There’s no law requiring the corn-based, barrel-aged whiskey, known as bourbon, to be made in Kentucky. Kentucky produces and ages over 94 percent of the world’s bourbon whiskey.
What is so unique about Kentucky? The water. The state has large deposits of blue limestone, which filters out iron and make known the sweet-tasting calcium and magnesium. In Kentucky, the limestone filters out unwanted minerals. Kentucky’s large temperature variances assist in producing bourbon by absorbing and release the whiskey in the charred oak barrels. This gives the spirit its light brown color and distinctive taste. Hot summers and cold winters allow the wood to breathe, making the whiskey move in and out of the charred wood.
Another factor that makes Kentucky fertile ground for bourbon production is its fertile ground. The influx of settlers who crossed Kentucky in the late 1720s found that the Kentucky soil was perfect for growing corn, bourbon’s second main ingredient.