Hot And Spicy Bourbons
When someone describes a Bourbon as spicy, they can mean one of two things. Spicy can mean hot like red pepper, or it can mean that a Bourbon is full of the spice flavors of baking spices.Hot and spicy Bourbons are certainly the first. Sometimes this heat comes from the alcohol content, and sometimes it comes from where and how the Bourbon was aged.In either case, it can present itself like the capsaicin from a red pepper. And like a spicy pepper, that heat can be very enjoyable if surrounded by the right blend of flavors.
How Strong Is A Bourbon And Water
Unlike mixed drinks, the alcohol content of bourbon and water is not going to be much different from drinking it straight. In general, you can expect a splash of water to weaken your whiskey by just a couple of percentage points. If you’re pouring a 100-proof whiskey, for instance, it may only be 48 percent ABV .
Best Bourbon Whiskeys In The Country
Best bourbon whiskeys in the countryHave you ever wondered what is bourbon whiskey, how it is made, how it is different, is it better, etc.? If yes, you are on the right page. This article intends to expand your knowledge about the countrys most popular whiskey, bourbon.
What is bourbon?
- Bourbon is one of the most popular types of whiskey today and is made from maize and rye.
- It originated in the mid-19th century and its making process is a coveted business built around tradition, especially in Kentucky.
What makes a whiskey bourbon?The following are the rules that make a whiskey bourbon:
- It must be made in the country, and 95% of American bourbon is made in Kentucky.
- Bourbon must be aged for at least two years in a new, charred, oak barrel to be considered straight bourbon. The use of new oak barrels that havent aged other spirits before is a key to the unique bourbon flavor. Distillers can age it longer but not for less than 2 years.
- It must be made of at least 51% of corn. Wheat, rye, and other cereal grains can be used in different proportions for the desired flavor, but their percentage cannot go over 49%. If it does, then it no longer remains bourbon.
- It should be distilled at less than 160 proof.
- It must enter the barrels at no greater than 125 proof.
- An unadulterated flavor is a must, as nothing that is flavored or has anything other than water added to it can be labeled as bourbon.
What are a few surprising facts about bourbon?
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Wondering How To Drink Whiskey Neat We’ll Show You The Best Way To Appreciate All Of The Complex Flavors This Fiery Spirit Has To Offer
Whiskey is a very versatile spirit. You can drink it hot, cold and hey, you can even bake with it! From sweet slushes to complex vintage cocktails, whiskey drinks are a mainstay on every bar menu. But there is something to be said for appreciating it all on its own. When youre ready to become a whiskey connoisseur, this is how to drink whiskey neat.
How Does Whiskey Vary In Flavor
Speaking of flavor, all these variations in the process can profoundly affect how the whiskey tastes. So if you donât really know what to look for, it can be hard to figure out whether something is going to rock your socks or taste like socks. But thereâs some basic knowledge that can help steer you in the right direction when youâre staring shelf of booze at the bar and donât know where to start.
The main ingredients are a major influence on how the whiskey tastes. Rye-heavy whiskies like Sazerac and spiced blends such as Alpineâs Lafayette bourbon tend to have a bit of a kick. They have notes of cinnamon that provide, as Betts describes it, a âbold, peppery flavor in the back of your palate.â Corn based whiskies have sweet caramel and vanilla flavors. Wheat-based whiskeys such as Woodford Reserve Wheat also have sweet but pronounced honey-like notes to them.
Lastly, malt barley contributes whiskey chocolate, coffee, and sometimes even beer flavors to whiskey. But depending on how itâs dried you can get other characters in the mix. For example, if the malt barley was dried using peat , the whiskey will have smokey, campfire-like notes to it.
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Woodinville Bourbon Port Cask
Average Price:$52
The Whiskey:
This expression is Woodinvilles award-winning five-year-old bourbon taken up a notch. That means youre getting that grain-to-glass experience of local Washington craft along with the bespoke barreling process on those snowy Cascade Mountains. The juice is then finished for six to 12 months in port casks, adding a whole new dimension to the bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Candied fruit, roasted nuts, and bourbon vanilla entice you into the sip. Those notes lead right into a Christmas cake full of dried fruits, spice, nuts, and plummy sherry depths. The end shines in all of those notes, adding a warming feeling that revels in all the candied fruit, cake, spice, nuts, and oak as it slowly fades away leaving you with a silken mouthfeel and sweet warmth.
The Neat Experience:
This is probably the best workhorse bourbon on the list. Wed argue it works wonders in cocktails, but it really shines as a neat sipper. Its so complex yet remains wholly inviting. Its like a warm hug after a long rainy walk.
