Many People ask us how do you really taste a Bourbon, and what should you
look for. Well, here is a little info on the subject: The first step In judging
a Bourbon, before you sip or smell, is to look at it. Does it have a nice,
dark, amber color? This tells you that the Bourbon has been aged properly.
However, the Bourbon should never be so dark that it loses clarity. The next
thing to look for is the “nose”, or the smell of the Bourbon. You
should pick up a distinct caramel aroma, picked up from the toasted sugars
in the barrel in which the Bourbon was aged. You should also catch hints of
vanilla — a sweet scent like cotton candy. Then the third, and most important,
the taste. If you’re serious about tasting Bourbon (and we all are) and
are tasting several (or 80), you’ll want to remember not to swallow each
time (yeah, right, like that is going to happen). To fully experience the taste
of a Bourbon, take a small sip, swirl it around in your mouth and let it caress
your taste buds for a few seconds. Pay attention to the hints of sweetness
and vanilla, which should be present in a good Bourbon. Finally, it is time
to ingest the Bourbon. The last thing you should experience is the aftertaste.
You should pick up something like allspice; a nut or a fruit flavor; perhaps
a suggestion of peaches and pears. There should not be any burnt taste, this
suggests that the Bourbon was aged improperly.
Article courtesy: Kentuckyconnect.com.
There are also quick bourbon facts here.
