INTRODUCTON TO WHISKY
Whisky (or whiskey) (from Irish uisce beatha and/or Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha, both meaning "water of life") is an alcoholic beverage distilled from grain, often including malt, which has then been aged in wooden barrels.

Spelling
The spelling whisky (plural whiskies) is generally used for those distilled in Scotland , Canada , and Japan , while whiskey (with an e; plural whiskeys) is used for the spirits distilled in Ireland and the United States ; however, there are exceptions. Kentucky , for example, usually spells its product "whisky". A mnemonic used to remember which spelling is used is that "Ireland" and "United States" have at least one "e" in their names, while "Scotland," "Canada" and "Japan" do not. International law reserves the term "Scotch whisky" to those whiskies produced in Scotland ; whiskies produced in other countries in the Scotch style must use another name. Similar conventions exist for "Irish whiskey," "Canadian whisky," and "Bourbon Whiskey." In North America , as well as in Continental Europe the abbreviated term "Scotch" is usually used for "Scotch Whisky." In England , Scotland , and Wales , the term "Whisky" almost always refers to "Scotch Whisky", and the term "Scotch" is rarely used by itself. The Welsh version is wysgi.

Other countries also have their own "water of life": see the Scandinavian akvavit, whose name derives from the Latin aqua vitae, while vodka is sometimes referred to as zhizennia voda in Russian, with the same meaning.

Irish whiskey is typically distilled three times from a mash of several grains. Scotch whisky is typically distilled twice, either from barley malt alone (see single malt whisky), or from barley malts and other grain malts which are then mixed together. Kentucky whisky, called Bourbon, is normally only distilled twice after first fermenting in open containers.

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Characteristics
Bottles of whiskyWhisky is drunk straight, with water or ice, or mixed with other spirits or drinks (such as "Rye & Coke" or "Rye & Ginger"), including hot coffee (Irish coffee).

Malt whisky consists of whisky made from 100 percent malted barley; malt whisky from one distillery is called single malt to distinguish it from blended varieties. The grains used to make whisky include barley in Ireland , Scotland , Canada , and the United States , rye in Canada and the United States , and corn in the United States . Pure pot still whiskey is made in Ireland from a combination of malted and unmalted barley. Various types of straight whiskey, such as Rye whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, and Bourbon whiskey which are produced in the U.S. are aged in charred, oak barrels. Blended whisky is made from a combination of any of the above whiskies with the similar grain whisky or neutral grain spirits, which are much less expensive to produce than the other types of whisky. Blends will almost always identify the type of base whisky used, ie. blended Scotch, blended Canadian, or blended Bourbon. Light whiskey is a style of American whiskey made up almost entirely of neutral grain spirits, with small amounts (typically less than 5 - 10 percent total volume) of straight whiskey and sherry added for flavor and coloring.

At one time much of the whiskey produced in the U.S. was "Bottled-in-Bond" according to the dictates of an 1898 Act of Congress; this practice has been largely discontinued, because one of the requirements of the Act was that such whiskey be produced at 100 U.S. alcoholic proof (50% alcohol by volume). Whiskey this potent is currently rare in the U.S. , partially because of changing public tastes but also because an alcoholic content so high is illegal in many countries, limiting the export market for it.

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History
Whisky production began in grain-growing regions (the same regions where beer was being produced) whereas the distillation of brandy developed in regions producing wine. The first traces of distilled barley go back to the 13th century. In those times, whisky was considered a medicine, helping to heal all kinds of diseases. It was used as an ointment as well as a drink.

Before bearing the name of "whisky" (or whiskey if produced in Ireland or the United States ), the drink was called "Uisge Beata", which means "Water of Life" in Gaelic. The name evolved to become Usquebaugh, then Uisge and finally whisky.

