bourbon whiskey
type of American whiskey, a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn
Key facts
- Type
- American whiskey
- Origin
- United States, Southern United States , mainly Kentucky
- Introduced
- 18th century
- Alcohol by volume
- At least 40% bottled
- Proof us
- At least 80° bottled
- Color
- Amber, orange, red or brown
- Ingredients
- at least 51% corn
- Related products
- Corn whiskey , straight whiskey , Tennessee whiskey
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
Bourbon whiskey (/ˈbɜːrbən/; also simply bourbon) is a barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn (maize). The name derives from the French House of Bourbon, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County, Kentucky, and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, both of which are named after the House of Bourbon. The name bourbon might not have been used until the 1850s, and the association with Bourbon County was not evident until the 1870s.
Although bourbon may be made anywhere in the U.S., it is associated with the Southern United States, particularly Kentucky, through a history of advertising bourbon as a product of Kentucky with rural, Southern origins. Thanks to a market shift in the 1990s, it has also become a symbol of urbanization and sophistication, with a large consumer demographic belonging to the middle- to upper-class, including business and community leaders.