I asked some friends what the difference between "bourbon" and "whiskey" is --and we looked it up.The Roman Catholic Magisterium looks, well, lax when compared to the Kentucky bourbon magisterium.There is, it seems, a website that is the functional equivalent of a bourbon catechism (in q. and a. form). Who'd have thought it?

There are strict laws governing just what a Bourbon must be to be labeled as such. For example, at least 51 percent of the grain used in making the whiskey must be corn (most distillers use 65 to 75 percent corn). Bourbon must be aged for a minimum of two years in new, white oak barrels that have been charred. Nothing can be added at bottling to enhance flavor, add sweetness or alter color. Download the BATF regulations governing bourbon here.