New York Bourbon

[cowdery]

Who would stop you from calling it bourbon (besides yourself).

Call it Kentucky bourbon-style whiskey, if you don't want to fib.

Short answer: The government of Sweden would stop him.

The United States has "distinctive products" agreements with several entities, including Canada and Mexico (as part of NAFTA), and the European Union, of which Sweden is a member. As part of these international treaty obligations, the United States has agreed not to allow, for example, "scotch" made in Sri Lanka (i.e., anyplace other than Scotland) to be sold in the United States and labeled "scotch." Likewise, the EU countries will not allow any product labeled "bourbon" that is not bourbon under US law (i.e., not made in the USA) to be sold in their countries. Whether or not the law would be offended by a label that says "Bourbon-Style Swedish Whiskey," or something similar, would have to be tested.

[barturtle]

I think it would be best from a marketing standpoint to call it sour-mash whiskey. Using that term would, in the minds of the public, place it head-to-head with Jack Daniels. I don't think sour-mash would be a protected term and is most commonly associated with american whiskies.

Besides, almost any decent effort could have flavors better than JD

[cowdery]

"Sour mash" is not a protected term, although it probably would be subject to basic truth-in-advertising requirements, i.e., the whiskey would actually have to be made using the sour mash process.

I don't know why "sour mash" became such a hook, probably because of Jack Daniel's.

[ratcheer]

I remember "sour mash" being used as an attracting term before I remember Jack Daniel's becoming so popular. What I mean is, many bourbon brands used it as a chief descriptive term on their labels and advertising, as if it meant the product was extra special. Terms such as "Genuine Sour Mash Whiskey" were prominent on many different brands.

This recollection is from the mid-60's to mid 70's.

Tim