The Bourbon Nerd

Well … if you have arrived here, you probably would like to know more about Bourbon and the other American whiskey categories. If that is the case – you’ve come to the right place!

The “school” is a number of YouTube video lessons that will each take you 10-20 minutes to complete. No prior knowledge is required – but I do recommend that you watch them in sequence, if you are new to this topic. If you know a lot about Bourbon already and just want to know more about e.g. “Barrel Entry Proof” – you can obviously go directly to that video.

This is the first of many lessons where I will be teaching you everything you need to know about American whiskey! In this video I will be covering the seven most important rules in connection with Bourbon – as well as my take on the top-five misunderstandings.

In this lesson I will teach you about the most important types of American whiskey – as well as covering some of the confusing terms associated with them. Enjoy and cheers! If you like this lesson, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. If you have ANY comments, corrections, or suggestions, please leave a comment on YouTube or send me a message on Instagram, via my profile @the_bourbon_nerd.

In this video, I will deep-dive into which grains are allowed to use for whiskey production. It will be a nerdy lesson – consider yourself warned!

If you like this lesson, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

In this video, I will be going over the four main steps of making whiskey: Grain preparation, mashing, fermentation, and distillation.

If you like this lesson, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

In this video I will explain what malting is – why it is needed – and why it is almost always barley that is malted.

If you like this lesson, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

In this video, I will tell you what peat is, what a peated whiskey is – and why Scotch and Bourbon taste so differently.

If you like this lesson, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

In this video I will teach you the basics of how you age whiskey. Since this is such a big topic, the 5-6 lessons following this will deep-dive into some of the specific areas around ageing.

If you like this lesson, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

In this video I will tackle the fascinating topic of “Barrel Entry Proof”. I will explain what it means, why a lower proof seems to be better – and more!

In this video I will explain the differences between wood seasoning, barrel charring and barrel toasting.

In this video, I will take you through the five basic rules that governs age statements for American whiskey

In this video I will dig into the science behind Angel’s Share and its lesser known cousin Devil’s Cut.

In this lesson I will cover the fascinating topic of how the alcohol level can dramatically change in the barrel, during maturation. It can both increase and decrease – and I will explain why.

In this video I will show you several techniques that allows whiskey to age faster – or at least attempt to do so. I will cover heat cycling, pressure tanks, the Terrapure process, Sonic aging, ultrasound and more!

In this lesson, I will explain what the Sour Mash and Sweet Mash processes are all about and why some choose one over the other. If you like this lesson, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. If you have ANY comments, corrections, or suggestions, please leave a comment on YouTube or send me a message on Instagram, via my profile @the_bourbon_nerd.

In this lesson I will explain that non-chill filtration is all about, why it is used – and why some choose not to do it. I will also cover some technical terms related to this, such af flocculation, floc point, fatty acids and more. Enjoy!

In this lesson I will tell you the story behind Bottled-in-Bond, the official definition and why it was created.

In this lesson I’m going all the way back to the Prohibition era to find the root cause of the controversy around whether Jack Daniel’s is a Bourbon or not. I will also cover the Lincoln County Process and introduce you to Jack’s grandnephew J. Reagor Motlow, who played a pivotal role.

In this lesson I will tell you about Light Whiskey, how it differs from Bourbon and rye, why it was introduced – and what the status is today.

In this lesson I will cover the legal definition of Straight whiskey, I’ll cover the variations of Straight whiskey – and finally I’ll dig into the origin of the name.

In this lesson I’ll teach you the difference between PROOF and ABV, explain why there are two standards – and also tell you why it is called “proof”. Enjoy!