What is difference between bourbon and whiskey

One of the most common distinctions talked about with whiskies is between "single-malt" and "blended" whiskies. A single-malt whiskey has to come from one individual distillery.

A blended whiskey is taken from a variety of distilleries and combined. Whiskies are blended in order to maintain a more consistent product, while single-malts allow distilleries to get more of the unique attributes of specific whiskies to shine through.

But many excellent whiskies can be found in both categories. Walking into a liquor store and picking out a bottle of whiskey can seem like a daunting process. Understanding the nuances and differences between each style can help you find the whiskey that best suits your taste and your intended serving style. Whether it's bourbon or any other type of whiskey, there are years of work and centuries of history behind each bottle. And remember, bourbon, Scotch, and rye are all types of whiskey — are they're all delicious.

World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Dylan Ettinger. Whiskey is a distilled spirit made from grains like corn and rye and aged in wooden barrels.

Bourbon is a type of whiskey, and there are strict rules in place to ensure its quality. Dylan is a freelance contributor to Insider Reviews. He is a long time coffee professional who began working as a campus barista while studying anthropology at Indiana University. He has been a barista, helped open cafes, and for the past five years, has worked in specialty coffee distribution in Los Angeles.

Aside from coffee, Dylan is fascinated by culture, music, religion and politics. He also produces and performs experimental electronic music while spending his free time cooking and reading. FOOD 10 common beer styles all drinkers should try, from pilsners to porters. FOOD How to make the perfect martini and customize it to your taste.

A major difference between whiskey on a broad scale and bourbon lies in the ingredients. Whiskey can hail from literally anywhere in the world and depending on the country, is made using a wide range of production, regulatory guidelines, and aging processes.

Even in America, there is plenty of whiskey distilled that does not fall into the bourbon category, such as Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey. Featuring corn as the predominant ingredient in its mash, bourbon has a perceived sweeter overall profile than most whiskey, but can still develop remarkable complexity.

Depending on the origin and mash bill , bourbon can display notes of baking spices, black pepper, fruit, vanilla, caramel, and even cocoa. Even Tennessee whiskey has a distinctive profile, imparted during its unique charcoal-filtering method known as the Lincoln County Process.

All whiskey is spirit made from fermented grain and then aged in barrels. But the kind of grain and the kind of barrels determines the variety of whiskey. Per the American Bourbon Association , in order to be classified as bourbon, a whiskey needs to be distilled from a mixture of grains, or mash, that's at least 51 percent corn.

That corn gives bourbon its distinctive sweet flavor. Bourbon also must be aged in new charred oak barrels, and cannot include any additives or colorings. Other whiskeys can be aged in barrels previously used to age other spirits, and they don't necessarily need to be whiskey barrels—port, sherry, and rum casks are used in the aging process for non-bourbon whiskeys.

To be designated "straight bourbon whiskey," bourbon has to have been aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years. When bourbon is barreled, it also has to hit a certain proof, or alcohol content in the spirit. The mash must be distilled at proof or 80 percent alcohol by volume or less, and aged in barrels until it is no more than proof Before bottling, bourbon is filtered and diluted down to no less than 80 proof 40 percent alcohol by volume.