Editing Bourbon whiskey (section)

==Production process==
[[File:Barrels with a flavour to impart - geograph.org.uk - 286747.jpg|thumb|right|Used bourbon barrels awaiting fresh contents in Scotland]]
To be legally sold as bourbon, the whiskey's [[mash bill]] requires a minimum of 51% corn, with the remainder being any cereal grain.<ref name="zeldes"/> A proposed change to U.S. regulations will expand allowable "grains" to include seeds of the pseudocereals amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/01/14/681668665/quinoa-whiskey-modified-crop-list-spurs-distilleries-to-try-alternative-grains |title=Quinoa Whiskey? Modified Crop List Spurs Distilleries To Try Alternative Grains |first=Ashlie |last=Stevens |work=The Salt |publisher=[[National Public Radio]] |date=January 14, 2019 |access-date=April 9, 2019 |archive-date=April 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409141245/https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/01/14/681668665/quinoa-whiskey-modified-crop-list-spurs-distilleries-to-try-alternative-grains |url-status=live }}</ref> A mash bill that contains wheat instead of rye produces what is known as a wheated bourbon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/brands/wl-weller|title=W.L. Weller|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326235823/http://buffalotracedistillery.com/brands/wl-weller|archive-date=March 26, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/drinking/spirits/bourbon?page=all|title=Bourbon Guide|author=LeNell Smothers|publisher=epicurious.com|access-date=May 1, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501090254/http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/drinking/spirits/bourbon?page=all|archive-date=May 1, 2014}}</ref> The grain is ground and mixed with water. Usually mash from a previous distillation is added to ensure consistency across batches, creating a sour mash. Finally, yeast is added, and the mash is [[ethanol fermentation|fermented]]. It is distilled to (typically) between 65% and 80% alcohol using either a traditional [[alembic]] (or [[pot still]]) or the much less expensive [[continuous still]]. Most modern bourbons are initially run off using a column still and then redistilled in a "doubler" (alternatively known as a "thumper" or "retort") that is basically a pot still.<ref>[http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2008/02/pot-stills-versus-column-stills.html Pot Stills Versus Column Stills] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225183840/http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2008/02/pot-stills-versus-column-stills.html |date=December 25, 2014 }}, ''The Chuck Cowdery Blog: American Whiskey & Other Stuff'', February 26, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2015.</ref>

The resulting clear spirit, called "white dog", is placed in charred new oak containers for aging. In practice, these containers are generally barrels made from American [[Quercus alba|white oak]]. The spirit gains its color and much of its flavor from the [[caramelized]] [[sugar]]s and [[vanillin]]s in the charred wood. Straight bourbon must be aged at least two years, and blended bourbon must contain at least 51% straight bourbon on a proof gallon basis (i.e., most of the alcohol in the blend must be from straight bourbon).<ref name="TTB Online">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ttb.gov/spirits/bam/chapter4.pdf|title=Chapter 4: Class and Type Designation|website=TTB Online|access-date=September 30, 2018|archive-date=August 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801172152/https://www.ttb.gov/spirits/bam/chapter4.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The remainder of the spirits in a blended bourbon may be neutral grain spirits that are not aged at all. If a product is labeled merely as bourbon whiskey rather than straight or blended, no specific minimum aging period is prescribed – only that the product has been "stored at not more than 62.5% alcohol by volume (125 proof) in charred new oak containers".<ref name="TTB Online" /> Bourbons gain more color and flavor the longer they age in wood. Changes to the spirit also occur due to [[evaporation]] and chemical processes such as [[oxidation]]. Lower-priced bourbons tend to be aged relatively briefly. Even for higher-priced bourbons, "maturity" rather than a particular age duration is often the goal, as over-aging bourbons can negatively affect the flavor of the bourbon (making it taste woody, bitter, or unbalanced).{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

After maturing, bourbon is withdrawn from the barrel and is typically [[chill filtering|filtered]] and diluted with water. It is then bottled at no less than 80 US proof (40% abv).<ref name="5dot143a"/> Although most bourbon whiskey is sold at 80 proof, bourbon can be bottled much higher.