The famous historian and chronicler Raphaël Holinshed wrote the following about the results of distillation of malted barley in his "Chronicles of England , Scotland and Ireland " in the 16th century:

Being moderately taken, it slows the age, it cuts phlegm, it lightens the mind, it quickens the spirit, it cures the dropsy, it heals the strangulation, it pounces the stone, it repels gravel, it pulls away ventositie, it keeps and preserves the head from whirling, the eyes from dazzling, the tongue from lisping, the mouth from snuffling, the teeth from chattering, the throat from rattling, the weasan from stiffing, the stomach from womblying, the heart from swelling, the belly from wincing, the guts from rumbling, the hands from shivering, the sinews from shrinking, the veins from crumpling, the bones from aching, the marrow from soaking, and truly it is a sovereign liquor if it be orderly taken.

The first whisky distillery to gain a licence to produce was the Old Bushmills distillery, granted by James I in 1608.

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What Is Malt
Malted barleyMalting is a process applied to cereal grains, in which the grains are made to germinate and then quickly dried before the plant develops.

The term malt refers to several products of the process:
The grains to which this process has been applied, for example malted barley;
The sugar derived from such grains which is heavy in maltose, such as baker's malt,
A product, based on malted milk, similar to a malted milkshake (i.e., "malts").

Whisky or beer can also be called malt as in Alfred Edward Housman's aphorism "malt does more than Milton can, to justify God's ways to Man."

Homebrewing malt extracts: liquid in a can and spray dried.Malt is used to make beer, whisky, and malt vinegar. Malting grains develops the enzymes that are required to modify the grain's starches into sugars. Barley is the most common malt because of its high enzyme content. Other grains may be malted, although the resulting malt may not have sufficient enzymatic content to convert its own starch content fully and efficiently.

The typical "pale malt" malting process is as follows:
The fresh raw grains are washed and soaked for a period of time to begin germination.
A constant moisture is held to promote germination and growth of the acrospire.
The acrospire is allowed to grow to a length equal to the grain, or a little less (about 4–6 days for barley)
The "green malt" is then kilned at 100°F to 120°F (38°C to 49°C) for about 24 hours and then at 140°F to 160°F (60°C to 71°C), until the moisture content is less than 6%.

Darker brewing malts are sometimes kilned in different ways to promote different characteristics.

Scotch whisky is a distilled beverage (spirit) made in Scotland . (Generally, though not always, the Scottish, Japanese and Canadian spirits are spelled "whisky"; the Irish and American ones "whiskey"). The name whisky is a transformation of the word uisquebaugh, itself a transformation of the Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha spelled uisce beatha in Irish Gaelic, literally meaning "water of life".

In North America , the abbreviated term "Scotch" is usually used for "Scotch whisky." In England , Scotland , and Wales , the term "whisky" almost always refers to "Scotch whisky", and the term "Scotch" is rarely used by itself

Scotch whisky is divided into at least 3 distinct categories: malt, blended and single grain.


Legal definition
To legally be called Scotch whisky in the United Kingdom , the spirit must conform to the standards of the Scotch Whisky Act 1988, which mandates that the spirit

Must be distilled at a Scottish distillery from water and malted barley, to which only other whole grains may be added, have been processed at that distillery into a mash, converted to a fermentable  substrate  only by endogenousenzyme systems, andfermented

only bythe addition of yeast,Must have an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8% by volume so that it retains the flavour of the raw materials used in its production, Must be matured in Scotland in oak casks for not less than three years, and Must not contain any added substance other than water and caramel colour.

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History
Whisky has been produced in Scotland for hundreds of years. It is generally agreed that Dalriadan Scottish monks brought distillation with them when they came to Caledonia to convert the Picts to Christianity in the fourth and fifth centuries. Friar John Cor recorded the first known batch of Scotch whisky June 1, 1494 . The first taxes on whisky production were imposed in 1644, causing a rise in illicit whisky distilling in the country. In 1823, Parliament eased the restrictions on licensed distilleries, while at the same time making it harder for the illegal stills to operate, thereby ushering in the modern era of Scotch production.

