Kentucky makes 95% of the world's commercially available bourbon, producing 756,778 barrels in 2010. While the Commonwealth of Kentucky had a population of 4.3 million in 2010, there were 4.7 million barrels of bourbon in the state. Under U.S. law, a bourbon can be designated as Kentucky bourbon only if it is aged for at least one year in Kentucky. U.S. law also requires bourbon to be aged for at least two years in a new oak barrel.
More about bourbon:
- The primary grain used in making bourbon is corn.
- Bourbon barrels hold about 53 gallons (200.6 L) of liquid.
- Some international trade agreements restrict the term "bourbon" to whiskeys made in the U.S., although they do not have to be made in Kentucky. Not all countries adhere to these restrictions, however.