Bourbon
Bourbon at T.J.'s Fine Wine and Liquor in Brandon, Mississippi: what it is, how to choose it, and the brands on our shelf.
Kentucky's finest, from the everyday bottle to the one you save.
How to choose
Decide neat or mixed first. For an Old Fashioned, you want something with proof behind it. For sipping, you want something rounder.
Wheated or rye-heavy. Wheated bourbon is softer and sweeter. Rye-heavy bourbon is spicier and drier. Most people have a strong preference once they taste both side by side.
Age is not a score. Plenty of young bourbon beats older bourbon. What you are paying for above a certain point is scarcity.
If it is a gift, buy the recognizable bottle. That is not a compromise, it is how gifts work.
Brands on our shelf
Read first
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Bourbon, rye, Scotch, Irish and Canadian: what the law says about each and how they taste different.
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Where to start with bourbon
What separates one bourbon from the next, and how to pick a first bottle without guessing.
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Whiskey gifts that look the part
How to pick a bottle that looks considered, without knowing what the person already drinks.
Common questions
- What makes a whiskey a bourbon?
- Bourbon is an American whiskey made from a grain recipe containing at least 51 percent corn. It must be distilled within legal strength limits, aged in new charred oak containers and bottled at no less than 80 proof.
- What does bottled-in-bond mean?
- Bottled-in-bond bourbon comes from one distilling season, one distiller and one distillery. It ages for at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse and is bottled at exactly 100 proof, giving shoppers a precise production standard to compare.
- What proof is typical for bourbon?
- Many bourbons are bottled between 80 and 100 proof, while barrel-strength releases can be higher. Proof measures twice the alcohol percentage by volume, so a 90-proof bourbon is 45 percent alcohol by volume.
- Does T.J.'s Fine Wine and Liquor carry bourbon?
- Yes. T.J.'s Fine Wine and Liquor carries bourbon at 237 Orleans Way, Suite B, Brandon, Mississippi. Browse the brand names on this page, then call (769) 348-0006 to confirm a specific bottle before you drive in.
