American whiskey really is a fascinating thing. It was the Irish and Scottish immigrants who brought distillation to the country. We associate American whiskies with those wonderful high notes, a sort of tangy, sharp quality they offer. We like our American whiskey a little rough around the edges. That is not to say it's inferior, far from it, rather it's more rustic. Due to the warmer climes it also matures much faster, thus it is rare to see American whiskey any older than in its early twenties. Bourbon is America's national spirit. It is made stringently: there must be at least 51% corn in the selection of grains for distillation. There must be no caramel coloring and it can be distilled to no more than 80% ABV.