09/02/2026
September is National Bourbon Heritage Month 🥃
Bourbon is one of America’s most recognizable spirits, but there is a lot more to it than just “whiskey from Kentucky.”
To legally be called bourbon, the whiskey must be made in the United States from a grain mixture that is at least **51% corn**, distilled to no more than 160 proof, entered into **new charred oak barrels** at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof. It also cannot contain added coloring or flavoring.
That combination of corn and new charred oak is what helps give bourbon many of its signature flavors:
🌽 Corn often brings sweetness and roundness.
🪵 New charred oak can contribute vanilla, caramel, baking spice, toast, and smoke.
🥃 Age can add deeper notes of dried fruit, to***co, leather, and oak.
🔥 Higher proof bottlings often deliver more intensity, richness, and concentrated flavor.
And just like wine, bourbon can taste very different depending on the producer, mash bill, barrel, warehouse location, age, and proof.
A few terms worth knowing:
Straight Bourbon — aged for at least two years and subject to additional labeling rules.
Bottled in Bond — produced under strict federal standards, including being aged at least four years and bottled at 100 proof.
Single Barrel — bottled from one individual barrel rather than a blend of many barrels.
Small Batch — generally refers to a bourbon blended from a smaller selection of barrels, although there is no single legal definition for the term.
Wheated Bourbon — uses wheat as a secondary grain instead of more rye, often giving the whiskey a softer, rounder profile.
September is a great month to explore beyond the bottle you already know. Compare a wheated bourbon with a high-rye bourbon, try a higher-proof expression, or taste the difference between younger and more mature bottlings.