Basil Haydens Kentucky Straight Bourbon
We are continuing our list of smoothest bourbons to drink straight for beginners with Basil Haydens that is probably the smoothest and the most approachable bourbon in our list today. This bourbon has a pretty high rye content in it as well. You can definitely feel the rye on the nose and also in your mouth. It is very smooth to the taste and carries a hint of honey, mint and a little methanol, combining to make it smooth on the palate. Of course, you can move on from here as you develop a taste for bourbon.
Pixabay/Public Domain
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Different Ways To Drink Bourbon
When it comes to Makers Mark, there are two ways to drink it straight. Lets take a look:
- Neat: Drinking Makers Mark neat means that the bourbon is served at room temperature without ice.Purists like to drink bourbon neat because it allows them to experience the full range of its flavor without any distractions. Some enthusiasts will add a few drops of water to the bourbon to allow the aroma to really breathe and open up. Drinking bourbon from a brandy snifter will also help concentrate the aroma.
- On the Rocks: Drinking Makers Mark on the rocks is a great way for beginners to ease into the word of bourbon. About three-quarters of an inch of ice is considered the standard amount and the bourbon is poured over it.This serves to water the bourbon down and make it more palatable to beginners.
Makers Mark is not meant to be chuggedits a sipping alcohol. Its brewed in small batches, meaning that you can get different hints of flavors in each batch. This can range from hints of smokiness to the sweet taste of molasses.
However, Makers Mark isnt meant to just be enjoyed straight. Bourbon works really well in a range of cocktails.
Check out our top 10 Makers Mark cocktails below!
Should You Get Whiskey On The Rocks
Ordering a whiskey on the rocks may sound cool, but it may not necessarily be what you want. Ice actually numbs your palate and dulls the flavors, Tardie laments. But hey, sometimes you just want a cold glass of whiskey I say go for it.
As for the type of ice, youre best off going with a large ice cube or ice ball. Small cubes or chunks of ice will melt faster than larger pieces, diluting your whiskey more quickly. If you want the chilling effect without the dilution, you might consider adding chilled whiskey stones.
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How To Drink Bourbon: Start By Looking At The Bourbon
Once youve picked a bourbon to taste, pour some into a glass. Before you take a sip, look at the bourbon.
Swirl it around the glass.
Smell it.
Hold the glass up to the light, and look for the following:
- Color: Bourbon ranges from light and golden to dark and caramel. The darker the bourbon, the older it is.
- Legs: As you swirl the bourbon, look to see if it coats the glass. Some bourbon will have legs that cling to the glass, and some wont.
- Smell: Open your mouth and place it directly over the glass. Then, breathe in with your mouth . This will let you smell and taste without your nose being overwhelmed by the alcohol scent. Breathe in does the bourbon smells sweet, peppery, or especially spicy?
Top 10 Best Bourbon Whiskey Cocktail Recipes
Bourbon whiskey is a celebrated and timeless cocktail ingredient. Its versatility and distinctive flavour have greatly contributed to its popularity while different types of bourbon can yield different results.
In this guide, you will discover the top 10 best bourbon whiskey cocktails to make at home:
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How To Drink Bourbon Whiskey
Now that weve made that very clear, wed still like to provide you with a few serving suggestions for bourbon whiskey. These may be quite helpful for you, especially if youre a beginner.
As mentioned earlier, there are lots of ways to drink bourbon. Typically, it can be served in one of the following ways:
- Tumbler
- Nosing Glass
- Cocktail
Shot glasses are self-explanatory. These drinking vessels are designed to contain a single shot. You can sip it or knock it back, its up to you. A step up from the shot glass is the tumbler. Its a stable glass and unlike the shot, it leaves plenty of room for ice should you choose to add some.
Meanwhile, the nosing glass has several advantages. As the name suggests, its tulip shape will capture the aromas so you can enjoy them before taking a sip.
If youre looking to appreciate the whiskeys quality, its the better option. A shot glass has no space for the aromas while the tumbler lets them escape without much resistance. This simple design element will greatly influence the resulting flavour profile and generally heighten your experience if thats what you seek.
Were particularly fond of the Glencairn glass that was originally designed for tasting Scotch. However, you can check out the other glassware we suggest in our dedicated guide.
Jeffersons Reserve Very Old
Average Price:$58
The Whiskey:
Jeffersons Reserve is a masterclass in the power of blending. This expression is a marriage of only eight to 12 barrels from three different bourbons which are, for the most part, very old. How old you ask? There are 20-year-old barrels in the mix.
Tasting Notes:
The spice comes through with a slight nod to eggnog with a rounded sense of fresh honey on the nose. The taste holds onto the spice but starts leaning towards a cinnamon bark while butter toffee adds a nice sweetness and vanilla almost hides in the background. The spice amps up to a tobacco chewiness as the sip slowly fades out, leaving you with a mouth coated in silk.
The Neat Experience:
The idea behind the blend is to create the ultimate sippable whiskey. And they hit it out of the park. This is the sort of dram where youre sipping and nosing and you completely forget to add water.
