# Virginia Gentleman, Virginia bourbon?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 11, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140 "2005-12-11T15:46:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/1 "2005-12-11T15:46:38Z")
How can Virginia Gentleman call it self a bourbon? I thought that bourbon could only come from Kentucky. Hence Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whisky and not bourbon. ---
**Author:** ![bradministrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a698b9/32.png) [@bradministrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradministrator)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/2 "2005-12-11T16:00:09Z")
> [@Aceospades](#): > > How can Virginia Gentleman call it self a bourbon? I thought that bourbon could only come from Kentucky. Hence Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whisky and not bourbon. Kentucky was once part of Virginia. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/3 "2005-12-11T18:51:20Z")
Yeah, but that was a while ago. I think we need to have a little chat with the folks in Richmond or wherever they’re making it. Next thing you know, they’ll be claiming to have Bluegrass and thoroughbreds. Vlad/Igor (who lives 20 miles from where Early Times is made) ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/4 "2005-12-11T18:59:48Z")
> [@Aceospades](#): > > How can Virginia Gentleman call it self a bourbon? I thought that bourbon could only come from Kentucky. Hence Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whisky and not bourbon. Jack Daniel’s is not a bourbon because it’s made by a different process, not because of the location of its manufacture. According to [Wikipedia,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey) bourbon can be made anywhere in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/5 "2005-12-11T21:21:53Z")
> [@Aceospades](#): > > How can Virginia Gentleman call it self a bourbon? I thought that bourbon could only come from Kentucky. Hence Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whisky and not bourbon. Nope, bourbon can come from anywhere. Kentucky bourbon has to come from Kentucky. JD calls itself a Tennessee whiskey because it’s a Tennessee whiskey, not a bourbon. ---
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/6 "2005-12-12T00:21:17Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Nope, bourbon can come from anywhere. i don’t supose i could get a cite on this? ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/7 "2005-12-12T03:55:30Z")
> [@Aceospades](#): > > i don’t supose i could get a cite on this? [http://frwebgate1.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=842435403870+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve](http://frwebgate1.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=842435403870+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve) US Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Section 5.22 It does have to be made in the US, but after that any state is fair game. I’ve heard from several places that only Kentucky bourbon can be called “Statename” bourbon, but haven’t actually found that law. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/8 "2005-12-12T04:01:36Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > [http://frwebgate1.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=842435403870+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve](http://frwebgate1.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=842435403870+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve) > US Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Section 5.22 > > It does have to be made in the US, but after that any state is fair game. I’ve heard from several places that only Kentucky bourbon can be called “Statename” bourbon, but haven’t actually found that law. OK, that link doesn’t work. [Here](http://www.distill.com/specs/USA10.html)’s one that does. ---
**Author:** ![mcjunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@mcjunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcjunk)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/9 "2005-12-13T06:11:54Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbourbon.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbourbon.html) Actually, Virginia Gentleman is made by fairly traditional methods, giving it as much right to the name Bourbon as Maker’s Mark (more maybe, but that’s an IMHO thing). That doesn’t make it good, though. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/10 "2005-12-13T06:41:53Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Nope, bourbon can come from anywhere. Kentucky bourbon has to come from Kentucky. JD calls itself a Tennessee whiskey because it’s a Tennessee whiskey, not a bourbon. I think my brain just blew a fuse. ---
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/11 "2005-12-14T14:56:42Z")
So I can make up a batch here in Delaware and call it: Ace’s Corn Juice, Delaware Straight Bourbon Come on everybody, who wants a sip? ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/12 "2005-12-14T15:04:35Z")
> [@Aceospades](#): > > So I can make up a batch here in Delaware and call it: Ace’s Corn Juice, Delaware Straight Bourbon > > Come on everybody, who wants a sip? Correct on the first part and I’ll wait and see if anyone goes blind first on the second. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/13 "2005-12-14T17:12:03Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > I think my brain just blew a fuse. It’s easy. The process for making Jack Daniels differs from the defined-by-law process for bourbon making. So they just call it whiskey. They add the ‘Tennessee’ part because they think it sounds cool. And because it’s made in Tennessee. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/14 "2005-12-14T17:30:32Z")
> [@Aceospades](#): > > So I can make up a batch here in Delaware and call it: Ace’s Corn Juice, Delaware Straight Bourbon No, because AFAIK, home production of distilled spirits is still prohibited under Section 5178(a)(1) of Title 26 of the Internal Revenue Code. There was a bill introduced in 2001 to amend this, but to the best of my knowledge, it has not been passed yet. ---
**Author:** ![mcjunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@mcjunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcjunk)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/15 "2005-12-14T21:21:31Z")
> [@Vlad/Igor](#): > > Yeah, but that was a while ago. I think we need to have a little chat with the folks in Richmond or wherever they’re making it. Next thing you know, they’ll be claiming to have Bluegrass and thoroughbreds. > > Vlad/Igor (who lives 20 miles from where Early Times is made) Interestingly enough, Early Times might be good Kentucky whiskey, but it’s not technically Bourbon. Anyone know why? No aging? Different corn ratio? No insult here–I’m sipping some right now. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/16 "2005-12-15T18:55:11Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > No, because AFAIK, home production of distilled spirits is still prohibited under Section 5178(a)(1) of Title 26 of the Internal Revenue Code. There was a bill introduced in 2001 to amend this, but to the best of my knowledge, it has not been passed yet. Good point. However, I think if **Aceospades** did all the right paperwork to set up a legal distillery, he could make Delaware Straight Bourbon whiskey if he wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/17 "2005-12-15T20:14:10Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Correct on the first part and I’ll wait and see if anyone goes blind first on the second. [hijack]What exactly are the conditions whereby drinking strong/tainted/poorly manufactured alcoholic beverages can supposedly make one go blind?[/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/18 "2005-12-15T20:39:50Z")
Methyl alcohol poisoning. That, and contamination from poorly constructed stills that can leach lead, or other nasty stuff that was in it before. Using a car radiator as a condensing coil pretty much guarantees something like this. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/19 "2005-12-15T20:43:17Z")
> [@Pork Rind](#): > > It’s easy. The process for making Jack Daniels differs from the defined-by-law process for bourbon making. So they just call it whiskey. They add the ‘Tennessee’ part because they think it sounds cool. And because it’s made in Tennessee. Close. A Tennessee whiskey must not only be made in Tennessee, but it must also go through the “Lincoln County Process” of being filtered through charcoal before going into the aging casks. So, a Tennessee whiskey is actually a bourbon that goes through the Lincoln County process. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140/20 "2005-12-15T20:50:55Z")
It isn’t bourbon unless it has 51% corn in the mash. So a Tennessee whiskey could be less than that and still be a “Tennessee whiskey.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gentleman-virginia-bourbon/335140.md?page=2)