The Making of the Ubiquitous Bourbon

As the argument goes, it is believed that Scotland has absolute market control with regard to the producing of the finest product on the face of this earth; then again, there are some other products, in some other countries, which need to be discussed. From time immemorial, Bourbon has been linked with Kentucky and the reason for that being that it is in this very state that the process of making Bourbon was principally developed.

In the end of the 18th century, a Baptist minister called Elijah Craig, hailing from Georgetown, Kentucky revealed to the townspeople as well as farmers, the original Bourbon whiskey, where it simply caught on like wild fire. It is believed that the illustrious Abraham Lincoln’s own father, too, became involved.

European settlers carried with them the secret of this craft all the way to North America where they disclosed it to their newly acquainted neighbors, leading to a rapid escalation in production. The year 1791 was noted for the whiskey upheaval that occurred in Pennsylvania, the place where the government decided to levy tax on whiskey itself as well as the sale of whiskey.

The distillers found this an extremely bitter pill to swallow and hence they headed out towards the Kentucky Mountains in order to evade the whisky tax collectors. About 80% of all Bourbon is currently distilled in Kentucky. The name, which is so proudly flaunted on the Kentucky bottles, was actually carried by an imperial family of French descent. The bottles bearing this royal name were launched in 1758.

When the American demanded independence from British colonial rule, the French sided with the Americans and therefore as the fight for independence grew stronger, new land holdings in America were given French names, as a mark of respect. It was in 1785, that Kentucky came to be referred to as Kentucky, District of Virginia instead of an independent state.

Sailing through Kentucky’s river ports, the consignment of whiskies were dispatched via the Ohio River all the way to New Orleans. Limestone County and Northeastern Bourbon County united in 1789 to form Mason County, Virginia.

Even though Bourbon does not face as many restrictions as Scotch, there are quite a few regulations that are currently in force. The State regulation on the distilling of Bourbon stipulates that the brew should be made from fifty-one percent corn; then again, wheat, rye, and barley may be availed of for blending purposes. According to regulations, it needs to be between eighty-hundred and sixty percent proof.

The presence of corn lends Bourbon a soft feel and a sweet flavor. A continual still is used for distilling Bourbon, and once this is done, oaken casks are filled with this liquid and then kept for maturing for at least, as mandated by the regulations, a minimum of a couple of years. It is these stringent regulations that make Bourbon the drink it has become today; a favorite with those who are passionate about their drink.