by Mark and Haley LaMonica

Created on: August 12, 2008   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Lessons Learned on the Bourbon Trail

As lovers of the only true American liquor, we watched with frustration as bourbon was crowded off the shelves by an ever expanding selection of fashionable liquors. While vodka producers added yet another fruit infused concoction to the market place, bourbon distillers remained true to their historic roots. Without alterations in recipe or process, bourbon has become increasingly popular in recent years as evidenced by the multitude of choices now widely available. Alongside the familiar names of Maker's Mark and Jim Beam, lesser known labels with descriptors such as single barrel, small batch, and barrel proof are becoming more prevalent. How do you make sense of these choices? What distinguishes bourbon from the famous Tennessee sipping whiskey Jack Daniels as well as from Scotch, Irish, and Canadian whiskies? It was with these questions that we set off on a journey to the heart of bourbon country, Bardstown, Kentucky.

Rarely have we embarked on a trip with such a singular focus. Our plan was simple: visit as many distilleries and taste as many bourbons as possible. At our first stop, the Buffalo Trace Distillery, we were immediately bombarded by the distinct scent of freshly baked sourdough emanating from the surrounding barrel filled warehouses. We later learned that this scent is the aging bourbon evaporating from the barrel, otherwise known as the angel's share. By law bourbon must be aged for a minimum of 2 years, but many of the more premium labels spend upwards of 20 years in oak despite the ever increasing share for the heavens. Over the course of the aging process for the 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle, produced at Buffalo Trace, 73 percent of the bourbon evaporates. It is no wonder that a bottle, if you can find one, costs approximately 200 dollars.

The importance of the barrel aging process explains why producers are willing to allow so much of their product to evaporate. Following distillation, the liquor is clear and known in the industry as "white dog" and "white lightning," or in layman's terms as moonshine. To illustrate the transformative nature of the aging process, Maker's Mark provides a small sample of the tequila-scented, foul tasting liquid that is a far cry from the bourbon it will become after spending 6 years in oak. Prevented from adding artificial coloring and flavoring, bourbon must be all natural and derive all of its color and flavor from the new, charred white oak barrels in which it ages. Precluding

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