What is Corn Whiskey?

Corn Whiskey is distinctly American, created since the early 17th century when the poor settlers, mostly Irish and Scottish (of course), decided to use the cheapest product they could to distill and make into a drink. And so Corn Whiskey was born. Initially quite a rustic drink, without any age, it shares a lot of similarities with moonshine which you'll often see reference to on modern corn whiskey packaging.

It is made from a mash of a minimum of 80% corn and can also be distilled up to 80% ABV! There is no requirement to age it in wood, but if it is aged, they cannot use charred oak barrels or previously used ones, otherwise it begins to cross into Bourbon territory. This high percentage of corn creates a whiskey that is sweeter and more full-bodied. Despite the potentially high ABV, corn whiskey is often lower proof than other whiskies as this preserves the corn flavours better.