BourbonEnthusiast.com

OK, I understand why Scotch whisky is called Scotch...and Rye whisky is called Rye...but why is Bourbon called Bourbon?

It was named for either Bourbon County, Kentucky, a disembarkation point on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River for whisky being shipped to New Orleans, or by the inhabitants there describing the whisky received from Kentucky. The shipping merchants marked the goods from their warehouse location (Bourbon Co., KY) with a head stamp on the barrels.

Earliest newspaper ads for Bourbon whisky date from about the 1820s.

OK, thanks. Named for a place of origin, like Scotch or Canadian.

This topic has been addressed in depth here many times, and by scholars and antiquarian writers in books. I happen to agree with the reply above, that Bourbon County in Kentucky named the spirit. Albeit today (and since the mid-1800's) no bourbon is made in Bourbon County as it took final form, at one time, the county occupied much of what is now northern Kentucky. Thus, the distinctive style of whiskey which became associated with Bourbon County was named either by customers receiving whiskey shipped downriver from (mostly) a port on the Ohio called Maysville, formerly Limestone Landing, KY, which for a time was in the historical county, or by people in and around Kentucky who recognized a uniquely good style of whiskey made in northern Kentucky and distinguished one might add by aging in charred oak barrels. Ultimately the best quality was seen to be resident in whiskey aged in new charred barrels, but initially it appears both new and used barrels were used for "bourbon".

There are other theories of origin which are interesting but somewhat fanciful, IMO.

Gary

thanks, guys!i even have never thought about the orifin of the bourbon