BourbonEnthusiast.com

That's true, Bourbon is the choice for every occasion.

Well, I always found it is good to know what to expect before drinking any reasonably complex drink neat. If you don't know the coordinates so to speak you are in left field. In beer, the key to it is a sweet cereal taste counterbalanced by a bitter flavor from hops and often the hop aroma (flowery, earthy, citric). So it is like Ovaltine, say, or Postum, if anyone here remembers that outside of the Squire, Savannah Mike and some other oldsters.

The bitter off-sets the sweet, same thing really in Dr. Pepper except no alcohol. Root beer is similar. Sarsparilla. Et seq.

Depends too on the style of beer. It is a pity really to have to learn the palate by brute force/repetition although many do...

As to bourbon, it should taste to a good degree of wood, a tannic leathery woody taste (leather is tanned - tannins - tannin is from oak). But also a touch of smokiness because bourbon barrels are fired black inside. Finally, you want a certain chemical note which are the by-products of distilling grains. Some bourbon, especially if not too old, can taste of corn oil, Mazola-like, because corn is the major ingredient and the oils vaporize out from the still with the alcohol.

Now try it.

Gary

You, my friend are lucky! Don't eat or drink anything that doesn't taste good. Yes, some things are an acquired taste, but there's no reason at all to rush into acquiring a taste for any sort of luxury. Take your time, maybe when you're 65 you'll start liking bourbon - that's a good age to start.

I have been enjoying taking my time drinking Wathen's Single Barrel and Eagle Rare Single Barrel. I have noticed a slight bitter taste on the finish, is this typical of most bourbons? To be honest the bitter finish has been a little harder to get used to than the alcohol hit.

Revisiting an old thread just to make a comment. How could I have been so STUPID. I have been enjoying EWSB, WTRB, FRSmB all neat and love it. Not saying I will not use a little water or ice if needed but I have learned to really enjoy a good Bourbon neat.

MauiSon wrote:Take your time, maybe when you're 65 you'll start liking bourbon - that's a good age to start.

It's also a good age to continue.

Excellent choices Thig! You have three exceptional bourbons there. Enjoy!

RG

I realize this is an old thread but wanted to toss my 2 cents in.

I transitioned from drinking cocktails to sipping bourbon with a "cocktail in a bottle" as it were. I first was able to stomach wild turkey american honey on the rocks. I was at a hotel and needed a cheap, "pour from the bottle and drink" option. Then after a few more times I tried some others and it stuck pretty quickly. I can adjust my palate quite quickly, don't know if most people can or can not. Takes my wife a year+ to adjust her palate to more "eccentric" things, where as I can aquire a taste in a few days/couple weeks.

Now I can bearly mix a bourbon and only with either stuff I don't like but have lieing around or with cheap stuff. Basil Haydens is probably the "blandest" bourbon Ive had. I can't stand it, its almost like drinking flavored water, IMHO, but it could be a great one to transition with as well.