Types of Bourbon

Bourbon can be broken into three types, based on the decisions that the distillery makes when bottling the bourbon:

Many whiskey drinkers confuse Tennessee whiskey with bourbon. Tennessee whiskey is a distinct type of whiskey bourbon because of an extra step in its production: the distilled liquor of Tennessee whiskey is filtered though finely ground maple charcoal, which results in a lighter body.

Standard straight bourbon is bottled using no special addi-tional processes. The aged bourbon from barrels deemed ready for bottling is mixed and then bottled.

There are eight producers of Kentucky bourbon, each of which markets multiple brands—currently around 300 brands, though the number varies from year to year. The brands, some of the most popular of which are shown in the following table, vary widely in taste and aroma due to different ratios of ingredients, distillation processes, and years in the barrel.

Small batch bourbon is created by combining the bourbons from a few choice barrels. The distiller samples the contents of a number of barrels and selects those with the highest-quality bourbons. The chosen bourbons are then mixed together and bottled. As a rule, small batch bourbons are more aromatic and complex than standard bourbons.

Some small batch bourbons prominently identify the product as such on the label. Many others—including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s, and Maker’s Mark—do not, though a description elsewhere on the label may specify the bourbon’s small batch status.

When bourbon distillers sample the contents of barrels, those of exceptionally high quality may be bottled and sold in limited quantities as a single barrel bourbon—examples of which include Eagle Rare Single Barrel, Four Roses Single Barrel, Evan Williams Single Barrel, and Wild Turkey Rare Breed. In some cases, these bourbons are bottled immediately. In others, they’re left to age even longer to enhance their taste, aroma, and complexity.