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INTRODUCTON TO WHISKY
Whisky (or whiskey) (from Irish uisce beatha and/or Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha, both meaning "water of life") is an alcoholic beverage distilled from grain, often including malt, which has then been aged in wooden barrels.

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Spelling
The spelling whisky (plural whiskies) is generally used for those distilled in Scotland , Canada , and Japan , while whiskey (with an e; plural whiskeys) is used for the spirits distilled in Ireland and the United States ; however, there are exceptions. Kentucky , for example, usually spells its product "whisky". A mnemonic used to remember which spelling is used is that "Ireland" and "United States" have at least one "e" in their names, while "Scotland," "Canada" and "Japan" do not. International law reserves the term "Scotch whisky" to those whiskies produced in Scotland ; whiskies produced in other countries in the Scotch style must use another name. Similar conventions exist for "Irish whiskey," "Canadian whisky," and "Bourbon Whiskey." In North America , as well as in Continental Europe the abbreviated term "Scotch" is usually used for "Scotch Whisky." In England , Scotland , and Wales , the term "Whisky" almost always refers to "Scotch Whisky", and the term "Scotch" is rarely used by itself. The Welsh version is wysgi.

Other countries also have their own "water of life": see the Scandinavian akvavit, whose name derives from the Latin aqua vitae, while vodka is sometimes referred to as zhizennia voda in Russian, with the same meaning.

Irish whiskey is typically distilled three times from a mash of several grains. Scotch whisky is typically distilled twice, either from barley malt alone (see single malt whisky), or from barley malts and other grain malts which are then mixed together. Kentucky whisky, called Bourbon, is normally only distilled twice after first fermenting in open containers.

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Characteristics
Bottles of whiskyWhisky is drunk straight, with water or ice, or mixed with other spirits or drinks (such as "Rye & Coke" or "Rye & Ginger"), including hot coffee (Irish coffee).

Malt whisky consists of whisky made from 100 percent malted barley; malt whisky from one distillery is called single malt to distinguish it from blended varieties. The grains used to make whisky include barley in Ireland , Scotland , Canada , and the United States , rye in Canada and the United States , and corn in the United States . Pure pot still whiskey is made in Ireland from a combination of malted and unmalted barley. Various types of straight whiskey, such as Rye whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, and Bourbon whiskey which are produced in the U.S. are aged in charred, oak barrels. Blended whisky is made from a combination of any of the above whiskies with the similar grain whisky or neutral grain spirits, which are much less expensive to produce than the other types of whisky. Blends will almost always identify the type of base whisky used, ie. blended Scotch, blended Canadian, or blended Bourbon. Light whiskey is a style of American whiskey made up almost entirely of neutral grain spirits, with small amounts (typically less than 5 - 10 percent total volume) of straight whiskey and sherry added for flavor and coloring.

At one time much of the whiskey produced in the U.S. was "Bottled-in-Bond" according to the dictates of an 1898 Act of Congress; this practice has been largely discontinued, because one of the requirements of the Act was that such whiskey be produced at 100 U.S. alcoholic proof (50% alcohol by volume). Whiskey this potent is currently rare in the U.S. , partially because of changing public tastes but also because an alcoholic content so high is illegal in many countries, limiting the export market for it.

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History
Whisky production began in grain-growing regions (the same regions where beer was being produced) whereas the distillation of brandy developed in regions producing wine. The first traces of distilled barley go back to the 13th century. In those times, whisky was considered a medicine, helping to heal all kinds of diseases. It was used as an ointment as well as a drink.

Before bearing the name of "whisky" (or whiskey if produced in Ireland or the United States ), the drink was called "Uisge Beata", which means "Water of Life" in Gaelic. The name evolved to become Usquebaugh, then Uisge and finally whisky.

