The Whiskey Ledger with Bourbon Apprentice

“Dad, what are you doing?  Why do you do that?”  This is a pretty regular question from my 11-year-old daughter as I’m nosing my bourbon one nostril at a time.  “Because he’s a ______,” answers my wife before I can respond (you can insert, “nerd,” “idiot,” “tool” or other descriptive noun of your choosing).  No matter how much grief I get, there will be no quit in my game.  I love sniffing whiskey; I love tasting whiskey.  I find it so challenging to pick out different scents, flavors, and feelings within a spirit and the only way to improve performance is with additional reps (responsibly, of course!).  It’s like going to the gym or playing a sport – practice, practice, practice!  It may not make you perfect, but you’ll make progress.

When I first started drinking bourbon, it was pretty simple…I either liked it or I didn’t.  But once I started exercising my palate and trying a bunch of different pours, I realized just how distinct they are from one another.  It’s incredible!  I’ll also admit that I thought tasting notes were completely absurd at first until I started picking out some of the most bizarre characteristics on my own.  Now to be clear, I still think it’s a bit crazy when someone pulls out a note from a whiskey and I’m fairly certain it’s something they’ve never even tasted before, but every palate is different so I guess I’ll just take their word for it.

I’ve mentioned Bourbon Curious by Fred Minnick before and that’s because the book truly influenced the way I taste whiskey.  His book contains an exercise that forces you to think of scents and flavors in a way that you associate them with memories from experiences through your life.  Now when I taste a whiskey, I can transport myself back to the 80’s when I was at my grandparents’ house eating Brach’s flavored caramels with my Papa.  I may not be tasting that exact flavor, but the liquid in the glass is reminding me of that flavor profile and therein lies a great tasting note.  

Going back to these memories can make drinking the whiskey so much more of an impactful experience as well.  Some of my favorite notes I’ve ever picked out of a glass meant more to me as a memory than it did as an actual tasting sensation.  Here are a couple of examples:

• Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye and Bardstown Bourbon Company’s The Prisoner are both whiskeys that I don’t actually enjoy, but a note that I picked up is one of my fondest life memories.  In both of these products, I tasted a raw, doughy fresh pasta noodle flavor that reminded me of my Nana making homemade noodles for her chicken soup.  She’d hang all of the noodles draped over her kitchen chairs to dry and I’d probably eat a quarter of them before they ever ended up in the pot.
• Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and Old Forester 1910 are pretty similar dessert-y pours and after I get past the sweet chocolate and smoke, I pick up old school candy cigarettes, the chalky and sugary sticks from way back in the day (my kids thought they tasted like bananas, so we called them “banana candy” when they were small to avoid the whole smoking aspect).  Maybe I’m crazy, but they are still one of my favorite candies.
• Back to Bardstown, the Discovery Series #1 had a minty wax lips note that will bring you right back to Halloween as a kid.  

I’m not an expert and my palate is far from refined, but it sure is fun to put tasting notes on paper and pick apart a whiskey.  When I do a review and jot down my thoughts, I almost always use a Glencairn glass.  In my opinion, the “glen” concentrates the smell to the top of the glass without overwhelming you with alcohol vapors and it allows for the nose to interact with the palate when you sip.  Before I share some of my reviews, here are a few tasting tips to consider that I’ve picked up along the way from books, formal tastings and bottle shares with friends.

• If I review a whiskey, it’s usually my second pour of the night.  I typically stretch out the palate with a lower proof (90’s) product before getting into the targeted item.
• If it’s a higher proof whiskey that I’m reviewing, I’ll let it sit in the glen for 5-10 minutes before beginning to let some alcohol burn off.
• Allow a bit more air to get into the whiskey by swirling it around in the glen from time to time through the tasting.
• I’ve been told that leaving your mouth cracked open when you nose the glass will help your sense of smell from being completely overpowered as the air passes through your olfactory.
• I nose the glass from side to side letting each nostril process the smells on its own.  
• Allow the whiskey to roll around over your tongue, stick to the sides of your palate and develop of full mouth experience as you sip.
• Don’t judge from the first sip, especially if it’s a high proof pour.  Get back in there for another to double check.  
• Consider tasting your whiskey blind!  Have someone else pour you an unknown bourbon so you aren’t influenced by what you think you know about it.
• Last tip from my buddy @Uptown_Drams – Consider printing out a Bourbon Tasting Sheet to help call to mind flavors and other notes as you taste. (Google it and find one you like!)

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I put out a whiskey review each Sunday with the hashtag #SundayFundayReview.  I hope you enjoy a few of my favorites and follow along on my page.