BOURBON 101 CLASS OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION
History of Bourbon
Legal Definition of Bourbon whiskey
Contents of Bourbon
How Bourbon is Made
Alteration of Flavor by Non-Corn Grain Addition

APPEARANCE
Study the color. A darker amber is indicative of longer aging, a lighter caramel represents a shorter aging.

AROMA
Swirl the bourbon around in your special tasting glas to open up the aroma— called aerating. Much like wine, bourbon likes a little air to ‘open’ the flavor. Now take a sniff with your nose over the glass. Breathe in through your mouth to receive the complexities of the flavors. What do you smell? This is your taste preview.

FLAVOR
To get a complete flavor profile, take a sip from the glass and work it around to coat the inside of your mouth. This allows the mix to hit different parts of the tongue. Sweet tones will hit the tip of your tongue and sour notes will be picked up on the sides.

SWALLOW AND FINISH
Be on the lookout for how the bourbon finishes, what flavors are left behind? Is the flavor sweet, mellow, bold or bite?

ADD WATER OR ICE
Imagine the flavor of undiluted bourbon as a closed fist. Adding in a dose of water to your mix loosens the grip, this means more intense flavors will be released than when tasting it ‘uncut’. Pouring bourbon over ‘the rocks’ has the same effect but allows the bourbon to loosen more slowly so individual flavors may be noted more easily.

BOURBON TASTING
You'll sample a variety of bourbon whisky, each with unique flavor profiles. Which one will you enjoy the most? Take notes.