Now you’ve established a basic knowledge of bourbon, get drinking. But if you really want to order like a local, don’t order a mint julep.” What to Do With Bourbon Getty Images “Back in the early 1800s, bourbons were a top pick of the bartenders, and today’s craft bartenders have adopted the spirit with equal zeal. “While bourbon is amazingly neat, it’s also a fantastic cocktail base,” adds Knittel. A really local way of ordering is to ask for ‘a splash of branch’ – getting a touch of limestone water to bring out a bourbon’s complex character,” Knittel says. Adding just two or three drops will cause the bourbon to release much of the trapped aromatics and complex flavors. Roll the bourbon around your mouth for three to four seconds really coating your tongue before you swallow,” says Knittel.Īdding a few drops of water “opens” whiskey. “Some bars will present a neat pour with a dropper bottle of purified water. When you sip bourbon, use the “Kentucky Chew.” “That term was coined by Jimmy Russell, Master Distiller of Wild Turkey. “Don’t feel like a great bourbon must be expensive: you can find equally delicious bourbons that won’t break the bank,” says Tim Knittel, Bourbon Steward-in-Residence for The Kentucky Castle. There’s more to bourbon than Pappy Van Winkle. Buy the bottle, look up the history, and enjoy the most American product on your home-bar.” The Golden Rules of Bourbon Knob Creek It’s about what tastes good to you, the people you’re enjoying it with, and the quality of life you are drinking to. “Affordable bourbons are good bourbons too! Just because a bottle is $200 doesn’t mean it’s a better bourbon than the $45 bottle. “Price does not correlate to quality!” says Caleb Cherry of the Kimpton Hotel Armory. While the likes of Van Winkle brethren are hailed as a bourbon lover’s prized pig. During maturation, the alcohol also interacts with the wood creating esterification reactions these create polyphenols, which are your lighter and brighter flavor notes.” “Freshly charring a barrel caramelizes the sugars of the wood creating what is known as the “red layer.” This layer lends those caramel, vanilla, butterscotch flavor notes most associated with bourbon. Jacob Cantu, the beverage director of West Fork Whiskey Company, notes that these flavors are largely born from barrels. “Though there is variation-wheated bourbons tend to be slightly sweeter and have a mellower flavor profile, whereas a bourbon with more rye in its mash bill takes on the characteristic spicier notes.” “In general, bourbon will have notes of vanilla, caramel, some toffee, and the signature oakiness,” describes Greg Kong of Kimika. Mashbills, processes, water sourcing, and aging time will range from distillery to distillery, but overall, this process creates a spirit that boasts a signature profile. What does bourbon taste like? Jim Beam distillers Freddie Noe (left) and his father, Fred Noe (right) “In order to be called ‘Straight’ bourbon, it must be aged for a minimum of 2 years,” she says. That clear spirit is placed in new, charred oak barrels and allowed to age.
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