Part 2 — Answer key

Compare your answers after you have finished Part 1.

1. Which of these products clearly would NOT qualify as bourbon under U.S. rules?
   Corn whiskey aged in used oak barrels
2. All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.
   True
3. Which grain must make up at least 51% of the mash bill for a whiskey to be labeled bourbon in the United States?
   Corn
4. Under U.S. regulations, bourbon must be produced in Kentucky to use the word "bourbon" on the label.
   False
5. When a distillery says its whiskey is legally bourbon, what type of barrel must it be aged in?
   New charred oak barrels
6. A friend asks how bourbon relates to other whiskies. Which description is most accurate?
   Bourbon is a specific style of American whiskey that meets certain legal rules.
7. You are writing a bourbon quiz and want to mention the main producing region. Which U.S. state is home to the majority of bourbon production today?
   Kentucky
8. U.S. law caps bourbon distillation at no more than 160 proof in order to preserve grain character.
   True
9. At a blind tasting, you want to pick out the bourbon from a lineup that includes Scotch single malt and Irish whiskey. Which characteristic most strongly suggests a typical bourbon profile?
   Almost no oak influence and a very light body
10. A craft distiller fills new charred oak barrels with their bourbon distillate at 140 proof. Later they plan to dilute and bottle it as bourbon. What legal issue do they face?
    They cannot legally label it bourbon because the barrel entry proof is too high.
11. A brand wants to add caramel coloring to its bourbon so every batch looks exactly the same. What is the most accurate statement about this plan under U.S. bourbon law?
    It would mean the product can no longer be labeled bourbon.
12. If you add ice or water to bourbon in your glass, U.S. labeling law no longer considers what you are drinking to be bourbon.
    False
13. Most large Kentucky bourbon distilleries routinely reuse their charred barrels for aging new bourbon batches.
    False
14. You pick up a bottle labeled "Straight Bourbon Whiskey" that also lists an age statement. What legal requirement is specifically tied to the word "straight" in this case?
    It was aged at least two years in new charred oak barrels.
15. You are curating a flight of Bottled in Bond bourbons. Which combination of facts must be true for a bourbon to qualify as Bottled in Bond under U.S. law?
    Aged in used charred barrels, bottled at 100 proof, and blended across multiple distilleries
16. Arrange these stages of bourbon production in the correct order, starting from raw grain and ending with the finished product.
    Correct order: Mashing the grains with water → Fermenting the mash into a low-strength beer → Distilling the fermented mash into new make spirit → Filling new charred oak barrels for aging → Diluting and bottling the mature whiskey
17. In a resolution that helped cement bourbon’s identity, how did the U.S. Congress describe bourbon’s relationship to the United States?
    "Distinctive product of the United States"
18. Which of the following are legal requirements for labeling a spirit as bourbon in the United States? Select all that apply.
    It is aged in containers that have never been used and are charred on the inside.; It is distilled to no more than 160 proof (80% alcohol).; It is made from a mash bill with at least 51% corn.