What does proof mean?

Proof is one of those whiskey terms that a lot of people have heard and even use; however, most don't know what it exactly means. Part of this reason is proof is really only an Americanized term, and the other part is that people know, generally speaking, that it has to do with how strong the drink is, and to be completely honest that is essentially what it means. Proof is a calculation based on how much alcohol is in the bottle. So if the whiskey is 50% alcohol then the proof of that particular bottle would be 100 proof. If a bottle were 60% alcohol it would be 120 proof, and so on.

The minimum proof to be considered a bourbon is 80; however, many bourbons have a much higher alcohol content than that (120 proof +). Typically when people first start to get into bourbons they begin with lower-proof pours but as time goes on they start to like the more complex flavors that come with a higher-proof bourbon.

If you try some new bourbons at different proof levels than you are used to, let us know what you think about them on the app NEAT: Whiskey Finder!