All "[[bottled in bond]]" bourbon is 100 proof.<ref name="Dingwall 2019 u773">{{cite web | last=Dingwall | first=Kate | title=What are "Bottled-in-Bond" Spirits and Why Should I Care? | website=Wine Enthusiast | date=October 15, 2019 | url=https://www.wineenthusiast.com/basics/what-is-bottled-in-bond/ | access-date=January 19, 2024 | archive-date=January 19, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119164742/https://www.wineenthusiast.com/basics/what-is-bottled-in-bond/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Some higher-proof bottlings are marketed as "[[barrel proof]]" or "cask strength", meaning they have not been diluted or have been only slightly diluted (less than 1% ABV dilution) after removal from the barrels.<!-- There is now a strict legal definition of "barrel proof", "cask strength", and "original barrel proof" in 27 CFR § 5.87 --> Bourbon whiskey may be sold at less than 80 proof but must be labeled as "diluted bourbon".<ref name="New Orleans Magazine 2013 l733">{{cite web | title=Bourbon: The Spirit of the South | website=New Orleans Magazine | date=December 4, 2013 | url=https://www.myneworleans.com/bourbon-the-spirit-of-the-south/ | access-date=January 19, 2024 | archive-date=January 19, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119164446/https://www.myneworleans.com/bourbon-the-spirit-of-the-south/ | url-status=live }}</ref> A very small number of bourbon bottlings have been released with exceptionally high proof, sometimes exceeding 140 proof (70% ABV). In the mid-2010s, some sources began referring to these as "hazmat" bourbons, alluding to the ban in the [[U.S. Code of Federal Regulations]] on air travel passengers and crew members carrying such high-proof beverages due to their highly flammable nature.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://robbreport.com/food-drink/spirits/review-a-smith-bowman-hazmat-bourbon-1234803193/ |title=Food & Drink Spirits – Taste Test: This 144.5-Proof Whiskey Is a Roundhouse Slap to the Mouth. But in a Good Way. |quote=A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon is nearly 75 percent alcohol, but the flavor still comes through. |date=February 5, 2023 |first1=Jonah |last1=Flicker |work=[[Robb Report]] |accessdate=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429104947/https://robbreport.com/food-drink/spirits/review-a-smith-bowman-hazmat-bourbon-1234803193/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.breakingbourbon.com/article/the-allure-of-hazmat-whiskey |first1=Eric |last1=Hasman |title=The Allure of Hazmat Whiskey |date=November 5, 2021 |publisher=breakingbourbon.com |accessdate=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429104944/https://www.breakingbourbon.com/article/the-allure-of-hazmat-whiskey |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bourbons.com/reviews/uproxx/super-hot-hazmat-bourbons-that-actually-taste-great |title=Super Hot Hazmat Bourbons That Actually Taste Great |quote=Hazmat bourbon is a niche category known for its exceptionally high proof, often over 140 proof. Here are 10 super hot hazmat bourbons to consider. |website=[[UPROXX]] |accessdate=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429104944/https://www.bourbons.com/reviews/uproxx/super-hot-hazmat-bourbons-that-actually-taste-great |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Johnston |first=Zach |url=https://uproxx.com/life/best-hazmat-bourbons-ranked-2024/ |title=Super Hot Hazmat Bourbons That Actually Taste Great, Ranked |website=[[Uproxx]] |date=February 23, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429083950/https://uproxx.com/life/best-hazmat-bourbons-ranked-2024/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-175/subpart-A/section-175.10 |title=49 CFR § 175.10 Exceptions for passengers, crewmembers, and air operators |website=[[Code of Federal Regulations]] |access-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515185644/https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-175/subpart-A/section-175.10 |url-status=live }}</ref> Such high proof levels are very uncommon even among "barrel proof" bourbons, as bourbon must enter the barrel at no higher than 125 proof and thus can only reach higher concentrations by disproportionate evaporation of water in the [[Angel's share]] during aging. Although only the focus of special attention for bourbon since the mid-2010s, very-high-proof products are not especially novel in general, as evidenced by the well-known [[Bacardi 151]] brand of [[rum]], which was available on the U.S. and Canadian markets from about 1963 until 2016 and was bottled at 75.5% ABV.

