Whiskey Regulations and Standards

Whiskey Standards

• Whiskey standards are set by the government in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Part 5
• The standards are enforced by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)

Defining Whiskey

• Whiskey is a distillate made from a fermented mash of grain
• Final distillation must be to less than 190 proof (95% ABV)
• Whiskey must be bottled at no less than 80 proof

Whiskey Classes

• Whiskey classes include bourbon, rye, wheat, and malt whiskeys
• Final distillation must be under 160 proof
• If aged in oak, whiskey must go into the barrel at no more than 125 proof
• Bourbon must be made from a mash that is at least 51% corn
• Rye must be made from a mash that is at least 51% rye

Straight Whiskey

• If whiskey conforms to standards and is stored in oak containers for at least 2 years, it is "straight whiskey"
• Label must state the age if the youngest whiskey is under 4 years old
• If an age statement is used, all whiskey in the bottle must be at least that old

American Whiskey

• Distilled from a fermented grain mash
• Distilled to a proof no higher than 159 (79.5% ABV)
• Aged in charred, new oak barrels
• Bottled at no less than 80 proof
• No coloring or flavoring added

Bottled-in-Bond

• Whiskey must be at least 4 years old
• Bottled at no more or less than 100 proof
• No additives other than pure water
• Labeled as the product of the distillery where it was made and bottled
• Product of only one distillery and made by the same master distiller in one distilling season

Bourbon

• At least 51% corn
• Aged in new charred oak barrels
• Made and aged in the US
• Traditional bourbons made with corn, rye, and barley
• Spicy, fiery, and powerful flavor

Rye

• At least 51% rye
• Spicy, herbal, and grassy flavor
• Fiery when young

Innovations in Bourbon

• Corn is more uniformly high quality
• Chemistry of stills, warehouse construction, and wood management have improved
• All made with a majority of one grain
• All distilled to roughly the same proof
• All aged in the same new charred oak barrels

The Mashbill

• Ratios of grains in the mash
• Increase the base grain, and bourbon becomes sweeter
• Increase the rye, and bourbon becomes spicier
• Use wheat instead of rye, and bourbon becomes smoother and mellower

The Yeast

• Use a different yeast or run it at a different temperature, and you get variations in esters
• Bourbon distillers are particular about their yeasts and preserve the strains

The Barrel

• Distillers are specific about the wood in their barrels
• Wood science advances, and more changes are being made in how barrels are made
• Toasting the heads of the barrels is becoming more common

The Warehouse

• Warehouse will age whiskey differently depending on how they're built
• Ironclad warehouses are the most common
• Stone and brick warehouses have less air movement
• The "breathing" of the barrel comes from the change of the seasons

Tennessee Whiskey

• "Lincoln County process" involves filtering the unaged spirit through 10ft of hardwood charcoal
• Both Jack Daniels and George Dickel do everything necessary to be labeled as "straight bourbon whiskey"

Resurgent Rye

• Rye has a hot herbal rush and a flame of bitter, oily rye grass
• Rye had fallen on hard times after Prohibition, but has seen a resurgence in popularity