon" ... which is exactly what it sounds like,,, traditional bourbon distilling/aging, but with a good amount of wheat in the mash. That gives the finished product a much sweeter, smoother aspect. :)

Aias said:
That is my understanding too... Drink on!
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Wrong. Charcoal filtering is only required for Tennessee whiskeys. Most whiskey makers do not employ charcoal filtering. Google "the Lincoln County process" for more details.
 
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