Fall / Autumn is Bourbon Time!

EAST SETAUKET, N.Y. - Oct. 8, 2024 - PRLog -- Leaves are starting to change color, the weather is getting a bit more crisp (especially after sunset) and the harvest of our land is bountiful; fall has arrived. With that in mind, it might be time to restock the home bar with the spirit that will take the edge off those cool nights gathered around the backyard fire pit: Bourbon.

Well, let's start at the beginning: What is Bourbon? Definitively it is America's spirit, with its production starting at around the same time as the formation of our nation in the mid -8th century. It was originally produced by immigrants of Scots-Irish descent, who know just a thing or two about whiskey (well in the UK they spell it "whisky", but same-same). Here in North America they used the native grains of corn in addition to the good-old standbys barley, wheat, rye and oats. This unique new mash bill would become the hallmark of bourbon, as by definition the spirit must be produced with a minimum of 51% of corn in order to be considered bourbon. Additionally the spirit must be aged in charred new American oak barrels, in order to be called "Straight Bourbon" it must spend a minimum of two years in the barrel before bottling, no additives or flavoring agents are allowed in the product meaning it is solely a product of fermentation, distillation and aging. While Kentucky is the most renowned region for bourbon production, but it can be produced in any of our fifty states, so long as it adheres to the stipulations of production it is bourbon. The name of bourbon, however, is tied to Bourbon County Kentucky, named for the French Bourbon Dynasty.

Bourbon is a spirit that warms the heart with heady notes of vanilla and spice atop its rather viscous texture. It comes in many different forms in terms of its strength and power, some bottlings cut with spring water to bring it down to 80-proof in a ready to enjoy format, others bottled uncut and unfiltered at cask strength to showcase the raw essence of the spirit and craftsmanship of the distiller. The reason it plays so nicely with a backyard fire pit and gooey, chocolatey s'mores is its richly flavored character that reverberates the whiff of smoke from the fire and the bittersweet flavors of the chocolate.

Whether your pleasure is to sip it neat, with a little ice or to mix it into a delicious cocktail, Mora's Fine Wine & Spirits has just the bourbon for you … (happy sipping)

https://www.moraswines.com/fall-is-bourbon-time/