<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Rather than speculating anectodally on the accuracy of scientific and
medical information listmates share, it might be a good idea to go cross
reference information for ourselves.  It's not hard.  In this case, all it
took was typing the word "bourbon" into a search engine.  Hope this helps
put this to rest, and vindicates  Marge Johannemann, who was quite accurate
in her assessment of Celiac Symposium information, as well as a true, blue
Kentuckian in her knowledge of bourbon! There are no flavorings added and no
colorings, both result from aging time and barrel types.  (The asterisks in
the text below are mine, placed for emphasis.)

Terri

To find yourself, think for yourself. - Socrates


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From: Straight Dope, a page that proports to be "Fighting Ignorance since
1973 (It's taking longer than we thought!) :
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbourbon.html

"A definition of whiskey/whisky from www.kentuckyconnect.com: "Whisky is an
alcoholic distillate from a fermented mash of grain produced at less than
190 proof in such a manner that the distillate possesses the taste, aroma,
and characteristics generally attributed to whiskey, stored in oak
containers (except that corn whisky need not be so stored), and bottled at
not less than 80 proof, and also includes mixtures of such distillates for
which no specific standards of identity are prescribed."

"For a whiskey to qualify as bourbon, the law--by international
agreement--stipulates that it must be made in the USA. It must be made from
at least 51% and no more than 79% Indian corn, and aged for at least two
years. (Most bourbon is aged for four years or more.) The barrels for aging
can be made of any kind of new oak, charred on the inside. Nowadays all
distillers use American White Oak, because it is porous enough to help the
bourbon age well, but not so porous that it will allow barrels to leak. It
must be distilled at no more than 160 proof (80% alcohol by volume).

*Nothing can be added at bottling to enhance flavor or sweetness or alter
color.* The other grains used to make bourbon, though not stipulated by law,
are malted barley and either rye or wheat. Some Kentucky bourbon makers
claim that the same limestone spring water that makes thoroughbred horses'
bones strong gives bourbon whiskey its distinctive flavor. Kind of like that
"it's the water" thing with Olympia beer.

"Bourbon can be made anywhere in the U.S., but all but a couple of brands
are made in Kentucky. Only the state of Kentucky can produce bourbon with
its name on the label. The name comes from Bourbon county in the central
bluegrass region of Kentucky. This county was named in 1785 to honor the
French royal family and was once the major transshipment site for shipping
distilled spirits down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans.
Barrels shipped from there were stamped with the county's name, which then
became the name of this kind of whiskey. Interestingly, there are no
distillers in Bourbon county, Kentucky right now. "

--SDSTAFF Jill
Straight Dope Science Advisory Board


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And then there's this, from the Bourbon History Page
(http://www.straightbourbon.com/history.html):

"As with French-appellation wines, there are strict laws governing just what
a Bourbon must be to be labeled as such. For example, at least 51 percent of
the grain used in making the whiskey must be corn (most distillers use 65 to
75 percent corn). Bourbon must be aged for a minimum of two years in new,
white oak barrels that have been charred. *Nothing can be added at bottling
to enhance flavor, add sweetness or alter color. * Though technically
Bourbon can be made anywhere, Kentucky is the only state allowed to put its
name on the bottle. And as Kentucky distillers are quick to point out,
Bourbon is not Bourbon unless the label says so.

"....... Today, Bourbon barrels are charred to different degrees, ranked
from one to four, depending on the depth of the bum. Single-barrel and
small-batch Bourbons are usually aged in a three or four char barrel
(moderate to heavy). *The charring not only darkens the wood but also
caramelizes some of the natural sugars in the oak. *

"During the aging process, the whiskey is said to "breathe" in the barrel,
expanding into the wood over the hotter months and contracting out of it in
the winter. *Since color and flavor are transferred to the Bourbon while it
is in the wood*, summer is the most important time in the warehouse.
Distillers often refer to it as the "aging" season. *Naturally, the longer a
Bourbon is aged, the more flavor it takes from the wood. *