10 Things Every Guy Should Know About Bourbon

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A few months ago, Complex spoke with a representative of a Scottish distillery about the national whisky of that beautiful country: scotch. Today we turn our attention to a special American product.

Bourbon, along with jazz, hip-hop, and Lil B, is one of America's great exports. Notably sweeter than other whiskies, a great bourbon is like a glass of burnt vanilla—except when it's not. Every distiller of bourbon takes a slightly different approach, and it's up to the drinker to decide which flavor profile best suits his palate. But to make such a decision, you need the proper knowledge.

We spoke with Fred Noe, Seventh-Generation Jim Beam Family Distiller, to gain a better understanding of the drink his bloodline has been perfecting since 1795.

Here are 10 things every guy should know about bourbon.

What's the difference between bourbon and whiskey?

"By law, bourbon has to be made in the United States. Corn has to be the majority grain, meaning the mash bill must show at least 51% corn. After that, you can back it up with whatever you want. Here at Beam, we use rye and malted barley.

"The next thing is, you have to use a brand new barrel every time you age bourbon. By law, you cannot add any colors or flavors.

"Then there are some laws relating to production. When the whiskey comes off the still after being distilled, it can’t be higher than 160 proof. When we put it into the barrel to be aged, it cannot be higher than 125 proof. When we bottle it, it must be 80 proof or higher.

"Finally, to be legally called straight bourbon, the liquor must be aged for at least two years. If it’s Kentucky straight bourbon, the aging must take place in the state of Kentucky.

"As long as you don’t deviate from those laws, your product will be deemed bourbon."

Why is bourbon so closely associated with Kentucky?

"Ninety-five percent of the world’s bourbon is made in Kentucky. If you go back ten years, that number is closer to 98 percent. Now, with micro-distilleries, bourbon is being made in upstate New York, Texas—all over the country. But that wasn’t always the case.

"Most bourbon is made in Kentucky because of the limestone water found there. Limestone water contains no iron. If there’s iron in the water, the bourbon will turn black. Also, the change of seasons in Kentucky is ideal for the aging process.

"Bourbon needs hot summers and cold winters. In the summer, the heat gets inside the barrel, making it expand. This pushes the bourbon into the wood. In winter, the barrel contracts, forcing the bourbon out. If you have too much heat but no cold, or vice versa, you don’t get that interaction with the wood.

"When they char those barrels at the cooper (the barrel manufacturer), all the natural sugar [in the wood] comes to the burned area. The wood tries to heal itself. As the liquid passes through the caramelized layer—the red line, as it’s known—it picks up the color and the flavor. Without a change of seasons, you wouldn't have that."

How important is the mash?

"At Jim Beam, everything we make, we use the sour mash process. A lot of people think that sour mash is a product that only comes from Tennessee. Over the years, through movies and such, people have been taught to associate sour mash with a black-labeled product from Tennessee. But really the sour mash process was started by Dr. Crow, who started the Old Crow Distilling Company in Kentucky.

"He discovered that when you mash the grain—when all the grains go in the cooker and we stir them up and cook them—if you bring part of the stillage (what’s left over after you distill the bourbon and take the alcohol out of the mash) back into your next batch of fresh mash—much like with a friendship bread—you get greater consistency. Without a good mashing process, you won’t produce the alcohol you’re looking for."

What makes a bourbon great?

"Aging makes the bourbon. As it goes in and out the wood, the liquid picks up 75 percent of the flavor. 'White dog' is what we call the unaged bourbon before it goes into the wood; it’s pretty sharp. Has some serious bite. But when you put it away in the rack house, where the bourbon will move in and out of the wood, it softens up, becomes sweeter. It picks up those nice aromas. During the aging process, you lose about 4 percent of the liquid a year, due to evaporation. We call that the 'angel’s share.'

"Take a bourbon like Knob Creek—it’s been aged nine years, so it’s lost roughly a third of the barrel to the angels. But what’s left behind is more concentrated; you're left with the woody flavors, the sweetness, all the things you enjoy in a good bourbon. Without the aging, you’d just have a sharp, clear, corn-based spirit."

If you're trying bourbon for the first time, you should...

"Some people enjoy sipping the liquor neat, but if you’re just starting to play with bourbon, cut it. If you taste it and make a face, it’s too strong. You need to cut it to a strength that’s pleasing to your palate. You can cut it with water, a couple rocks, anything to open it up and make it more pleasing to you.

"Bourbon is an acquired taste; you need to learn to enjoy it. Cutting it, or having it in a cocktail, helps to do that."

What are some good cocktails for trying bourbon?

"A lot of great cocktails use bourbon. An Old Fashioned, where you muddle fruit and sugar in the glass before adding bourbon, that’s a great way to experience the liquor. A good whiskey sour, with fresh lemon juice and simple syrup, is another good way. After you acquire your bourbon palate, a Manhattan is a nice drink. But even in a Manhattan, which is stronger, you have rocks to open it up to reduce the strength.

"My dad did a drink he called Kentucky Tea, where he cut the bourbon three-to-one with water. One part bourbon, three parts water. He’d drink that with dinner. A reporter once asked him why he drank Kentucky Tea and my father—he had an answer for everything—said, 'Why would I flavor my water with tea leaves when I can use bourbon?'

"My mother drinks her bourbon with ginger ale and I never once saw my dad give her a hard time about it."

Do you need to drink bourbon from special glassware?

"I like to tease the Scotch distillers, telling them they have too many rules. They like that tulip-shaped glass. And they like no ice. And they want it cut to a certain strength. With bourbon, you can drink it out of a Dixie cup. You know, you get one of those tulip glasses, and they’re nice, you can get your nose in them. But to say that’s the only way you can drink it? No.

"Use any glass that you’re comfortable with. Still, you should be able to get your nose in it, to enjoy the aroma. A highball glass is good for it. But hell, I’ve had a drink or two straight from the bottle that were pretty good."

How do you nose a bourbon?

"When you stick your nose into a glass of bourbon, you want to part your lips as you inhale. If you keep your lips tightly closed, you'll get so much alcohol in your nose, it takes over. Part your lips and it’s like you’re tasting it while you smell it. My dad taught me that."

What flavors and aromas should you look for?

"Vanilla is one I look for in a well-aged bourbon. Toasted nuts, that comes from the wood. Some bourbons, you can pick up a citrus note. Of course, telling you that suggests the stuff to you. Everyone will describe a bourbon differently because our noses have different experiences. What I might describe as toasted nuts, you might experience as cinnamon. It’s all in what you’re used to smelling."

How do you get serious about bourbon?

"Go to a reputable bar and do a tasting flight. Taste more than one bourbon at a time, and do it side-by-side. If you taste one bourbon today and then wait a couple days to try another, you won’t see the big differences. A side-by-side tasting is the best way to compare bourbons and educate yourself. Then you can figure out what taste profile suits you."