6 Guidelines for Drinking Bourbon Appropriately

America’s homegrown whiskey has turn out to be one of the vital in style pours around. And with so many bottles flooding the market, the backbar has turned right into a crowded landscape, one that might easily overwhelm the common drinker.

So we found a spirit guide. Beau Williams, the owner of Kansas City’s Julep, lauded for having one of the country’s most excellent bourbon choices, shares his rules for picking, sipping and mixing America’s favorite spirit.

Read the Label

Step one is to learn to decode bourbon labels, says Williams. “Bourbon is a really broad category,” he says. “It’s vital to know what the wording means.” For instance, he always looks for the phrase straight bourbon.

“Straight is what you wish to look for in the beginning if you’re searching the cabinets,” he says. “It means they’re not adding anything to or adulterating the product, so that you’re getting the real deal.”

He also recommends looking for the age statement on the label, though he’s quick to note that you just won’t always discover it. And particularly if it’s from a newer producer, that often implies that bourbon is on the younger side. By law, straight bourbon have to be aged for a minimum of two years.

Seek Out Value

“For those who’re spending more than $forty, you’re probably doing it fallacious,” says Williams. Of course, in case you’re a collector looking for extra-aged Pappy Van Winkle, anticipate to pay a premium. But for these just starting out, affordable bourbons abound. Williams recommends Wild Turkey 101 (“wonderful juice at a reasonable value level,”) and bottlings from 4 Roses and Heaven Hill (brands from the latter include Henry McKenna, Evan Williams and J.T.S. Brown, amongst others).

Skip the Shot Glass

While the flavors of bourbon may be quite different from Scotch whisky, Williams recommends sipping a neat pour from a Glencairn glass, a curved vessel typically reserved for scotch. “Aroma is a big part of your bourbon experience,” says Williams. “You want a glass that permits you to seize the aroma—caramel-y, nutty, etc.—to get you excited and cue up the rest of your senses.”

A shot glass won’t enhance this experience, he says, but a glass with a broad base and tapered top “to capture aromas and funnel them upwards” will do the trick. In lieu of a Glencairn, he typically makes use of Old Fashioned or rocks glasses with a similar, slightly tapered shape.

Don’t Be Afraid of Dilution

“Water is your friend, and don’t be afraid of it,” says Williams. “People think there’s only one way to drink bourbon, and that’s wrongheaded. Water isn’t a dealbreaker whatsoever.” The present development for uncut, unfiltered, barrel-power whiskeys implies that most bourbons truly benefit from some dilution, he says. “It takes off the heat and spice notes and lets the sweetness shine through.”

Upgrade Your Ice

“Bourbon has big, bold flavors,” says Williams. “A little bit of ice and water won’t kill the thing.” Nevertheless, he’s wary of small, watery pieces of ice that dilute a spirit too quickly. “I prefer to take my time, and I desire a related experience from after I start to after I finish. Stable ice is rarely a bad idea.” For residence use, he recommends silicone molds to freeze sizable chunks that chill successfully however soften slowly.

Attempt an Old Fashioned

“An Old Fashioned can really turn individuals on to how wonderful a bourbon expertise will be without drinking it on its own. Ice, a little bit of sugar and bitters may also help bridge the flavour profiles, make it more palatable.” The goal, he says, is to accentuate the flavors of bourbon slightly than mask them, and “the classic Old Fashioned does that wonderfully.”

“There’s no fallacious way to devour bourbon,” says Williams. The only mistake is “not enjoying it while you’re doing it.

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