Is there a legal age requirement for bourbon?

Bourbon must be aged for a minimum of one year to be labeled as straight bourbon, but there is no legal age requirement for it to be considered bourbon itself. This means that while it can be sold immediately after distillation, if it is aged for less than one year, it cannot carry the designation of straight bourbon. However, the production regulations do not enforce an upper limit on how old bourbon can be, leading to a wide variety of age statements that distillers often display to appeal to consumers. This lack of a legal age requirement for the initial classification of bourbon allows distillers more flexibility in their production processes.