Whiskey (Bourbon)
Under the US standard 27 CFR 5.143, bourbon is an American whiskey whose mash is at least 51% corn, matured in fresh charred oak barrels and bottled at 40% ABV or higher, the figure our recipes use. The fresh charred wood gives it its vanilla, caramel and colour, and the corn gives a rounder, sweeter spirit than rye. It is the base of 26 of our recipes, more than any other whiskey.
Quick Facts
Store upright in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Reseal tightly after use to prevent oxidation and aroma loss.
None of the 14 listed allergens. Distilled from grain, but distillation removes gluten, so it is not labelled as a gluten allergen.
About Whiskey (Bourbon)
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Warm and structured with notes of oak, caramel sweetness, vanilla, and gentle spice. Profile varies significantly depending on grain bill and ageing.
The rules are American, and the barrel does most of the work
The US federal standard sets out bourbon in a few lines: corn for 51% of the mash or more, a still strength capped at 80% ABV, new charred oak barrels filled at 62.5% or under, and 40% or more in the bottle. Nothing may be added for colour or flavour. Plain bourbon has no minimum age in American law, although British law asks three years in wood of any whisky on sale here. A new barrel gives up far more vanilla, caramel and colour than one used before, which is why bourbon darkens and sweetens quickly, and why used bourbon barrels go on to age so much Scotch, Irish whiskey and rum.
What the words on the label promise
Bourbon label terms and what each guarantees, from 27 CFR 5.143 and 5.88, the retained Regulation (EC) 110/2008 for Britain, and the Oxford Companion for Tennessee.
Bourbon
- Minimum time in new charred oak
- No federal minimum; three years for sale in Britain
- Strength
- 40% or more
- What else it guarantees
- 51% corn; no colouring or flavouring
Straight bourbon
- Minimum time in new charred oak
- Two years
- Strength
- 40% or more
- What else it guarantees
- Any blend is of straight bourbons from one state
Bottled in bond
- Minimum time in new charred oak
- Four years
- Strength
- Exactly 50%
- What else it guarantees
- One season, one distiller, one distillery
Tennessee whiskey
- Minimum time in new charred oak
- Set by Tennessee law
- Strength
- 40% or more
- What else it guarantees
- Made in Tennessee, maple charcoal filtered before ageing
| Term | Minimum time in new charred oak | Strength | What else it guarantees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon | No federal minimum; three years for sale in Britain | 40% or more | 51% corn; no colouring or flavouring |
| Straight bourbon | Two years | 40% or more | Any blend is of straight bourbons from one state |
| Bottled in bond | Four years | Exactly 50% | One season, one distiller, one distillery |
| Tennessee whiskey | Set by Tennessee law | 40% or more | Made in Tennessee, maple charcoal filtered before ageing |
Corn sweetness, and where it helps
Bourbon’s vanilla and caramel give honey and citrus something to sit on, which is why it leads the Gold Rush, the Honey Sour and the Whiskey Sour. In the Boulevardier it rounds off Campari, and in the Paper Plane it is the one spirit at full strength among four equal measures. In a sour it needs less sugar than other whiskies, because the corn and new oak bring sweetness of their own. Where a recipe wants dryness, rye is the swap.
Using Whiskey (Bourbon)
Usage
45ml in a Whiskey Sour or Boulevardier, 60ml in a Gold Rush, Honey Sour or Mint Julep, 30ml in a Paper Plane. A Texas Iced Tea takes just 15ml beside five other spirits, and the Amaretto Sour adds a small pour of cask-strength bourbon for weight.
Pro Tip
If a bourbon sour tastes sweet, cut the syrup before adding lemon. Bourbon brings its own sweetness from the corn and the new oak, so it needs less sugar than a rye or Scotch sour.
Top Tips
- A bourbon at 43 to 45% holds its shape better through a long stir than one at 40%.
- Under 27 CFR 5.143 and 5.88, straight on the label means at least two years in new charred oak, and bottled in bond at least four.
- Keep very old or rare bottles for drinking neat; sugar and citrus flatten what you paid for.
- Proof on an American label is twice the ABV: 80 proof is 40%.
Possible Substitutions
- Whiskey (Rye): Drier and spicier at the same measure
- Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey: Charcoal-filtered and softer; close in a long drink
Production Method
Under 27 CFR 5.143, corn is the majority grain, 51% at minimum, alongside rye or wheat and some malted barley. 27 CFR 5.143 has it come off the still at 160 proof (80% ABV) or lower and enters new charred oak at 125 proof (62.5%) or lower; colouring and flavouring are banned. A straight bourbon has had two years or more in that wood.
More to explore
Common Questions
What makes a whiskey a bourbon?
Can you make a Negroni with bourbon?
What is alcohol proof in whiskey?
What does straight bourbon mean?
What is the difference between bourbon and whiskey?
Does bourbon have to come from Kentucky?
What does bottled in bond mean?
Sources.
Checked between 16 October and 20 October 2026.
- Cornell Law School LII, “27 CFR § 5.143 Whisky”.
- Cornell Law School LII, “27 CFR § 5.88 Bottled in bond”.
- legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (as retained in UK law)”.
- Cornell Law School LII, “26 U.S. Code § 5002, Definitions”.
- legislation.gov.uk, “The Alcoholic Liquors (Amendment of Enactments Relating to Strength and to Units of Measurement) Order 1979”.
- IBA, “Boulevardier”.
- The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (Clay Risen), “whisky, Tennessee” (secondary source: follows the bourbon requirements and is typically passed through maple charcoal; the 2013 Tennessee law).
Made with Whiskey (Bourbon)
Featured In These Cocktails
Updated 20 October 2026