American Bourbon Whisky

American bourbon whiskey is a corn-based distilled spirit produced exclusively in the United States, with Kentucky accounting for the vast majority of production, where limestone-filtered water and climate-driven barrel aging define the category's character. Federal law mandates a mash bill of at least 51 percent corn, new charred oak barrel maturation, and distillation below 160 proof, producing a spectrum from caramel and vanilla to dried fruit and baking spice. Buffalo Trace serves as an approachable entry point from the storied Frankfort distillery that also yields Eagle Rare 10 Year and the wheated Weller Special Reserve. Age and mash bill drive the sharpest distinctions within the category, most apparent when comparing Blanton's Single Barrel against the Van Winkle 12 Year Special Reserve Lot B or the coveted Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year, where extended maturation and wheat-forward recipes produce noticeably deeper, more complex results.