Difference between Bourbon and Whiskey | Bourbon Vs Whiskey

What makes Bourbon different from whiskey? 

First of all let's state the facts.

The spelling of the word whiskey/Whisky dictates where it's made.

WHISKEY is the Irish way of spelling in which they took with them when they migrated to the USA.

Because of this the US. also calls it whiskey rather than whiskey with WHISKY. This is an easy thing to keep in mind we're talking about the origin of a whiskey.

What is Whisky?

No matter the spelling whiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage that is made from fermented grain mash.

The process of making whiskey remains the same in general. The brown color often happens due to the way whiskey is aged typically an oak cask of different sizes. 

What is a Bourbon?

The unaware person may see a bottle labeled bourbon right next to a bottle labeled whiskey and assume they are different. 

They are different but on a ground level they are both whiskeys.

To understand why bourbon is different from other whiskeys,  let's take a look at the following.

• By law in the US for a whiskey to be called a bourbon it must have a mash consisting of a minimum of 51% corn.
• The mash also has to be distilled at a hundred sixty or less and in the barrel at 125 or less. 
• After this is upheld there are also rules regarding the aging process .
• Bourbon must be aged in a charred white oak barrel that has not been in use previously.
• The barrel used for aging a whiskey considered a bourbon must be charred white oak barrel by law and a completely new one. 
• On top of this there's bad news for international bourbon makers because for a whiskey to be considered a bourbon it has to be made in the US.

Difference in whiskey and Scotch (Whisky or Sctoch)

So if you're confused let us explain in a very simple way.

Going to a bar in England and asking for a whiskey will probably give you a scotch but going to a bar in Ireland will give you an Irish whisky.

Overall the reason for all the different spellings is quite simply the geographic location where it's made.

To make it easy keep these bullet points in mind. 

• This spelling is used for most whiskey made outside the US or Ireland 
• The Scottish also used this version of the word though their whiskey is usually called Scotch
• WHISKEY this spelling is used in Ireland in the US for any type of whiskey made 
• Scotch this is the name for whiskey made on Scottish soil.
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Labeling something this Scotch that is a distilled on Scottish ground is illegal in most countries.

Conclusion

Bourbon is a whiskey, however it is made in a special way. A label of whiskey a bourbon it must be made of at least 51% corn be aged in new charred oak barrels and made on United States soil.