Why do bourbons that have been aged for less time have a higher proof than those aged for longer?

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I understand this isn’t always the case, but I see bottles of 10 year 107 proof for example and a 20 year 95 proof right next to it. What makes this difference?

In: Chemistry

6 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Didn’t expect it to be so long but here it goes:

Bourbon drinker here. When it comes to proof, it comes down to distiller’s preference or recipe. Most bourbon as stated previously is watered down to the desired strength. However, if bottled with little to no added water, it’s normally labeled cask strength or barrel proof.

Additionally, there is a legal term in the manufacturing of bourbon known as “bottled in bond”. For any bourbon to carry that label, it must be over 100 proof (50% ABV). And be aged a minimum of 4 years. This has to do with the marketing of bourbon from late in the 19th century due to a lack of the quality of bourbon at the time.

While the “angels share” has to do with a small portion of the bourbon that gets absorbed into the staves, the overall proof will be determined by the amount of water it is mixed with. Also, when bourbon is bottled, unless otherwise stated, they mix multiple barrels together to make that particular batch.

TL;dr Bourbon whiskey’s proof has to do with the distiller’s preference on how much to water it down. Also, alcohol evaporates.

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