Legally Bourbon
Guilty of Having a Good Time
Whiskey Legalese
AKA
Whiskey Industry Terminology
This page is devoted to explaining and defining types of whiskey, the processes used in making them, and the vernacular of the industry. The Majority of the definitions come from the United States Code of Federal Regulations and the Bourbon Steward Handbook.
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Note: If a term is underlined in a definition then there is a separate definition on this page for that term.
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Allocated
A designation that a product has too small of a supply to keep up with demand, hence the distillery/distributor limits how many bottles will be allotted to a store for it to sell.
Barrel
A Cask that holds 50-53 gallons (180-200 liters) and is typically made of white oak.
Barrel Pick
A barrel of whiskey that has been purchased directly from the distillery by an organization or store to be exclusively bottled for its members or customers.
Barrel Proof / Uncut
A designation indicating that the spirit inside the bottle has not been watered down and is the exact same proof it was when taken out of its barrel(s).
Batching
The process of mixing multiple fully matured barrels of whiskey before bottling it as a final product.
Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskey
A term on a label denoting that the spirit inside consists of at least 2 Straight Bourbon Whiskeys from different States mixed together.
Bourbon
A Whiskey that is:
produced in the United States of America,
has a Mash Bill comprised of at least 51% corn,
distilled at or below 160 proof (80% ABV),
put in a new oak charred container
put in the container at or below 125 proof (62.5% ABV), and
free from any added substances, other than water.
Bottled in Bond
A designation denoting that a spirit is:
made at a single distillery,
made in a single "season,"
bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV), and
aged a minimum of 4 years in a government "bonded" warehouse.
Cask
A cylindrical shaped wooden container used to store and age spirits.
(Note: A Barrel is a type of cask.)
Cereal Grain
Any grain with sufficient starch content to be converted to sugar for Fermentation and Distillation.
(Common Examples: Corn, Rye, Barley, and Wheat)
Charring
The utilization of heat to effectively burn the inside of a Barrel. This process is used to release the wood sugars in the barrel that add sweet and woody flavors to the spirit aged inside of it.
Chill Filtration
A process used by whiskey producers to filter out chemical compounds, such as fatty acids, from the whiskey in order to prevent Flocculation.
Distillation
The process of separating alcohols from the waters and solids through heat and evaporation.
Fermentation
The process of turning sugar into alcohol through the use of yeast.
Flocculation / Floc
A natural process that turns spirits a hazy color when chemical compounds inside them, such as fatty acids, clump together at cold temperatures.
(Note: Although considered aesthetically displeasing by some, flocculation is harmless and it does not occur in whiskeys that are at or above the Floc Point.)
Floc Point
The minimum alcohol content that a whiskey can have to prevent Flocculation without it being Chill Filtered: 92 proof (46% ABV).
High Rye
A Bourbon that uses a "higher than normal" amount of rye in its Mash Bill.
(Note: There is no statutory definition for what constitutes a higher than normal amount of rye. However, if a Bourbon uses 20%-35% rye in its Mash Bill then it is generally considered to be a high rye.
Irish Whiskey
A Whiskey that is:
made from a Mash Bill of malted barley and optional other Cereal Grains,
Fermented by the action of yeast,
Distilled to no more than 94.8% ABV (189.6 Proof),
aged in wooden Casks no bigger than 700 liters (185 gallons) for at least 3 years in Ireland,
free from additives other than water or caramel coloring,
still has the characteristics of its raw materials (AKA: it smells and tastes like whiskey).
Kentucky Bourbon
A Bourbon that is aged for a minimum of 1 year in the State of Kentucky.
(Note: This is according to a Kentucky state statute, not a federal law in the United States)
Mash Bill
The grains that a distillate is made from.
Master Distiller
There is no standard definition for this term, but it is generally attributed to one who is an expert in making spirits and/or in charge of the whiskey production process at a distillery.
Rickhouse
A warehouse where whiskey is aged.
Single Barrel
A designation on a bottle denoting that all of the spirit inside was aged together in the same barrel.
(Note: There is no "legal" definition for this term. Rather, this definition is enforced by by virtue of the CFR stating that a bottle's label cannot have any misleading or untrue information on it.)
Small Batch
A term denoting that the product in a bottle is comprised of several barrels mixed together.
(Note: This is not a legal definition and there is no industry standard for the maximum quantity of barrels used for a batch to qualify as "small.")
Straight
A designation denoting that a Whiskey has been aged for a minimum of 2 years. However, if a "Straight" Whiskey is aged less than 4 years, then it must include an age statement on the bottle.
(Note: A straight whiskey may be a combination of 2 or more straight whiskeys blended together, however if at least one of the whiskeys in the mix is from a different State than the other(s) then the bottle must be labeled as a "Blend of Straight Whiskeys."
Toasting
The process of applying intense heat to the inside of a Barrel without burning the wood. Toasting is done to release wood tannins that both color the spirit aged inside the barrel and transfer the oak's natural vanillin into it.
Wheated Bourbon / Wheater
A Bourbon that uses wheat as the main secondary grain in its Mash Bill.
Whiskey
A liquor/spirit that is:
made from Cereal Grains,
distilled below 190 proof (95% ABV),
put into an oak container, and
bottled a minimum of 80 proof (40% ABV)