The fundamental difference is the base ingredient: bourbon is an American whiskey distilled from grain — at least 51% corn — while brandy is distilled from fruit, most often grapes or wine. Bourbon is aged in new charred oak and tastes of caramel, vanilla, and oak; brandy is usually aged in used barrels and leans toward dried fruit and spice.
Base ingredient: grain vs. fruit
This is the heart of it. Bourbon starts with a grain mash that's at least 51% corn, with rye, wheat, or barley filling out the recipe. Brandy starts with fruit — most famously grapes (Cognac and Armagnac are both grape brandies), but also apples, pears, and other fruit. Grain in, whiskey out; fruit in, brandy out.
Aging and barrels
Bourbon is legally required to age in new, charred oak barrels, which is where it gets its color and its caramel-vanilla backbone. Brandy is typically aged in used oak, often for many years, which tends to produce a softer, more dried-fruit-and-spice character. Same idea, very different result.
Flavor and how to drink them
Bourbon tends to taste sweet and full — caramel, vanilla, oak, sometimes baking spice. Brandy leans toward raisin, fig, floral, and warm spice. Both are excellent neat, on the rocks, or in cocktails, though they shine in different drinks. And one key point: bourbon is a type of whiskey, but brandy is not whiskey at all — the base ingredient puts them in entirely separate families.
Get to know the grain side
The best way to understand bourbon is to taste it thoughtfully, side by side. Our Premium Tasting walks you through it — or see all our experiences.
Keep reading: What is bourbon made from? · What is straight bourbon whiskey? · What proof is bourbon?