The Pour
History, Craft & Distillation
Welcome to the bourbon textbook — except it's written by a dad, not a sommelier.
The Pour is where I dig into the why behind bourbon. Why does it have to be made in America? Why corn? Why charred new oak? Why does Kentucky get all the credit when other states make great whiskey too? What does "bottled-in-bond" actually mean, and why should you care?
No jargon, no peacocking. If a term needs explaining, I'll explain it. If something is overhyped, I'll say so.
Topics covered here:
History — how bourbon became bourbon, the laws that define it, the Maryland whiskey legacy people forget about
Craftsmanship — mash bills, fermentation, distillation, what each step actually does to the flavor
Aging — barrels, rickhouses, the angel's share, why older isn't always better
Labels & terms — what "small batch," "single barrel," "bottled-in-bond," and "cask strength" actually mean (and what marketing has done to those words)
Read these in any order. They're written so each one stands on its own.
— Charley
Browse the Library (list of articles here, organized by category if needed)