Review Styles

[bourbonv]

Having just done a new review I was also looking over some of the other reviews. I think the style of the reviewer becomes apparent when reading the reviews. I was trained by people in Quality Control at United Distillers and my reviews are more short and to the point - Much like what I would right when tasting whiskey in the lab. Linn and Mike are a bit more descriptive in their notes and I assume that the examples they learned from where probably more from books written by such people as Jim Murray or the Regans.

I write this because Linn and I have been doing a few co-ordinated product tastings and the styles really show. Linn's are much more entertaining than mine. I really appreciate the difference and I invite you all to read some of them and compare the differences. I would also like to invite others to join into the fun and write your own notes. After all, variety is the spice of life and in this case a lot of that spice comes from the rye....

Mike Veach

[Mike]

Linn and Mike are a bit more descriptive in their notes and I assume that the examples they learned from where probably more from books written by such people as Jim Murray or the Regans.


Mike Veach

Actually my reviews are just 'raw' and rather 'impressionistic'. Yours and Linns are informed by a depth of knowledge and experience that I don't have.

For an amatuer and newbie, I think I have been blabbing a bit too much. Before I wear my welcome out completely, let me sit quietly here on the back row and just listen and learn.

[Brewer]

Actually my reviews are just 'raw' and rather 'impressionistic'. Yours and Linns are informed by a depth of knowledge and experience that I don't have.

For an amatuer and newbie, I think I have been blabbing a bit too much. Before I wear my welcome out completely, let me sit quietly here on the back row and just listen and learn.

Mike,

As Mike V. stated, and I've stated before, it is great that you've been posting your reviews, whatever your style might be. Everybody's different, and everyone's got different opinions. So, keep on doing your style reviews.

As far as "blabbing a bit too much", thats not my opinion. Post when you've got something to say, or a question to ask. We've got plenty of members that have never posted. Keep involved!

[bourbonv]

I agree with Bob. Let's see some other people doing tasting notes. One thing I can guarantee and that is you learn by doing. The more you try and put down on to paper or computer, the better you will get at tasting as you learn to find the nuances of the bourbon.
Mike Veach

[Mike]

Gents, you've made your case! Put me back on the 'active' roster. I'm leaving the back row and moving a little closer to the front.

Mr. Veach you are right, I have learned by doing. I savor bourbon more as I make notes for reviewing.

My next goal will be to begin to identify the brand profiles you guys talk about. I think I got just a hint of that by noticing that the Pappy 15 YO seems to be closer in taste to the Pappy 20 YO than it is to the ORVS 15 YO.

[bunghole]

I'm going to guess that the whole notion of tasting notes comes out of the wine industry. I remember sit-coms poking fun at wine snobs' pomposity at tasting events.

My first intoduction to Bourbon tasting notes came with my reading of the Regan's "Book Of Bourbon". Given my semi-cloistered rual Virginia mountain lifestyle this was news to me. Then I started reading Chuck Cowdery's "Bourbon Country Reader". Then Jim Murray. Then Malt Advocate.

Went to Kentucky and toured distilleries; attended several Bourbon Festivals, and met Mike Veach and later Chuck Cowdery.

So yes I learned about tasting by drinking and thinking. That was a foreign concept to me, as I always thought that drinking required no thinking, and was actually the more desirable of the two.

Many years ago on a forum far far away I put forth the preposterous proposition that while other folks looked; smelled, and tasted their Bourbon - you should really listen to it also. Listening to your Bourbon is all well and good, but be careful not to actually do what it tells you to do as you will surely wind up without your pants and many times also in the slammer. Thus was born the happy-go-lucky refrain of "Pants Away!".

As a musician I have a musician's perspective and often use musical terms as discriptors in my tasting notes as they are both convenient and quite accurate. Every stringed instrument that is either plucked; hammered, thumped, or bowed has an initial attack, sustain, and then decay of each note. There can also be vibrato, and in good halls a natural reverb. So I put these simple concepts to work in my tastings. A bit esoteric to be sure, but useful none-the-less. A good finish will have substantial sustain with a slow decay. Flavors may also reverberate within the context of the finish. That is but one example as Bourbons may have many sonic nuances that escape the common whiskey writer.

ima

[bourbonv]

I would like to add that Gary has done some fine reviews here lately as well. I like his most recent Ancient Age Review. It has me wondering about the Bonded AA. I like the AAA but I always found the AA pretty poor quality. I shall have to look at the bonded version.

Mike Veach

[gillmang]

Thanks Mike, I know the regular Ancient Age and the bonded one I have is far superior. This may be another one I'll put in the car for Sampler if I end up driving there.

Gary

[Strayed]

I'm going to guess that the whole notion of tasting notes comes out of the wine industry. I remember sit-coms poking fun at wine snobs' pomposity at tasting events...

...As a musician I have a musician's perspective and often use musical terms as discriptors in my tasting notes as they are both convenient and quite accurate. Every stringed instrument that is either plucked; hammered, thumped, or bowed has an initial attack, sustain, and then decay of each note. There can also be vibrato, and in good halls a natural reverb. So I put these simple concepts to work in my tastings. A bit esoteric to be sure, but useful none-the-less. A good finish will have substantial sustain with a slow decay. Flavors may also reverberate within the context of the finish.

That is but one example as Bourbons may have many sonic nuances that escape the common whiskey writer.

........... And that, folks, is but one example of why Linn Spencer is such a good whskey writer.

[bunghole]

........... And that, folks, is but one example of why Linn Spencer is such a good whskey writer.

Thank You John. You are more than kind. I appreciate your post most deeply, and I'm estatic that we are good friends once again.

ima

[Mike]

Mr bunghole.

I really enjoyed your description of how you incorporated your love and knowledge of music into your enjoyment (and reviews) of bourbon. It improves my appreciation of both.

Not being a musician, my own meager gifts, such as they are, are more in the realm of words and metaphors. Strange to say, I prefer a description to a picture (contrary to most people)........I would rather build the picture in my own imagination (unless the picture is from a true artist, who sees much more clearly and deeply than I do). Even in regard to taste, words and metaphors are the only medium open to me.

Regardless of the medium of expression, I will be so bold as to generalize that the enjoyment of bourbon, the appreciation of its history, the respect for its heroes, is, in fact, an art. It is a metaphor, as are so many things, for life.

Life is fun, enjoyable, scary, precious, finite, and all the rest. By enjoying bourbon, I am living here and now, enjoying, and learning about the inexhaustible meanings of life!

[bourbonv]

Linn,
You should be even more flattered because in this case, John is 100% right! I always enjoy your reviews. I always learn something when I do read them and I am often entertained with a little planned humor as well. I still say doing a bourbon tasting that involves a mixing bowl is something everybody should try once.

Mike Veach

[Strayed]

...I'm estatic that we are good friends once again.

We always were. It was just too easy to forget that in another environment

[bourbonv]

This thread seems very appropriate now due to some discussion elsewhere. There are different styles of reviews and all are enjoyed by many readers of the forum. There is no "wrong answer" to reviews because they are simply one person's opinion of a product. At the same time there is no "wrong way" to express that opinion. It is important to remember just one thing - Its about the bourbon.

Mike Veach