The famous historian and chronicler Raphaël Holinshed wrote the following about the results of distillation of malted barley in his "Chronicles of England , Scotland and Ireland " in the 16th century:

Being moderately taken, it slows the age, it cuts phlegm, it lightens the mind, it quickens the spirit, it cures the dropsy, it heals the strangulation, it pounces the stone, it repels gravel, it pulls away ventositie, it keeps and preserves the head from whirling, the eyes from dazzling, the tongue from lisping, the mouth from snuffling, the teeth from chattering, the throat from rattling, the weasan from stiffing, the stomach from womblying, the heart from swelling, the belly from wincing, the guts from rumbling, the hands from shivering, the sinews from shrinking, the veins from crumpling, the bones from aching, the marrow from soaking, and truly it is a sovereign liquor if it be orderly taken.

The first whisky distillery to gain a licence to produce was the Old Bushmills distillery, granted by James I in 1608.

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What Is Malt
Malted barleyMalting is a process applied to cereal grains, in which the grains are made to germinate and then quickly dried before the plant develops.

The term malt refers to several products of the process:
The grains to which this process has been applied, for example malted barley;
The sugar derived from such grains which is heavy in maltose, such as baker's malt,
A product, based on malted milk, similar to a malted milkshake (i.e., "malts").
Whisky or beer can also be called malt as in Alfred Edward Housman's aphorism "malt does more than Milton can, to justify God's ways to Man."

Homebrewing malt extracts: liquid in a can and spray dried.Malt is used to make beer, whisky, and malt vinegar. Malting grains develops the enzymes that are required to modify the grain's starches into sugars. Barley is the most common malt because of its high enzyme content. Other grains may be malted, although the resulting malt may not have sufficient enzymatic content to convert its own starch content fully and efficiently.

The typical "pale malt" malting process is as follows:
The fresh raw grains are washed and soaked for a period of time to begin germination.
A constant moisture is held to promote germination and growth of the acrospire.
The acrospire is allowed to grow to a length equal to the grain, or a little less (about 4–6 days for barley)
The "green malt" is then kilned at 100°F to 120°F (38°C to 49°C) for about 24 hours and then at 140°F to 160°F (60°C to 71°C), until the moisture content is less than 6%.

Darker brewing malts are sometimes kilned in different ways to promote different characteristics

Scotch whisky is a distilled beverage (spirit) made in Scotland . (Generally, though not always, the Scottish, Japanese and Canadian spirits are spelled "whisky"; the Irish and American ones "whiskey"). The name whisky is a transformation of the word uisquebaugh, itself a transformation of the Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha spelled uisce beatha in Irish Gaelic, literally meaning "water of life".

In North America , the abbreviated term "Scotch" is usually used for "Scotch whisky." In England , Scotland , and Wales , the term "whisky" almost always refers to "Scotch whisky", and the term "Scotch" is rarely used by itself

Scotch whisky is divided into at least 3 distinct categories: malt, blended and single grain.


Legal definition
To legally be called Scotch whisky in the United Kingdom , the spirit must conform to the standards of the Scotch Whisky Act 1988, which mandates that the spirit

Must be distilled at a Scottish distillery from water and malted barley, to which only other whole grains may be added, have been processed at that distillery into a mash, converted to a fermentable  substrate  only by endogenousenzyme systems, andfermented

only bythe addition of yeast,Must have an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8% by volume so that it retains the flavour of the raw materials used in its production, Must be matured in Scotland in oak casks for not less than three years, and Must not contain any added substance other than water and caramel colour.

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History
Whisky has been produced in Scotland for hundreds of years. It is generally agreed that Dalriadan Scottish monks brought distillation with them when they came to Caledonia to convert the Picts to Christianity in the fourth and fifth centuries. Friar John Cor recorded the first known batch of Scotch whisky June 1, 1494 . The first taxes on whisky production were imposed in 1644, causing a rise in illicit whisky distilling in the country. In 1823, Parliament eased the restrictions on licensed distilleries, while at the same time making it harder for the illegal stills to operate, thereby ushering in the modern era of Scotch production.

