Base Spirits 101: Bourbon

Even the best laid plans can have their blunders. October seems like the perfect time to look into bourbon. The temperatures are beginning to cool, and the sweet flavours of bourbon offer an excellent transition from the summer into the cooler climate that is soon approaching. After doing a little research however, September is actually National Bourbon Month down in the U.S., so here it goes, please forgive my tardiness.

Bourbon is whisky, American whisky; you may even claim that bourbon is Kentucky whisky since, among other reasons, there is a county in that state named Bourbon. The current standard blend of at least 51% corn offers a distinct, sweeter flavour when compared to rye whisky or scotch. Just like most alcohols, bourbon has its share of shady stories, myths and mysteries. Originally a largely farm produced item, the industrial revolution pushed the production to urban centres and the standardization of production really began.   While this in itself makes up much reading material it all leads to the Taft decision of 1909 which laid the first real rulebook for bourbon.

The barrel-aged sweetness of bourbon is one suitable to be celebrated this time of year. A staple crop of North America from the times before the Europeans corn makes up the majority of the mash for bourbon and allows for the distinctive sweetness of its flavour. The charred inners of American oak barrels offer an intense environment for raw bourbon to relax and mellow as it ages in freshly minted casks.  Being a part of the whisky family of spirits it has certainly carved out a corner of its own on the world’s stage.

We can’t talk about a spirit like bourbon without spending a little time talking about cocktails. While there are some cocktails that exclusively call for bourbon, this is a spirit that can largely mingle with various whisky cocktails to offer a sweeter blend to consumers. You can find bourbon called for in an old fashioned, a manhattan or a whisky smash however the Kentucky Derby holds, in my mind, what is the only exclusively bourbon cocktail out there, the mint julep.

In the coming weeks the weather here in southern Ontario is bound to turn cool, and when it does think about turning to a mild, mellow and sweet whisky. Served neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail this is the perfect time of year for bourbon to shine. As always, do enjoy this sweet spirit, but do so responsibly.