After processing, barrels remain saturated with up to {{convert|10|USgal|L|abbr=off|sp=us}} of bourbon, although {{convert|2|-|3|USgal|L|abbr=off|sp=us|0}} is the norm.<ref name=modernmarvels>{{cite episode|title=Distilleries|series=Modern Marvels|series-link=Modern Marvels|airdate=July 14, 2004|season=11|number=27}}</ref> They may not be reused for bourbon, and most are sold to distilleries in Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Mexico, and the Caribbean for aging other spirits. Some are employed in the manufacture of various barrel-aged products, including amateur and professionally brewed bourbon [[barrel-aged beer]], barbecue sauce, wine, hot sauce, and others. Since 2011, Jim Beam has employed barrel rinsing on a large scale to extract bourbon from its used barrels, mixing the extract with a 6-year-old Beam bourbon to create a 90-proof product that it sells as "Devil's Cut".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://whiskeyreviewer.com/2013/06/jim-beam-devils-cut-bourbon-review/ |title=Jim Beam Devil's Cut Bourbon Review |first=Richard |last=Thomas |date=June 17, 2013 |access-date=March 3, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304002433/http://whiskeyreviewer.com/2013/06/jim-beam-devils-cut-bourbon-review/ |archive-date=March 4, 2018 }}</ref>

The bottling operation for bourbon is the process of filtering, mixing together straight whiskey from different barrels (sometimes from different distilleries), diluting with water, blending with other ingredients (if producing blended bourbon), and filling containers to produce the final product that is marketed to consumers. By itself, the phrase "bottled by" means only that. Only if the bottler operates the distillery that produced the whiskey may "distilled by" be added to the label.<ref name="CFR5.36">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2008-title27-vol1/pdf/CFR-2008-title27-vol1-sec5-1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101162803/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2008-title27-vol1/pdf/CFR-2008-title27-vol1-sec5-1.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 1, 2015|title=27 CFR § 5.36|date=January 1, 2015|access-date=September 30, 2018 |website=[[United States Government Printing Office]]}}</ref>

Labeling requirements for bourbon and other alcoholic beverages (including the requirements for what is allowed to be called bourbon under U.S. law) are defined in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. No whiskey made outside the U.S. may be labeled bourbon or sold as bourbon inside the U.S. Various other countries have trade agreements with the U.S. to recognize bourbon as a distinctive product of the U.S., including Canada and Mexico, the United Kingdom, Chile, and Brazil.<ref>{{cite web |title=North American Free Trade Agreement |url=http://www.sice.oas.org/trade/nafta/chap-034.asp |website=Foreign Trade Information System |access-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-date=January 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108082243/http://www.sice.oas.org/trade/nafta/chap-034.asp |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=USTR Signs Wine and Distilled Spirits Continuity Agreements with the UK |url=https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2019/february/ustr-signs-wine-and-distilled |website=Office of the United States Trade Representative |access-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828233031/https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2019/february/ustr-signs-wine-and-distilled |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2013: A Look Back at USTR's Work to Support Jobs and Economic Growth at Home |url=https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/blog/2014/january/2013-year-review-look-back-ustr%E2%80%99s-work-support-jobs-and-econ |website=Office of the United States Trade Representative |access-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828233033/https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/blog/2014/january/2013-year-review-look-back-ustr%E2%80%99s-work-support-jobs-and-econ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Free Trade Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Chile |url=http://www.sice.oas.org/Trade/chiusa_e/Text_e.asp |access-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-date=June 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160613231330/http://www.sice.oas.org/Trade/chiusa_e/Text_e.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>

A 2016 experiment by Louisville craft distiller Jefferson's Bourbon suggests that in the era before whiskey was routinely bottled at the distillery, Kentucky bourbon developed a superior taste because it was shipped in barrels, using water transport wherever practical. To test this theory, Jefferson's cofounder Trey Zoeller sent two barrels of the company's signature product to New York City via barge, first down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and then along the [[Intracoastal Waterway]]. As a control, he brought a batch of the same whiskey that had remained in Louisville during the same period. According to ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'' writer Jacqueline Detwiler-George, who documented the test, the sample that made the waterborne journey "was mature beyond its age, richer, with new flavors of tobacco, vanilla, caramel, and honey. It was some of the best bourbon any of us had ever drunk." It was theorized that the action of gentle sloshing of the whiskey in barrels for a period of 2 to 4 weeks during the barge trip led to a dramatic improvement in smoothness and taste. Chemical analysis of the two samples revealed significant differences in molecular profiles, with the sample transported by water having a greater diversity of aromatic compounds.<ref name="SciNews1">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/food-drink/a21272152/jeffersons-whiskey-experiment/ |title=Bourbon Vs. Bourbon: Did Whiskey Really Taste Better in the 1800s? |first=Jacqueline |last=Detwiler-George |magazine=[[Popular Mechanics]] |date=June 21, 2018 |access-date=March 22, 2019 |archive-date=March 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322202157/https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/food-drink/a21272152/jeffersons-whiskey-experiment/ |url-status=live }}</ref>