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Chill filtration - Many whiskies are chill-filtered bottling. This is a process in which the whisky is chilled to near 0°C (32°F) and passed through a fine filter. This removes some of the compounds produced during distillation or extracted from the wood of the cask, and prevents the whisky from becoming hazy when chilled, or when water or ice is added.

However, chill filtration also removes some of the flavor and body from the whisky, which is why some consider chill-filtered whiskies to be inferior.

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Types of Scotch whisky
Under the new Scotch Whisky Association rules of 2005, it is much easier to sort out the meanings on the labels of Scotch whisky. There are two major categories, single and blended. Single means that all of the product is from a single distillery, while blended means that the product is composed of whiskies from two or more distilleries. A single malt whisky is thus a malt whisky from one distillery, and a single grain is a grain whisky from one distillery. A blended malt whisky is malt whisky from more than one distillery, a blended grain whisky is grain whisky from more than one distillery, and a blended Scotch whisky is a mixture of malt and grain whisky.

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Single Malt
Single malt Scotch whisky is malt whisky that is distilled entirely at a single distillery, and is not blended with grain whisky. Glenfiddich is the best selling single malt Scotch whisky in the world, accounting for 20% of single malt whisky sales, while Glenmorangie is the best selling single malt in Scotland . Others include Balvenie, Glenlivet, Highland Park , Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Scapa and Talisker.

If the whisky comes from one cask only, it is frequently referred to as single cask whisky. Whisky in the cask, depending on the age and the initial filling strength, can exceed 60 per cent alcohol by volume. Most whiskies are bottled at between 40 per cent (the minimum legal limit) and 46 per cent alcohol by volume; if the whisky is not watered down, or is slightly watered down but still at a relatively high strength, it is frequently labeled Cask Strength. Note that Cask Strength Scotch does not have to be from a single cask, i.e. a Single Cask Scotch, nor vice versa, although this is often the case.

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Regional Variants
Scotland is traditionally divided into several regions (between six and nine) for the classification of single malts; to a greater or lesser degree, the whiskies in a given region may have similar characteristics. The regions are:

Islay , pronounced "eye-la" – for example, Bruichladdich, Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Bowmore
Highland – for example, Glenmorangie, Old Pulteney, Dalwhinnie, Royal Brackla
Speyside (north-east Scotland ) has the largest number of distilleries – for example, Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Glenlivet, The Macallan, Glenrothes, Aberlour, Speyburn
Lowland – for example, Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie
West Highland (seldom used as a separate category from Highland ) – for example, Oban, Ben Nevis
Island, excluding Islay , (Jura, Skye, Orkney, Mull , Arran ) – for example Isle of Jura, Talisker, Highland Park , Scapa, Tobermory, Arran
Campbeltown – of the more than 60 distilleries once active in Campbeltown only two are left: Springbank and Glen Scotia. Glengyle is planned to re-open soon.

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Vatted Malt Or Blended Malt
Vatted malt whisky is one of the less common types of Scotch: a blend of single malts from more than one distillery and with differing ages. Vatted malts contain only malt whiskies—no grain whiskies—and are usually distinguished from other types of whisky by the absence of the word "single" before "malt" on the bottle, and the absence of a distillery name. The age of the youngest whisky in the bottle is that used to describe the age on the label, so a vatted malt marked "8 years old" may easily include whiskies over 30 years old. Some examples include Pride of Islay, Compass Box Eleuthera, and Johnnie Walker Green Label.

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Blended whisky
Blended Scotch whisky constitutes over 90% of the whisky produced in Scotland . Blended Scotch whiskies generally contain between 10 and 50 per cent malt whisky, with the higher quality brands having the highest percent malt, and were initially created for the English market, where pure malt whiskies were considered too harshly flavoured (the main two spirits consumed in England at the time being brandy in the upper classes, and gin in the lower ones). Master blenders combine the various malts and grain whiskies to produce a consistent "brand style". Blended whiskies frequently use the same name for a range of whiskies at wildly varying prices and (presumably) quality. Notable blended Scotch whisky ranges include Johnnie Walker, Cutty Sark, Famous Grouse, and Chivas Regal.

