Is There Any Sugar In Bourbon?

Bourbon is inherently sweet, with delightful notes of vanilla, caramel, coconut, banana, and other fruits. However, despite this sweetness, bourbon contains no added sugar.

To legally be considered a bourbon, a whiskey must contain at least 51% corn. Since corn is naturally sweet, this means bourbon is going to be sweet, too.

Many bourbon recipes use up to 70% corn in the mash bill, which makes the drink even sweeter. By law, distillers cannot add sugar

to alter the flavor of bourbon.

The distillation process adds a touch more sweetness to the final product. Bourbon is aged in a new, charred oak barrel that infuses it with a tiny amount of natural wood sugars.