BEST BOURBON

If you like your whiskey a little rough around the edges, look no further than the delicious taste of American bourbon. With Whiskeys from Jim Beam to Wild Turkey, and from Buffalo Trace to Widow Jane, we’ve a multitude of delicious bourbons on offer, so you can truly sample the spirit of America – literally.

All bourbons must contain at least 51% corn, and the new spirit must be distilled below 80% ABV. Then comes the waiting game – federal law in the US states that bourbon must be matured for two years at the very least. Why two years, you ask? The climate in America is very different from the climate in Scotland, where three years is the recommended minimum. When maturing, the whisky is stored in white oak barrels – and it’s this amazing wood that gives American bourbons and other whiskies their distinct high notes and faint vanilla flavouring.

The history of bourbon whiskey has humble beginnings; it first made its appearance in the years leading up to American independence in Kentucky and Tennessee, as poor farmers sought ways to make more money from their land. 

There’s been much refinement since the early incarnations, and in modern times, bourbon is renowned for its sweet, smooth and sometimes spicy character. Typically, you’ll find that bourbon whiskey offers notes of vanilla, toffee, cinnamon, dried fruit and aged oak, though if you ramp up the rye content you’ll also induce drier more peppery flavours.

At The Whisky World, you’ll discover a diverse range of American bourbon from esteemed brands including Evan Williams, Knob Creek and Wild Turkey.