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Single Grain
Notable single grain Scotch whiskies include Black Barrel and Cameron Bridge .

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Independent bottlers
Most malt distilleries sell a significant amount of whisky by the cask for blending, and sometimes to private buyers as well. Whisky from such casks is sometimes bottled as a single malt by independent firms such as Cadenhead, Murray McDavid, Signatory, and others. These are usually labeled with the distillery's name, but not using the distillery's trademarked logos or typefaces. An "official bottling" (or "proprietary bottling"), by comparison, is one from the distillery (or its owner). Most independent bottlings are from single casks, and they may sometimes be very different from an official bottling.

There have been occasional efforts by distillers to curtail independent bottling; Allied Domecq, owner of the Laphroaig distillery, initiated legal action against Murray McDavid in an effort to prevent them from using "Distilled at Laphroaig Distillery" in their independent bottlings of said whisky. Murray McDavid subsequently used the name "Leapfrog" for a time, before Allied backed off.

William Grant & Sons, which owns three malt distilleries, adds a measure of one of its other distilleries' whisky to each cask of malt it sells to independent bottlers. This prevents independent bottlers from bottling the contents of the cask as a single malt.

To avoid potentially sticky legal issues, some independent bottlings do not reveal the source of the whisky, using an alias or a geographical name instead. This is also called a 'Bastard Bottling'. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society uses numbers to identify distillers; the distiller list is made available to members only in the form of indirect clues (which are nevertheless usually unambiguous given some research).

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Understanding a Scotch whisky label
Like many products, the contents of a Scotch whisky label are a combination of tradition, marketing, national law and whim. It can therefore be challenging to understand what it is that one holds in a bottle. Because of variations in language and national law, the following can only be considered a rough guide.

The first thing to look for is the words Scotch whisky, spelled exactly in that way (perhaps Whisky is capitalized). If the word Scotch is missing, the whisky is probably made elsewhere. If it says Scotch Whiskey or Scottish Whiskey, it is possibly counterfeit.

Now, look for the words single malt. These may be split by other words e.g. single highland malt. If this is present, you have a single malt Scotch whisky.

If you have vatted malt, pure malt or "blended malt", you have a mixture of single malt whiskies. Very rarely, you might find a single grain whisky. In all other cases, you have a blended whisky.

The label might identify a distillery name, either as the main brand, or as part of the product description. This is not guaranteed for any type of Scotch, but is most likely to be seen for single malt. Some single malt whisky is sold anonymously or with a made up brand name. This is no guide to quality, but may mean that successive bottles are completely different whiskies. The only way to identify a real distillery name is to look it up in a reference.

In most countries you will see the alcoholic strength. Note the difference between percentage (percentage alcohol by volume) and proof, a measure that varies by country. Typically whisky is around 40% abv; lower values may be required in some countries, or might indicate an "economy" whisky. If the bottle is over about 50 per cent alcohol it is probably cask strength and many drinkers would add a little water.

The other information that might be present is an age. If an age like 12 years is present that indicates that all the whisky in the bottle was matured in cask at least that long before bottling. You might also see a year. Years are trickier, because whisky stops maturing once it is bottled; examine the labels for the year of bottling. Basic whisky would not include an age, but it often used to differentiate brands, since more mature whisky may be better and is almost invariably more expensive.

