Bourbon Tasting Here at THD Tuesday Afternoon

Glenn Mays ( Bourbon Guru), Me and Mary Ann Dewald enjoying the Activity 

Another successful activity hosted by Karen and Gaylen was the Bourbon Tasting Party held last Tuesday here at THD Fireside Lounge. There were 16 attendees. We had 3 kinds of bourbon tasted and we rated it according to aroma, taste, color and Finish (Quality).  The bourbons tasted were Woodford Reserve, Jim Beam and Gentleman's Cut Bourbons/whiskey.  

We had chocolate, dried raisins, nuts and crackers in between the three bourbon tasted.  What exactly is bourbon tasting? 

 https://www.barrellbourbon.com/post/how-to-taste-bourbon#:~:text=Take%20a%20small%20sip%20of,get%20accustomed%20to%20the%20strength.

Here's the procedure for the Proper Way for Bourbon Tasting:  

SKIP THE SWIRL–BUT SMELL BEFORE SIPPING

If you’re familiar with wine tasting, you know that swirling your glass is a key part of getting aromas from the wine to your nose. But whiskey is much higher proof than wine, which means swirling can convey not just aromas but alcohol vapors. So don’t swirl your glass–and don’t stick your nose way down into the glass. Both can result in burning nostrils rather than big aromas. Instead, bring the glass a few inches below your nostrils and sniff gently. You can always move it closer, but you can’t quickly undo that wasabi-like searing in your sinuses.

Aroma is one of the most important components of a whiskey. As you nose your bourbon, pay attention to the aromas you sense. Are they bright and fruity? Spicy? Floral? Are there lots of oak flavors like vanilla and coconut, or do you notice more distillate-driven notes like green apple and roasted corn? How intense is the aroma? Is it complex and multifaceted, or simple and straightforward?

Once you’ve experienced the aroma, it’s time to actually taste the whiskey. Take a small sip of the neat bourbon, allowing it to coat your tongue. If you’re relatively new to whiskey tasting, or if it’s a very high-proof bourbon, you might mostly notice the alcoholic burn. A second sip will often reveal greater complexity as your taste buds get accustomed to the strength. 

After you swallow, breathe out through your nose with your mouth closed. Our senses of taste and smell are closely linked, and much of what we think of as flavor is actually aroma. Breathing out your nose helps you channel aromatics to the receptors in your nasal passages, amplifying your ability to perceive specific notes. 

Again, ask yourself what you’re sensing. It can be useful to think in categories. Bourbon is aged in charred oak barrels, so virtually all will have some set of pronounced characteristics from the cask. Vanilla, coconut, sandalwood, cinnamon, brown sugar, clove, dill, and charcoal are all classic American oak flavors. 

Next, look for fruit flavors, which are generally created by fermentation. Cherry and green apple are classic bourbon fruit flavors, but stonefruit, orange, and dark berries make frequent appearances as well. You might also hunt for flavors linked to the mash bill. High-rye bourbons often feature spicy, herbaceous, or floral tones, while high-wheat bourbons can be sweet and soft. 

EMBRACE H2O

Here’s a secret that every master distiller knows: When you really want to get to know a bourbon, add a few drops of water. Rather than diluting your dram, water can dramatically enhance its aromatic intensity at the same time as it reduces the intense warming sensation of alcohol. Blenders and distillers often dilute their whiskey significantly during evaluation, perhaps as low as 20%, to get a better sense of its underlying character.

You can use the same technique to get to know what’s in your glass. Add a small splash of water with a pipette or a small pitcher. Give it a gentle swirl, then smell and taste it again. You’ll be surprised just how dramatically the experience changes.

What is Bourbon?  Bourbon (/bɜːrbən/) is a type of barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn (maize). The name derives from the French Bourbon dynasty, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, both of which are named after the dynasty. The name bourbon may not have been used until the 1850s; the association with Bourbon County did not appear until the 1870s.

Bourbon has been distilled since the 18th century.  Although bourbon may be made anywhere in the United States, it is strongly associated with the American South in general, and with Kentucky in particular. As of 2014, distillers' wholesale market revenue for bourbon sold within the U.S. was about $2.7 billion, and bourbon made up about two thirds of the $1.6 billion of U.S. exports of distilled spirits. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, in 2018 U.S. distillers derived $3.6 billion in revenue from bourbon and Tennessee whiskey (a closely related spirit produced in the state of Tennessee).

Bourbon was recognized in 1964 by the U.S. Congress as a "distinctive product of the United States". Bourbon sold in the U.S. must be produced in the country from at least 51% corn and stored in a new container of charred oak.( From Wikipedia),

I took some photos:

 

Photo Credit: Jenny Shively