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How To Drink Bourbon
This article was co-authored by Tom Blake. Tom Blake manages the bartending blog, craftybartending.com. He has been a bartender since 2012 and has written a book named The Bartender’s Field Manual.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 97% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 296,638 times.
How To Make A Whiskey Sour
To me, the best whiskey sour is the perfect mixture of flavorsyou’ll taste smoke, vanilla, and oak from a quality bourbon, the sharp bite of citrus from freshly squeezed lemon juice, and that sour taste is cut just enough with the perfect amount of simple syrup. When served ice-cold with a beautiful garnish, there’s just nothing better.
Of course, if you ask every bartender in the country how to make a whiskey sour, you’ll hear a lot of different answers. The truth is that as long as you like how it tastes, you’re probably doing it right. In my view, the key to making the best whiskey sour is to use fresh, high-quality ingredients. Completing prep-work before my guests arrive also helps…that way, when guests ask for another glass I don’t have to break away from the conversation to mix. I have a batch of fresh, homemade sour mix ready to pour and nobody is kept waiting.
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How Do I Drink Whiskey Like I Know What I’m Doing
While purists might say the only way to drink whiskey is neat, thatâs total BS. As Noe says, whiskey can be enjoyed pretty much any way you want. I can attest after my weekend, whiskey-infused ice cream is delicious.
Iâve also found joy in a whiskey cocktail because several flavors are layered and they dampen the burn my grandfather would say âputs hair on your chest.â But if you are going to consume whiskey sans ice cream or mixer, the best way to find out if youâre going to like it is to take a big sniff. Noe places a lot of importance on the smell of whiskey. âIf itâs flat in nose or has an off nose … it tends to change the perspective of the whiskey before even tasted it,â he says.
When I tried four different brands of bourbon with Noe â for experimental purposes, of course â he identified notes of carmel, vanilla, oak, and cinnamon in them.
Could I smell all the aromas Noe described as we worked our way through each bourbon? No. But Iâm assured by a writer for The Whiskey Reviewer that it takes time to acquire that sensitivity that allows you to distinguish the subtleties. That being said, some flavors are easier to sniff out than others. For example, when I have a cocktail with Islay single malt scotch at a bar in Toronto later in the week, I can definitely smell the smoky, peat flavor, which perhaps proves that my olfactory sensibilities when it comes to brown liquor are expanding.
This article was originally published on 8.9.2019
Pop Your Whiskey Sour Cherry
One fun new take on the traditional whiskey sour is to replace maraschino cherries with ripe whole cherries. You can skewer them, hang them over the edge of the glass with their rugged stems, or you could slice, pit, and freeze ripe cherries and drop them into the glass along with ice cubes. They’ll cool your drink and as they thaw they’ll sweeten it with a delicious natural flavor!
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What Is A Whiskey Neat
Whiskey neat is whiskey served without any mixer, additional flavor or dilution. It seems like this would be a glass of whiskey straight up but surprisingly when you order a spirit that way youre telling your bartender to mix it with ice first and then strain it into your glass. Its true, bartenders have a kind of secret code language and here are some other things they arent telling you!
Rules For Drinking Bourbon Correctly
Americas homegrown whiskey has become one of the most popular pours around. And with so many bottles flooding the market, the backbar has turned into a crowded landscape, one that could easily overwhelm the average drinker.
So we found a spirit guide. Beau Williams, the owner of Kansas Citys, lauded for having one of the countrys most outstanding bourbon selections, shares his rules for picking, sipping and mixing Americas favorite spirit.
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Does It Have To Be Made In Kentucky
Bourbon is so intrinsically linked to the Bluegrass State that its easy to think the spirit is exclusively made there. Whats more, according to the Kentucky Distillers Association, 95 per cent of the worlds supply comes from Kentucky. The reality is, however, that it can be produced anywhere in America, and new bourbon distillers are cropping up across the country all the time.
Some Of The Best Ways To Drink A Bourbon
Bourbon whiskeys are gaining massive popularity among millennials. More restaurants and bars are coming up with its unique pairing. They are adding their creativity in adding some of the ingredients to innovate new and fresh drinks. The best way to drink a bourbon can be:
- Neat: a neat means that the drink is served to you at room temperature. There is no ice and additives involved in this drink. There are no elements that can decrease its rich and aromatic flavors. Some bars, however, can add few drops of water into it. It gets even better for whiskey enthusiasts.
- On the Rocks: the second-best way to have bourbon is by pouring it over the ice. If you are a first-time whiskey drinker, you can take small sips after inhaling some of the scents.
- Mint Julep: this aromatic cocktail pays homage to Kentucky roots with its rich flavors. It adds bourbon, spearmint, water, and sugar. The cocktail is light and is suitable for first-time drinkers. But it is packed with an unexpected punch to lighten up your mood.
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