By Richard Thomas I’m sometimes surprised by how little so many lovers of whiskey know about distillation until they make their first visit to a distillery. Until that visit, distillation is an almost magical liquor-making process involving almost medieval equipment and ancient techniques. Distillation is an ancient process, but there is nothing magical about it. Instead, distillation is the science ...

Bourbon Whiskey Under American federal law, bourbon must be made from a grain recipe with at least 51% corn and distilled to a strength not greater than 80% alcohol. The latter is at least ten points weaker than what is allowed in Canada, Ireland or Scotland. It must be then aged in new, charred oak barrels and bottled at a ...