Tasting
Howdy and welcome to Junior’s Bourbon Hall. Today we are going to be discussing Bourbon tastings. Grab your favorite drink come on in and discuss how we will perform a tasting for your friends. Enjoy!
Items that you will need for your tasting are as follows:
- Tasting glasses for each person. Glencairn glasses are the preferred but, what ever you have will work. Like shot glasses just don’t throw the whole shot back in one swig
- Notepad for notes the tasters may want to write down about the bourbons
- Water so that each person will be able to cleanse their palette after each tasting. Also be used to add a few drops to the bourbons
- Cards or name plaques for what each bourbon is and maybe write down what the mash bill is to explain each taste that the bourbons will come out
- A small plate of crackers and cheese or chocolate adds to the experience
To start the tasting you will want to decide which bottles you will want to use. You will want to decide if you will use a single distillery or choose by proof of the bourbons. Most tastings are three or four pours of bourbon. Once you have decided on your bourbons, you will want to pour each bourbon for each person and then describe the mash bill and flavors that will be coming from the bourbon. The mash bill will also inform the flavor and tasting notes of the bourbon. A higher rye percentage will have a spicy finish while a higher wheated bourbon will be smoother and sweeter on the tongue and finish. This gives the person tasting an idea of what they will be drinking on each sip. Go through each of the bourbons this way. After the first taste of each bourbon, have the person add some water to the bourbon to see how the flavors open and or change with just a touch of water. Enjoy each of the bourbons and have the people tasting explain what they taste or what flavors they have with each of the bourbon. There are no wrong answers and fun to see what each person tastes in each of the bourbons. After each pour (1 oz) of bourbon is complete have the people sip some water and eat a cracker to cleanse the palette before the next tasting.
With the tasting defined you will need to decide on which bourbons you will want to sample. Compare same distilleries or go across distilleries and go by proof.
Many of the distilleries have multiple choices of bourbon to choose from. Benefits of going with a single distillery
- Ability to have the bottles from the distillery
- Mash bills across the bottles will be very similar
- Favorite distillery and trying to share why you have a favorite
Choosing between proofs of the bourbon gives you a chance to go across distilleries to choose a favorite bourbon from a distillery. Benefits to going proof for your tasting:
- Choose from Cask Strength, Barrel Proof, or pick a proof and find bottles that meet your need.
- Look in your collection and pick the bottles that meet your needs
- Choose high rye, wheated, or common
- Easier to get the bottles you will need.
Now go get the bottles, get the snack platter, the glasses, water, date picked, friends invited, and have a great night of bourbon and laughter.
Cheers,
Junior
