Time To Start Tasting.

Last week I talked about tasting notes and how subjective they can be. So, this week I wanted to expand a little more and show you my process for locating different flavors in bourbon. I pulled 4 bottles from my collection and did my own “blind tasting” for you with notes.

First let me explain the process. Since these are all whiskeys I have tried before, I wasn’t going in completely blind unfortunately, but I didn’t want that to impact this experiment so I decided to spice things up a bit. I picked 4 brands that I do not drink regularly. A couple of them I have not in over a year, so I had no recent experience to base my findings on. Even still, last week I stressed how connected our sense of taste is to memory, so I added an extra challenge. I assigned each bottle a number, and then put that number on a tasting glass. After pouring 2oz into each cup, I went to put the bottles in a separate room, out of sight, and had someone else mix the cups around. In between each cup I also cleansed my palate with Michelob Ultra (I drank water too, but water is often used to help “open up” the flavors in whiskey so first a sip of beer to wash away the taste and *then* water.)

Shew that was a lot… Ok! Now on to the actual tasting. I was a little surprised at first, because in the bottles, the whiskies all appeared to have similar coloring. That was partly why I have picked the ones I did, because I wanted to ensure that I would not be able to differentiate by sight alone. However, when I poured them into the cups, The Woodford Reserve and Michter’s were very close in color, but the Maker’s Mark was slightly lighter and the cup with Brough Brothers was very pale in comparison to the other 3. So maybe this “blind tasting” was going to be a bit more difficult than I thought. Either way, the whiskey had been poured, so it was time to drink.

In cup number 1 was Woodford Reserve. Personally, I think that Woodford would be a great starter whiskey for anyone who might be new and looking to try bourbon for the first time. With the very first sip I was hit with the flavor of caramel, but a savory sort, like salted caramel. I also tasted cocoa powder, that deep rich flavor that immediately made me think of the container of Hershey cocoa powder my family kept in the pantry to make hot chocolate with. I tasted spices like cinnamon and clove, but there was also an “earthy” flavor to it. Now I don’t go around putting bark or moss in my mouth so I can’t really say exactly what that earthy quality came from, but it felt very similar to the smell that occurs outside after a heavy rain. I also wrote “floral flavor?” I couldn’t quite place it but the image that came to mind was of a dogwood tree I had in my front yard growing up.

In cup number 2 was Michter’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Michter’s Fort Nelson location on Whiskey Row here in Louisville has a wonderful bar with a cocktail list curated in part by the famed David Wondrich. With this one I really had trouble finding any flavor in it at first. It had a strong ethanol sort of bite to it. A few more sips though and I was able to pull those notes out. The first note I got was like coffee and chocolate together, a nice mocha latte which I thought was funny. It also had a sweet and fruity element too, because on that next sip I tasted grapes, specifically those green tart grapes. There were some spice elements as well, but I couldn’t pick any out individually and put a name to it.

In cup number 3 was Brough Brothers. This brand is the newest of the bunch, having opened their distillery to the public back in 2021. Despite being new to the industry, they officially hold the title of “First African American Owned Distillery in the state of Kentucky”. This whiskey was significantly lighter than the others, opting for a higher rye content than the others. This one was like drinking a fruit salad. My first sip I got hit with the flavor of pears, but there was also something citrusy as well. Further exploration led me to tasting graham crackers which was delightful.

Lastly in cup number 4 was Maker’s Mark. Maker’s is easily recognizable in any bar or liquor store with their square base and red wax dip. While cup number 3 had the highest rye content, Maker’s has the lowest – Zero. Instead, they opt for winter wheat. This one had a creamy, almost butter quality to it as I drank. Again, there was a caramel flavor, but also something like butterscotch. With this bourbon though I was able to taste the grains a lot more, in fact it tasted like a loaf of bread. At the end there was a bit of a kick form cinnamon or some other sort of spice.

These tasting notes are all what I personally got from the bourbons. As we discussed these are subjective. We’re talking about a liquid made with corn and other grains and stored in a charred barrel for a few years. No additives or flavors or anything else is put in at any point so the flavors we are getting are based on our palates. This experiment was very fund and next time I will have to try it with multiple people to see if we get different notes. It is also something I would encourage anyone to do. Not sure where to start in the liquor store? Grab a bottle or two and do your own blind tasting. Every bottle I used in my tasting was under $30 so you don’t have to grab the most expensive bottle and hope that it’s good. Find one you like to drink, look at their mash bill or their tasting notes, and work you way out from there to find bourbons with similar notes that you can try.

Happy Tasting!

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