I headed over to Matt’s Speakeasy for a proper deep dive into American whiskey — and there’s a lot more to bourbon than simply putting whiskey into a charred oak barrel.

In this episode of Macca’s Cask Notes, Matt and I talk through some of the terms you’ll see on American whiskey bottles and what they actually mean.

🥃 We cover:

What legally makes a whiskey Bourbon
Why bourbon doesn’t have to come from Kentucky
What Straight Bourbon Whiskey actually means
The rules behind Bottled-in-Bond
Why 100 proof / 50% ABV is important
Bourbon vs Rye Whiskey
Mash bills and the role of corn, rye and wheat
New charred oak barrels
The 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act
The 1906 Pure Food and Drugs Act
President Taft’s 1909 whiskey decision
And plenty more American whiskey chat along the way

We also have a few bottles sitting on the barrel to help demonstrate what all those labels and classifications actually mean.

If you normally drink Scotch whisky and have wondered where to start with American whiskey, this one should give you a good introduction.

Jump on over to Matts channel, @orthaNZ

What American whiskey should I try next?
Let me know your favourite bourbon, rye or Bottled-in-Bond bottle in the comments.

🥃 Subscribe to Macca’s Cask Notes for whisky reviews, distillery conversations, tastings, experiments and plenty more from New Zealand and beyond.

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