On January 7th, 1964, the eighty-eighth congress of the United States of America passed a "Concurrent Resolution" declaring that bourbon whiskey "is a distinctive product of the United States and is unlike other types of alcoholic beverages, whether foreign or domestic; and whereas to be entitled to the designation 'Bourbon Whiskey' the product must conform to the highest standards . . . and whereas Bourbon Whiskey has achieved recognition and acceptance throughout the world as a distinctive product of the United States". 
The typical ingredients of Kentucky Whiskey are corn, rye - or as in Maker's Mark wheat is used, barley and water, however there are strict laws governing just what a bourbon must be in order for it to be labeled as such. Bourbon can be made anywhere but only Kentucky is allowed to put it's name on the bottle. At least 51% of the grain used must be corn although most distillers use 65 to 75% corn. Bourbon must be aged at least 2 years in new, white oak barrels that have been charred. As with Scotch Whiskey nothing can be added to enhance the flavour, add sweetness or colour.
A single barrel bourbon is made from a single barrel with no blending or balancing. Booker Noe introduced his own signature bourbon, Booker's True Barrel Bourbon, in 1988 as a special gift to his friends. Booker's is the only bourbon bottled straight-from-the-barrel, uncut and unfiltered, it has been so well received that it is available worldwide and is considered by many as "the rarest, absolute best bourbon available".
Small batch bourbon is from a "batch" of barrels that have been blended. The small batch could be blended from as few as 20 barrels to as many as 200 barrels or more, although it is usually less than 100 barrels. Makers Mark for example uses 19 barrels or less for it's small batch bourbons.
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