strength less than 62.5% abv (125 US proof) when it goes into the barrel for ageing. To put it in the most basic terms, if you put a liquid that is too high in alcohol content into a new barrel it will strip flavour too quickly and before you know it the Whiskey becomes too dry and bitter to be enjoyed. Opening it up with a little water will allow ageing to occur at a nice rate and will let the flavours marry together properly. Perhaps the most important rule for Bourbon production is that after distillation nothing may be done to it to change the flavour or colour other than to age it in new oak barrels. This means that all the colour and flavour you find in Bourbon is natural. Most other spirits are allowed to add a small amount of caramel in order to adjust the colour of the finished product, a practice that can be used to keep a consistent colour from one batch to the next, but can also be used to make a product appear darker giving it the illusion of having more age. This is something that can never happen with Bourbon, so you can rest assured that all the flavours and colour in the bottle have come through the natural process of allowing the Whiskey to rest and mature in contact with wood. AGE IS JUST A NUMBER It's not uncommon for Bourbon not to have an age statement on the bottle,