Convergence is useful; origin legends remain uncertain. The Robertson cordial image bears an 1861 registration despite an 1847 brand claim. Illustration dates do not establish bourbon invention.
The chapter also repeats several famous inventor and naming traditions while acknowledging uncertainty.
The narrative treats corn-rich mash, barrel storage and transport, Kentucky production, and expanding regional markets as the conditions from which bourbon gradually became recognizable.
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Chapter 3 — Bourbon emergence and naming
2026-09-29: fresh supplied-copy review covered all 320 sheets and 87 enlarged visuals. This entry is checked for fidelity to the cited passage, not independent truth. Copy lacks at least endnotes 39–56; earlier complete-source wording is superseded. Convergence is useful; origin legends remain uncertain. The Robertson cordial image bears an 1861 registration despite an 1847 brand claim. Illustration dates do not establish bourbon invention.
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