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The regions differ from the more conventional categorizations, which generally include Highland , Lowland, Speyside, Campbeltown, and Island (although Islay is often categorized separately from the other Scottish islands). Indeed Talisker is the only distillery on the Isle of Skye , which has never been a whisky region unto itself, though this categorization enabled UDV to include both Talkisker and Lagavulin, strongly flavoured malts with strong followings. Campbeltown's association with the distillation of whisky has greatly subsided over the years, leaving merely three working distilleries in the region, none owned by UDV. The Lowlands have faired little better, leaving only four, of which only Glenkinchie is UDV owned.

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Distiller's editions
All six of the Classic Malts have released limited edition "Distiller's editions", which are finished in special casks selected by the master distiller at each distillery. Dalwhinnie's are finished in Oloroso casks, Glenkinchie in Amontillado, Cragganmore in Port, Oban in Montilla, Talisker in amoroso sherry.

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(mostly non-U.S.) In recent years the trend, with the exception of a few, mostly ultrapremium brands, has been toward lower proofs, generally 80 proof. In part this is due to the fact that some (mostly non-U.S.) jurisdictions do not allow alcoholic beverages with over 40% alcohol content to be sold and this makes all production suitable for sale in these jurisdictions; predominantly the major motive seems to be an economic one, as obviously it is less expensive for the distiller to stretch his product with more water; and the tax burden on the distiller is also reduced.

Bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States . All but a few of these brands are made in Kentucky . When American pioneers pushed west of the Allegheny Mountains following the Revolution, the first counties they founded covered vast regions. One of these original, huge counties was Bourbon, established in 1785 and named after the French royal family. While this vast county was being carved into many smaller ones, early in the 19th century, many people continued to call the region 'Old Bourbon.' Located within 'Old Bourbon' was the principal Ohio River port from which whiskey and other products were shipped to market. 'Old Bourbon' was stenciled on the barrels to indicate their port of origin. 'Old Bourbon' whiskey was different because it was the first corn whiskey most people had ever tasted, and they liked it. In time, 'bourbon' became the name for any corn-based whiskey." Charles K. Cowdery How Bourbon Whiskey Really Got Its Famous Name printed in The Bourbon Country Reader, Volume 3, Number 1, July 1996

A refinement introduced by Scottish chemist Dr. James C. Crow was the sour mash process, by which each new fermentation is conditioned with some amount of spent "Feed Mash" (previously fermented mash that has been separated from its alcohol), in much the same way that sourdough bread is made from starter. The acid introduced by using the sour mash controls the growth of bacteria that could taint the whiskey. As of 2005, all straight bourbons use a sour mash process. Crow developed this refinement while working at the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery (now the Woodford Reserve Distillery) in Woodford County , Kentucky . (Feed Mash is so named because these spent grains are also used as an ingredient in animal feed.)

Curiously, when thinking about bourbon, many people first think of Jack Daniel's, which is actually not a bourbon, but a Tennessee whiskey because it goes through the Lincoln County Process. Almost all bourbons are distilled in Kentucky , and it is often said that only Kentucky whiskey can properly be called bourbon; this is, however, not true, as those few exceptions to the rule demonstrate. As of today, there are no running distilleries within the current boundaries of Bourbon County . (It shrank considerably since early whiskey making days.)

An act of the U.S. Congress in 1964 declared bourbon to be " America 's Native Spirit" and its official distilled spirit. [1] A concurrent resolution of the U.S. Congress restricted bourbon to U.S. production. Some stories about its origins therein may or may not be accurate, such as its invention by Baptist minister and distiller Elijah Craig

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largely disappeared, with only a few remaining producers.

In 1996, Fritz Maytag of the Anchor Brewery in San Francisco , California , began distilling Old Potrero Single Malt Whiskey under the label Anchor Distilling. The whiskey is made from 100 percent malted rye. One of the few single malt whiskey produced in the United States -another single malt comes from Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon .

Other prominent rye whiskey distillers in the United States include Jim Beam and Austin, Nichols, which markets its product under the Wild Turkey brand at 80° and 101° proof. Other labels include Old Overholt, Van Winkle Family Reserve, Rittenhouse and Pikesville Supreme.

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