Having a Picky Palate

Let’s be honest, tasting notes are bullsh-t.

Ok, not exactly, but it got your attention, right?

Whether you’re an avid bourbon drinker, or you’ve been to one tasting at a random distillery, you’ve likely heard about finding the “flavors” in bourbon. You’ve probably heard about notes of “vanilla” or “toffee”, how the aroma is one of “pepper” or maybe even “butterscotch”. Any of these alone may sound strange when referencing a liquor that was made mostly from corn and contains no specialty flavors or additives, but have you heard anything weirder? Have you ever heard someone compare the “nose” of their bourbon to grass or moss? Has anyone ever told you they taste pine tree or leather in their sips? I have and believe me it can be confusing.

A few months back I was at a bourbon tasting for this exclusive, single barrel whiskey. As we all sat around the tables, tasting the samples before us, and hearing from the founder about the history of the distillery and the products they create, I was concentrated on what it was that I thought I was tasting in this specific dram. The man sitting next to me, looking very dapper in his sweater vest and suit jacket, leaned over to me and excitedly asked me what sort of flavors I got from the bourbon. Now, I could have lied to this kind stranger, said something like “Crème brûlée” which was listed as a “tasting note” on the cheat sheet that sat at each station, or used a tried-and-true flavor like “caramel” but I chose to be honest instead and said “bubble gum.” The man sat there for a few seconds, thinking over my response in his head, before turning back to his own drink, and did not say another word to me the rest of our time at the table.

Now let’s step back for a moment and be realistic. “Bubble gum” is no stranger to say than “chocolate” or “graham cracker, both of which are flavors that I have seen be used by huge brands. It is also not that far off from the “Crème brûlée” note the brand’s own Master Taster claims to have gotten from the liquid. Taste is subjective, and everyone has their own preferences and experiences to pull from. Here’s the problem though, I have never tasted Crème brûlée. Honestly, I don’t think I could even tell you how to make the dish. The one thing I do know is that it has a hard top layer of caramelized sugar. Now, if the stranger in my story had taken the time to continue our conversation, or even just simply asked me to expand on my answer, I would have explained that when I sipped on this whiskey, the memory at the forefront was the taste of “Dubble Bubble” bubble gum. You probably know the one I’m talking about, the bright yellow wrapper and the almost rock hard giant pink hunk of candy? The hard, almost pure sugar sweet that you might feel is going to break your teeth when you bite down on it? I still tasted the sweetness and the sugar, but because my palate has not had the same experiences that a Master Taster may have, I couldn’t claim to taste the exact same foods.

The issue with locating specific flavors and these so called “tasting notes” within bourbon, or any whiskey, is that we are relying on our brains, and our memories specifically, to help us locate past experiences with a flavor, and pull it to the forefront of our minds to connect it with the sensations our taste buds are experiencing. Have you ever caught a whiff of a perfume, or taken a bite of food, and your mind jumps to pull a memory you thought you had forgotten or at least, buried deep down? Taste and smell are two senses that are closely linked in our brains by something called the limbic system. The downside to this is, when our experiences are limited, our brains have less memories to pull from when recognizing these tastes or smells. I’ll be honest, I don’t really understand how that all works right now, but it’s something I want to explore more and hopefully this page will allow me to do that.

Which leads me to the important bit – What is this page? Who is it for? Well, the simple answer is it’s a place for me write down my thoughts, experiences, and passions rather than keeping them solely in my memories. Like a diary per se, but a very public one that anyone can read and comment on. The longer answer is that I am hoping that in between all my rambling, someone else may find a kernel of truth or something of interest to latch on to. I hope that this might engage more people into exploring the bourbon industry or history of its place in America. I hope that in posting this here that my passion will reach someone else and impact them in a positive way. I’ll share brands I like, places I’ve visited, books I’ve read, and so much more. So, I hope that some of you will join me along the way.

Until next time!