Answers.Body: <p>Actually, the label doesn't say it's Straight Bourbon Whisky. It says it's Straight Bourbon Whisky <strong><em>finished</em></strong> with french oak. So, it was Straight Bourbon before it was finished.</p>
  
  <p>Jim Beam probably didn't use Straight Bourbon in earlier releases, or made sure they can legally put "Straight" on the label in the meantime.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-06-15T08:28:59.203Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-06-15T10:24:39.557Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2020-06-15T10:24:39.557Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: d4zed
Body: <p>Back in the day, I used to see Maker's 46 advertised without the "Kentucky Straight Bourbon" label. Instead, it was just called "Kentucky Bourbon Whisky" as in this picture:</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/sknXH.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/sknXH.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
  <p>However, they are now bottling it with the "Straight" label, as seen here:
  <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/y4sHJ.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/y4sHJ.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
  <p>It was my understanding that in order to be a "straight" bourbon whisky, you need to be matured in 100% American oak, <em>period</em>. But Maker's 46 is finished with French oak staves, so how are they able to circumvent this categorization law?</p>
  
Tags: <bourbon>
Title: Makers 46 "Straight Bourbon"
UserDisplayName: wormram
ThreadText: # Makers 46 "Straight Bourbon"
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-14)
  
  Back in the day, I used to see Maker's 46 advertised without the "Kentucky Straight Bourbon" label. Instead, it was just called "Kentucky Bourbon Whisky" as in this picture:
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/sknXH.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/sknXH.png)
  
  However, they are now bottling it with the "Straight" label, as seen here:
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/y4sHJ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/y4sHJ.png)
  
  It was my understanding that in order to be a "straight" bourbon whisky, you need to be matured in 100% American oak, *period*. But Maker's 46 is finished with French oak staves, so how are they able to circumvent this categorization law?
  
  **Tags:** bourbon
  
  
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  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-15. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  Actually, the label doesn't say it's Straight Bourbon Whisky. It says it's Straight Bourbon Whisky ***finished*** with french oak. So, it was Straight Bourbon before it was finished.
  
  Jim Beam probably didn't use Straight Bourbon in earlier releases, or made sure they can legally put "Straight" on the label in the meantime.
  
  
  ---
  
  