To some, it tastes like toffee, smoke or mint. Others detect notes of molasses or candied fruit. In Kentucky, where it’s mostly made, a sip of Jim Beam is practically a rite of passage.
OK, so we’re not in Kentucky. But there are bourbon lovers among us still.
The key ingredient of this special kind of whiskey–and the reason why bourbon is produced almost exclusively in Kentucky–is water. Not just any water, but limestone-filtered water, which has no iron to make the alcohol bitter. Central Kentucky rests on limestone, so the “sweet” water, as it is called, is plentiful.
Grains are the next staple. To be a bourbon, at least 51 percent of the grain used must be corn, and the rest usually is rye and malted barley, although red winter wheat sometimes is used instead of rye.
Types and quality of grains are important and each brand has its own “mash recipe,” or combination of grains. Maker’s Mark, for one, is made with 70 percent corn, 16 percent red winter wheat and 14 percent barley, producing a softer spirit.
Bourbon pairs well with vanilla, apples, cinnamon and chocolate. You can find it in everything from corn pudding to poundcake.
Or you can stick to the liquid diet. On the rocks, Coke optional.
Bourbon Cheese Ball
Serves 10
Prep time: 15 minutes and overnight refrigeration
Ingredients:
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey
1/3 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons grated onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tablespoon salt
1/4 tablespoon white pepper
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
In an electric mixer or food processor, combine the two cheeses, bourbon, parsley, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and Tabasco on slow speed. When thoroughly blended, form into a ball and roll it in pecans, chopped first in food processor. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
What makes a bourbon
All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.
What sets bourbon apart:
– Made with at least 51 percent corn
– Distilled at no more than 160 proof
– Barreled at no more than 125 proof
– Aged in virgin, white oak barrels
– Aged at least two years
Nothing added to alter flavor or color
