American whiskey (Bourbon)
The most of famous of all American whiskies is Bourbon. This alcoholic beverage has evolved over the last 200 years. It is the native spirit of America. The birth of Bourbon was in Pennsylvania. The art of making whiskey was brought to western Pennsylvania by the Irish-Scots.
Bourbon is a corn based whiskey. On the 4th of May 1964, Bourbon whiskey was recognized as a distinctive product of the United States. Bourbon has to be aged, according to the US legislation. If it caries no age statement, it signifies that it has been aged for a minimum of four years and is qualified as a “straight bourbon”. However there is no need for it to be labeled as “straight bourbon”. The aging process is not believed to add to the flavor. All the bourbons sold today have been allowed to age for at least five years before they are sold. All of them qualify as straight bourbon.
Bourbon is a combination of corn, rye, wheat and malted barley. 70% of the mixture is made up of corn. After it has been allowed to age, water is added to it and then it is bottled and ready for selling. Often small batch bourbons are allowed to age for 6 to 8 years.
In the US, bourbon can be made anywhere since in the US it is legal to distill spirits. Most of the whiskey brands produced is produced in Kentucky.
Most of the common people believe that Bourbon has a very positive effect on the heart. In fact this silly myth has become so popular that it is come to be referred as the “heart medicine”. Many researches have proved that a moderate amount of consumption of alcohol on a daily basis will do you no harm. But remember the key is moderate consumption.